Tumbling Through Telephone Canyon

I know I've been saying this quite often lately, but I truly am beginning to question my sanity.  I found myself doing it again early Saturday evening, as a group of us trudged up the steep slickrock in Zion National Park.  We were all exhausted and incredibly sore after a full day of tackling Telephone Canyon, but there we were in the 100+ degree blistering heat, trying to find the trail that would lead us back to civilization.  We all moaned and groaned as we climbed further and further up the massive rock formation, but we had no choice but to continue on.  This is when I began questioning myself.  My feet ached, my quads burned, and my mouth felt like cotton.  The lukewarm water in my Camelback had ceased being refreshing hours ago.  I wanted nothing more than to be sitting at camp with a cold beer in my hand.  I could almost taste the bitter effervescence...

Dehydrated and spent, I had no one to blame but myself for this one.  It was definitely my fault we were here, after all.  Mouse would have been content spending the weekend by the pool.  I was the one who had pushed for this trip to Zion and for a day of canyoneering.  It had been way too long since we had visited Zion, and I had been craving a good day in the canyons for months.  I'm no newbie to the trials and tribulations of the canyons; I knew what I was getting myself into.  So, I did my best to keep my mouth shut and soldier on.

As we traipsed through the backcountry and I thought about the day, I had to admit it had been pretty good, despite my current state of fatigue.  There's just something about being in Zion that makes me feel alive.  And there's something about completing a canyon that makes me feel like I can conquer the world.  We descend into the unknown depths of unforgiving rock and hope for the best.  Sometimes, we swim through icy cold pools.  Sometimes, we wade through muck.  We didn't have to do either on Saturday, as Telephone is bone-dry this time of year, but we did have to contend with a series of incredibly awkward and challenging rappels.  I knocked myself around quite badly on a few of them, and am now sporting the scrapes and bruises to prove it.  But I also found myself in awe of the magnificent views as we delved further into the heart of the canyon.

Eventually we found the trail leading us back to the main part of the park.  Not long after, we found ourselves sitting at the campsite, knocking back ice cold beers, and trading war stories with our friends who had tackled other canyons that day.  Crazy or not, I can't think of a better way to spend my weekend.

Weekend Warrior

It isn’t often I wake up sore beyond belief, but that is exactly what happened Monday morning.  As I slowly gained consciousness and welcomed the new day, it quickly dawned on me that I could barely lift my arms.  Every part of my upper body ached, right down to my ribs.  It even hurt to breathe.  I was reminded of muscles I had forgotten existed.  I felt like my body had been through a war, and slightly looked the part, too, with bruises and scratches scattered about my arms and legs.  It wasn’t pretty.  I was a wreck.  Even getting out of bed that morning felt like a monumental task.  The silly thing was, I couldn’t blame my sorry state on anyone but myself.  I did this to myself.  Yup - all of this was a result of my determination to be a weekend warrior. 

As you may have guessed, our brief visit to Joshua Tree involved a little more than toasting s’mores over the campfire.  Sure, we sat around the fire at night, but during the day, we did more than just take in the beautiful scenery… we tackled it.  And that’s when the real fun began.  Yes – it’s nice to commune under the stars, but there is something immensely satisfying about being outdoors and pushing one’s own physical limits.  That is exactly what I did.  I’m not going to pretend I’m some amazing climber, because I’m not.  Truthfully, I’m a pretty poor climber.  But, that minor detail doesn’t matter.  I still enjoy attacking a good route now and again, and Joshua Tree is the best place to do that.  So, I let my climber friends lead the way and coddle me to the top.  It was still amazing.

And, as if climbing wasn’t enough of a physical challenge for the weekend, we packed up camp on Sunday morning, making our way back to Cali, to the San Gabriels, for an afternoon of canyoneering.  (For those of you unfamiliar with canyoneering, it’s a sport involving hiking, rappelling, a lot of down-climbing, and some swimming.)  It had been more than a year since I had done a canyon, so I was incredibly excited for this addition to our weekend lineup of activities.  Thankfully, Rubio Canyon did not disappoint.  The start of the hike was a little pedestrian, as it was a well-used, high-traffic trail, but as soon as we descended into the canyon, I knew we were in for an afternoon of fun.  With lush greenery and a rushing stream, the scenery alone was worth the trip.  Then came the rappels, each in conjunction with a waterfall.  Calling it a wet afternoon would be an understatement; we were soaked!  But we still shrieked with delight as the icy water pummeled us.  It was the most fun I had had in a very long time.

As the week has progressed, my soreness has diminished.  But, I have to admit; I kind of enjoyed the pain.  It was a badge of honor, a reminder of a weekend well spent.  Now that I’m back to normal, I’m ready to hit the trails and do it all over again.