Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: November 2007
Partners: Jason Halladay, Bill Geist, Jeff Valliere, Aron Ralston & Joe from CO
Having first done Larry Canyon in October 2006, I was more than happy to take some friends through the canyon again. Afterall, I was the only one in our largeish party of 6 who had done the canyon before. And I love showing folks special places!
Returning to the familiar drop-in, the first anchor was precisely as I remembered it...confidence-inspiring. (Alternately, you can downclimb into the canyon via class 4 moki steps on canyon-left.)
Once in the depths of the canyon, glee was the order of the day!
In no hurry, we took our time through this fine canyon, snapping many pictures, goofing off, and having a wonderful time. I, for one, didn't care to leave.
On the final rappel, we all learned a little something about Bill...he'd always dreamt of being a dancer!
Eventually, we reached our point of departure for the vehicles. From there, a nice hike up beautiful slickrock to an interesting point where we found...
Righteous photos courtesy of Jason Halladay
Another Run Through Larry Canyon
Chambers (Robbers Roost)
Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: November 2007
Partners: Bill Geist, Aron Ralston & Jason Halladay
With my second trip to Robbers Roost in the works, I put out feelers to a few friends who knew the area well, asking for recommendations. Among a cluster of suggestions, all three came back with a common "two-thumbs-up" canyon - Chambers!
After a few awesome canyons in the preceding days, Jason, Aron, Bill and I set out one warm morning for a romp through what had been described to me as a very tight and potentially dangerous canyon.
With a short approach from the vehicle, we had no difficulty finding the drop-in, a very tight, deep and dark slot that materialized within moments after we'd entered an otherwise mellow wash.
I stemmed up over the slot and peered down, trying to gauge its depth and narrowness. Uh, Aron, you wanna go first?
Gathering my nerve, I dropped down into the canyon with my partners. Super tight alright! With some low squeezing and some high chimneying, the canyon soon opened up into an astonishingly aesthetic "chambers" section.
Just when we were disappointed that the canyon was already over, we passed through the chambers and found ourselves in a funky area of high stemming across a slot. More great stuff! With a bit of robust climbing and chimneying, we made a final push through a keyhole slot...and popped on out to an open, sandy wash at the mouth of the canyon! Awesome, is all I can say!
Done with the canyon, we moseyed down to the Dirty Devil River to take a couple photos and otherwise check it out. Then, we walked a bit back up-canyon, found an exit, and wandered back toward the vehicle.
Just below the rim where our vehicle was parked, I looked at my watch and commented to the others that if we could make it back to the vehicle in one minute, we could pull off a sub-3 hour roundtrip of a canyon I'd been told would take about 5 hours.
We took off! And beat it with a few seconds to spare.
*Photos courtesy of Jason Halladay
Alcatraz (aka North Fork of Twin Corral Box)
Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: November 2007
Partners: Aron Ralston & Jason Halladay
It was 4 p.m. and me, Jason, Bill, Aron, Joe and Jeff had just finished up Larry Canyon in the Robbers Roost area of Utah's canyonlands. With an hour and a half of daylight left, I was itching for something else.
"Alcatraz, anyone?"
Aron immediately expressed interest. Jason chimed in as well.
While the others decided to hang out, Jason and Bill tied off a 60-meter rope to Bill's axle then me, Jason and Aron made the 170-foot free air drop into the canyon. Then some narrows, a pothole problem, another rappel...great stuff! Our excited voices echoed through the canyon. This is great!
As we came to the end of the canyon's difficulties, there was only a trace of light left in the sky. Collectively, we pledged to make it to the rim before total darkness. We took off!
Sure enough, we made it, then began the hike back along the rim toward our waiting vehicle. Under a beautiful moonlight in a fantastic desert, Jason, Aron and I returned to the vehicle 3 hours after starting out. Good times.
*Photos courtesy of Jason Halladay
Not Mindbender (Robbers Roost)
Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: November 2007
Partners: Jeff Valliere, Joe from CO, Aron Ralston, Bill Geist, Jason Halladay & Susan from Snowmass
A group of us gathered in Robbers Roost in November 2007 for a few canyons over a long weekend. With chilly nighttime temps and perfection during the day, Not Mindbender was in order for day #1.
With a short, scenic approach, the canyon slots up and offers some fun downclimbing, a few rappels and even some minor problem-solving. Then, the deep canyon opens up for some easy walking.
Eventually, the canyon slots up again and fully offers itself to you before it belches you back out toward the land of open views at a spectacular 90-foot free-air rappel.
After a bit of walking down the now-wide canyon, our group angled left to the steep slab climb-out (easy 5th class) that would lead us back to our vehicles. A fantastic finish to an otherworldly day!
A Loop of the East & Main Forks of Blue John Canyon (Robbers Roost)
Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: October 2006
Partners: Rick Kent & Mike Cressman
In fall 2006, Rick Kent, Mike Cressman and I made our first visits to Robbers Roost. It is an amazing place of rolling, gentle hills that give way to slots that sliver up out of nowhere and lead the intrepid explorer into the abyss...or so I envisioned it. But that's not far off the mark.
Generally speaking, the Roost is a benign sort of place that is a parade of fun for the appropriately geared and talented backcountry explorer. Some rope, a harness and rappel device, a helmet, some solid scrambling and climbing skills, and a GPS can get the job done for most of these nice little slots. And Blue John Canyon fits nicely into this formula.
Scoring solid beta from Tom's Utah Canyoneering Guide, Rick, Mike and I packed up early from our hotel in Green River, Utah and made the drive over to the Roost and what would prove to be our camp at a funky spot called Granary Springs. I didn't notice any springs, but I did notice a decrepit building with the words 'Motel 6' spray painted onto the side of it. Despite the mouse turds and the rampant hantavirus, Rick would find it a lovely place to bed down for a couple nights (while Mike opted for the slickrock, and I, the truck).
We wasted no time in collecting our packs and beginning the beautiful hike that would take us to the drop-in for the East Fork of Blue John Canyon. Tom had said that a loop of the East and Main Forks was a great full-day outing that offered up nice narrows, a few technical obstacles, and the challenge of some technical climbing to escape up the main fork of the canyon.
When the slot of the East Fork presented itself, we easily downclimbed into it. Mellow at first, the canyon soon became deeply entrenched and we had a blast squeezing through. Some interesting stemming above the slot, followed by a sequence down an awkward drop, and it seemed like only an hour before we were at the confluence of the Main Fork.
Rather than retreat up the Main Fork right away, we wandered down-canyon for a ways to the "Ralston slot", where we downclimbed into the dark, narrow canyon and worked to the rappel station at the top of the "big drop."
Our plans did not include a descent down into Horseshoe Canyon, so we returned up-canyon and began the fantastic journey back toward Granary Spring via a series of challenging up-climbs in the slot. Mid-5th class climbing in a few spots, complicated by the weight and bulk of our packs, got the job done. We returned to our camp at nightfall.
*Photos courtesy of Rick Kent
Larry Canyon (Robbers Roost)
Where: Robbers Roost, Utah Canyonlands
When: October 2006
Partners: Mike Cressman & Rick Kent
In October 2006, I took my first trip to Robbers Roost. On that trip, I also made my first drop into Larry Canyon, a fine canyon that would turn out to be one I'd visit again a year later, so enamored of it I was on that first trip.
With quite a few interesting downclimbs and short rappels, the character of the canyon was ever-changing, from wide open canyon to narrow slot, shifting light changed the colors, and we were continually stimulated.
Not a challenging canyon, what blew me away about Larry (as well as the other canyons in the area I'd come to know) was how such seemingly benign country (rolling hills, cattle grazing, etc.) could suddenly, and often without warning, open up deep chasms. It was in the innards of these chasms that the area's real charms were displayed. 
With a final couple of rappels at the technical end of the canyon, we were greeted to a more expansive, high-walled canyon with several tributaries. It wasn't hard to understand why the area has been so special to so many generations...beginning long before ours.
Eventually reaching our point of departure from the canyon, it was with a sense of sadness that we climbed up and out and back to the civilization of our motor vehicle. The beauty, of course, was knowing that I'd someday return.
*Photos courtesy of Rick Kent
