Pothoez and Shuffleboard Canyons, Glen Canyon
A trip with Ram is always a risky venture. The man has too much energy, too much enthusiasm, too much durability. How much abuse can my body take? How much SHOULD my body take? Most people last a couple days, then admit they've been 'Rammed', and go off and do something fun. You're either ON the bus, or OFF the bus.
We rallied in the Glen Canyon area for a 10-day trip, with a few new canyons planned, some old classics for other days, and an excellent weather forecast. Good stuff, if you can take it.
All these canyons are in the Glen Canyon Adventure Canyon Reserve Area - so actual locations and beta for the canyons will not be presented. They're secret. Kinda. There's hints in the pictures and locations, so go ahead and snoop if you must; but please enjoy the pictures and the adventures, without NEEDING to know exactly where they are.
Fiends for the day - Eric Godfrey and Steve Ramras (Glen Canyon)
Fiends for the day – Eric Godfrey and Steve Ramras
Today’s canyons are a bit of a 4WDrive from the Ticaboo cow camp Ram had chosen for our rendezvous. Thankfully Eric volunteered to drive, so my little Honda Civic could avoid damage for another day.
Getting into the canyon involved some circuitous, GPS-assisted route finding. Then scramble down a cliffband, work down some slickrock…
Strange pinnacles on the slickrock… Photo: Ram
To access the TOP of the sidecanyon, we must first go UP the bottom of said sidecanyon a bit. Can we stay dry? Uh, well, no. A slight bit of wading – refreshing at 10 am in the morning!
Top of what I will call Shuffleboard Canyon, in honor of the two senior citizens along.
Dos Fiends geared up for the coming assault!! GREEN! or RED! – we like to keep it simple.
Into the slot it is. Mommy, why is this scary man following us???
Uh oh! Narrow slot with water in the bottom. Could get ugly!
But, it didn’t overall, a pretty nice little slot, but not very technical. Had a couple of climbs, had a couple narrow squeezy sections – but just when it threatened to muscle up, it would relent. We shuffled along.
Eric resting after a tense round of Shuffleboard. Photo: Ram
Who else is along on this adventure, but that master of squeezy, wet canyons – SQUIRTY! – trying to pose for an Imlay Canyon Gear Ad in Outside Magazine (uh, not soon). Photo: Ram.
Back in the Main Fork, we finish Shuffleboard early and jaunt downcanyon in search of further adventures…
Ram has tried this canyon before, and it turned *X*. Run Away! Run Away! It awaits a complete descent, and it may have to wait awhile.
Some cool rock and ripples. photo: Ram
But the X canyon is our access to the slickrock paradise above. We shimmy up the entrance, Ram leading the way.
Hiking around, we find the top of today’s second canyon – Pothoez!
A few things to do, there might be, out there…
Eric found us some full potholes to cool off in. Thanks Eric! Photo: Ram
Starting into the final, couple-a-hard potholes section. Photo: Ram.
Wildflowers were out!!!
I'm leaning towards:
Oenothera pallida lindl.Common name: Pale Evening Primrose Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family) There are many white Evening Primroses - this is the one in the Zion Wildflowers Book (Welsh 1990 ZNHA) that seems to match it. But I'm soft on this designation, if someone wants to lobby for a different one. A much larger photo showing more of the plant is available:
Some kinda Wild Rhubarb (Glen Canyon)
Some kinda Wild Rhubarb
Rumex hymenosepalus Common names: Dock, Sorrel, Wild Rhubarb Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Source: Rumex hymenosepalus at SW Colorado Wildflowers
Cryptantha flava (Glen Canyon)
Cryptantha flava
(Glen Canyon)
Cryptantha flava Common name: Yellow Cryptantha Boraginaceae (Forget-me-not Family)
A prominent, widespread wildflower in the Glen Canyon Area, this time of year. However, substantial disagreement on the speciation. Could be Oreocarya flava according to Oreocarya flava at SW Colorado Wildflowers ... or also found as:
Cryptantha confertiflora Common names: Basin Yellow Catseye, Mojave popcorn flower Boraginaceae (Forget-me-not Family)
Source 1: Wikipedia and Source 2: Cal Photos.
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Today's Mystery Flower. (Glen Canyon)
Today’s Mystery Flower.
Allium macropetalumCommon name: Large flower wild onion. Liliaceae (Lily Family) Source: Allium macroperalum at SW Colorado Wildflowers
Some fun downclimbing action, into a Pothoe!
Some kinda Wild Rhubarb(ish thing)??? Nope – Just Ram making dinner. Yummy it was, too!!!