Here's the story from the other perspective...

(Pictures by Erik Jennings, story by Lisa Jennings).

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"It feels like we've been spying on you for years", Erik said to Ram around a crackling fire at Robbers Roost. Ram smiled, glad the online canyoneering group had sparked our interest in this fun new sport. This was our first time hooking up with Ram and crew for some scraping and rapping, but we had been reading about their adventures for years.

Last spring we tried canyoneering at North Wash in the E Fork of Leprechaun - 5 newbies from Idaho with one experienced mountaineer to set the ropes. We had an unforgettable time and caught a huge adrenaline rush that made us want to do many more canyons soon, however we didn't make it back to Utah again until just recently.

This spring, with plans to float the San Juan River for a week, Erik noticed a canyoneering gathering forming in the Robber's Roost area. Erik emailed Ram and Ram responded enthusiastically, telling us to come join in the fun. We were excited to meet these canyoneering legends!

We showed up at their camp Thursday evening after a looooong drive from Moscow in Northern Idaho, and the next morning rose with the sun to do Not Mindbender. Penny, Dave, Judy, Amy, Erik and I started off across the desert to Not Mindbender after a car shuttle and some "team navigation", where we realized Tom had dropped us at the alternate trailhead. We hiked a mile or so through the desert, and then started into the canyon, enjoying the beauty and warmth of this special place. It started off with just hiking for awhile. We came to the first downclimb, and Penny asked if I wanted to lead. I dove into the first slot and squirmed down under and over chockstones and into tight narrows, loving it, joking that my wide hips do have a use after all! I jammed them in the slots and enjoyed some nice gravity assisted downclimbs. This canyon generously offered us many fun downclimbs in nice confined slots.

Panorama of le campsite. Click for larger version.

Getting started: navigating through the dirt gullies to get into the correct drainage.

A mischievious grin through the arch.

A little downclimb as the canyon gets started.

In the canyon - Amy as fashionista.

We reached the first rappel, an easy one, about 30 feet down. It had been about a year since I rappelled, and then I had only rappelled in the East Fork of Leprechaun. It only took a couple seconds to remember the good feeling of just trusting the gear and putting one foot in front of the other. Of course, Dave and Penny's assistance and neverending supply of smiles and good energy didn't hurt, either. At the end of the rappel, I said well that's the longest rappel I've ever done. Penny said "Oh really?" since there was a free rappel of 80 feet coming downcanyon. I was excited about the long rappel and maybe a little nervous too, after all, I knew the basics of rappelling, so what's another 50 feet? That's what I told myself, anyway.

We came to a downclimb which was about 10 feet high, very wide with very few holds, so we lowered ourselves on some webbing while Dave stayed at the top. Then we all watched as Dave part downclimbed, part tobogganed right down the rock! He sure knows how to use gravity to his advantage. It looked like a pretty fun ride.

After that we enjoyed a lot more good downclimbs, nothing too tricky. At one slightly overhanging downclimb with pothole potential we rappelled down on webbing with Penny assisting. We found a couple small wet areas with water and mud up to the shins, but Dave and Erik stemmed right over them. The rest of us got a foot sludged with mud.

Centava, St. Judy and Amy floating through the canyon.

The Money shot.

Dave, Judy, Amy and Lisa.