First Log Jam. Walk under, this time. Photo: Ryan Cornia

Soon we are at the first log jam. It is. 40 feet tall, just like last year, but the opening below is high. 8-10 feet high. On Halloween it was 6 feet high, in May it was closed, the last January 1, you had to crawl in places. Seems that each flood has the potential to change the game. And this has been the year of the flood. In the fall alone, a dozen or so. While I can't imagine that any of these floods matched the one (Sept 03) that set the jams and took out the old one at the end of the Hole swims, something was different. Dave and I have made a tad more than 2 dozen trips through each, in the last 2+ decades. We know the place pretty well. While last year, the jams were added and a spot always wet in our time, was dry for 50 yards, the layout of the place was very much the same. Not this year! No sirree! All of the features within the Hole had changed. 2 falls always there were gone. Three more sprouted near and far to the old ones. New boulders in place.

Ryna Cornia swims the Log Soup.

As we entered the Hole, the big falls was pouring water massively, making an unnerving racket. The famous Clitoris Rock was gone! This sizable boulder may have been spotted 100 yards down canyon. It was replaced by a huge tree trunk. Two new falls, one over a boulder, one over a double log has shown up, near the top. I dove in, climbed the first log and as I was going to drop off the second one, I found my ski pole, strapped around my wrist, stuck in the logs. I was weighted on it. The flow of the falls came smashing in my face. I gulped a little...ummm, not as bad as I thought. I wondered if I was about to become a stuck and semi permanent addition to this new falls and then the pole gave way. Swim......When this long swimmer ended and I rose out of the water, I noted that my pole was snapped clean, one and half feet down from the handle. Ummm. Not much use for it now. Glad it was not sticking out to impale my partners as they reported nothing visible at the drop. With the pole in the pack now, it was destined to be used as a log turning poker, around the campfire. Upon us, rather quickly, came the 2nd log jam. Another dangerous moment. One imprudently log stood on, turned and could have rolled over Tom, who was attempting to climb out of the water. A reminder to be careful and trust NOTHING! It was a spot that looked blocked by the logs. The climb over looked very unstable. Experience had taught me to look low, even into apparent darkness and yup, with care not to disturb hanging logs, lest they collapse on you, and with shuttling logs and packs back, while swimming, in near darkness, we cleared out and under, with inches to spare. The climb out of the "Log Soup" on the back end was vigorous work.

Another section of logs, gently walked on, for although they appear on the ground, they are packed on the surface of deep water, to near their end. At the edges where the packing is not so compact, down I drop. Wrestle with some logs and out into the clear swims of the 2nd half of the Hole section, complete with 2 new falls, caused by big rocks new to these spots. AMAZING! When the long swim section was over, out came food.........cheese, nuts, seeds, jammed and crammed into our mouths, and we are all on the run. Amazing how such simple fare can taste soooo good. This eat and run method, is used all day. An another swim section has a new log jam, but it is high enough to slip under. We all marvel at how much easier and how much debris has been moved out in one short year, but with each flood, a new reality may arrive. Tom considers the canyon still to be an X rated affair. I thought it was kinda R rated, with a reminder that the hazards of moving through this type of terrain is not inherent and must be learned from experience. That and the next flood could turn it X, in a moment. Go in with caution, but experienced folks should consider going (The author claims no responsibility......). It is a special place.

A little sun makes for a tiny bit of relaxation.

We wanted to change. Walking in these suits, both wet and dry, was a pain...but the canyon never released us from the need to swim and wade, so we wore them until the climb out. Dave and I hauled up the hill. Ryan told me where his car key was, as his car was the spotted car, at the top and I took Dave back to his car and he rushed off to his busy life. I sprinted around my car, getting out of my wet and into my dry, locked up and headed back, in Ryan's car, so as not to leave Tom and Ryan waiting. Got back just in time. High five's, all around and great joy, for a wonderful experience.......Then I shared a nagging concern. My car key was not in my pocket. If I had not left it in the door of my car....well....Time to go look.

I circle the car hesitantly... Ryan goes and looks. Ahh, is it a big single key he asks? Ahhh, yeah. Sitting on the passenger seat, behind the locked door. Dope! The car could not be placed more perfectly between 2 small towns on a late afternoon, a Saturday, that happens to be a holiday too. Good one Ram!

I always bring an extra key. Give it to my partner on the trip to cache in his car, even though I had never locked my keys in my car before. Errrr, kinda forgot to this time. Actually didn't forget. Got lazy. Dope!

OK, a plan. Ryan is ready to go home. 5 days of FreezeFest is enough and he wants time to reorganize his life and maybe get in snuggle, with girlfriend. Hard to argue. Tom watched my locked car (No room for him) as Ryan took me to Hite. Almost a ghost town now, it does have a pay phone. t even works sometimes and only disconnects you every minute or so. I do have my calling card number memorized, so hit the phone I did. Wasn't long and I wanted to smash it to bits.

What's wrong with this picture?

I would get the operator for MCI on and say in fake high spirits, "Have I got one for you to share, around the break table, this afternoon!" They gave me the number for the AAA in Blanding. Got disconnected. Got through..they were no longer in service. Got back on the call card and looked for the AAA 800 #. Got disconnected. Tried again and got it. Called my card and tried to enter the AAA #. Wouldn't work. Operator comes on and asks for the number. I give it. Ahhh, sir (implied), your really stupid. You don't need to use your call card for an 800 #. Yeah, right, thanx. Deadly, 2 ton logs and getting stuck in waterfalls I can deal. This? Dope!

OK. They are coming..or so they say. Back to Tom and my car with all the wonderful, food, gear, beer and shelter visible right thru the window. Tom goes with Ryan, 30 miles back to his car and Ryan is off. Great fun, big guy. Till next time. Tom agrees to come back around 4 hours later if I haven't shown up. He has left, dirty female lingerie on my hood. Claims he found it, staying out of the wind, in a nearby culvert. Left the men's underwear there, he says. Thanx for small favors. They are off and it is quiet, sun dipping lower and just lovely.Nary a car comes by. So lucky I had changed into dry clothes. Could use some more layers, but hey, some quiet time to reflect on what a dope I am. Do you know that a Ram stride takes 4 strides to cover the white dash in the middle of the road and it takes him 16 strides, to cover the distance in between these dashes? Everytime! Bet ya didn't know that. Also, do you know how well cows listen? Strolled 3/4 of a mile over and held court with 2 of them. Absolutely captivated by my monologue. Every now and then they would call me by one of my nicknames, Moo (As in Ramoo). Very polite beasties, but they looked skeptical of my sales pitch.

Not bad really, killing time. I was an old time hitchhiker, so I know how to do nothing. Along comes Ma and Pa Kettle, from Blanding and AAA. Great folks. Offered me the warmth of the cab. Told stories about opening many a car at the 57 mile marker, in years past. Apparently I am not the fist Hole vet to be such a Dope! he jiggles the lock open in 2 minutes. I send my compliments. He seemed genuinely irked that it took him that long. He said "tough one!" OK by me. Cost, you ask? With a preferred (Ouuuu) AAA membership....my signature only. No idea what they charged AAA. Don't care either. Time to head back to Tom. I grab some snack, load the drying gear and off I go. Think I am done being a dope yet? Naw! I drive. Tom has a small electrical problem. When he switches off his high beams, his car becomes a Cyclops, with only one headlamp shining. makes it easy to pick him out, coming down the road. Only 9 miles in, on my way to the Sandthrax site, here he comes. I pull over. He swings around behind me. I am touched that he would come for me. I chat a second and head for my car. Plain as can be, in his headlights......Hey, why is the back of my car open? Where is some of my gear? Must not have closed it, in my rush to leave. Back I drive the 9 miles, on the wrong side of the road, with my high beams on. I find the gear, all of it, right where the car climbed up onto the pavement. No damage done!

At last I pull in, cook, eat, clean, drink and hang at the fire with my buddy Tom, laughing easily...mostly at myself. We decide to awake early and sprint back into the Roost. The 3rd Annual January 1, Black Hole has left us all energized and ready for more.