Neon Potholes

--- In Yahoo Canyons Group, "A.J." <adventure_geek@...> wrote: I was talking about that specific pothole, which totally is > easy to do with a pack or shot, as I've done it twice before. It has > a high wall, and a drop afterwards, usually into a pool.

The issue here is that the this pothole shows many looks. It can be 15 feet or so deep below the lip, when scoured. The downside of the pot, with the lip, does have OK features, including a nice handhold at top. What concerns is that the higher the lip, the harder the downclimb is to ACCESS the pothole from upcanyon. An easy downclimb, when full or even 6 feet down, it bombays severely low down, when empty. Sequencing folks down on rap becomes the only sensible and safe option. As no anchor is readliy available, the last person can stem over the drop a few feet and step over (exposed move-class 3-4) left to the bolt and rap down to the backside of the pothole, and watch the others solve the problem, which in certain conditions can be quite challenging.


The second pothole nearest to the Cathedral drop is more difficult as > it sometimes is a sandy slope towards the hole, without a lip or other > stuff to catch on. However, both times I've done that one, there was > a large branch/small tree I was able to prop up and climb right out > without help... I hear it's not as deep now anyway, so should be even > less of an issue...

In its present condition, it is not that challenging. For 4 years now it has slowly, but steadily filled with sand. It is 7 feet or so below the lip. Do note that if you find it such, you are standing on about 5-6 feet of gravel and sand. In the future that may not be there. If some or all sand is gone and it is a swimmer, and it will be like that again, some future folks will be sorely tested. Also those very lovely small bridges above the pothole have historically held much debris including the logs that have been the exit method of choice over the last several years. Because of floods or the farming of logs, for escaping the pothole, these tunnels were free of any useful logs last week, so when the one being used now is gone, a replacement will not be handy, unless a log is brought in during the same flood. The pothole has been in "filling mode" for a few years now, but one event could change that. Take care. Ram

> The issue here is that the this pothole shows many looks. > It can be 15 feet or so deep below the lip, when scoured. > The downside of the pot, with the lip, does have OK features, > including a nice handhold at top. What concerns is that the higher > the lip, the harder the downclimb is to ACCESS the pothole from > upcanyon. An easy downclimb, when full or even 6 feet down, it > bombays severely low down, when empty. Sequencing folks down on > rap becomes the only sensible and safe option. As no anchor is > readliy available, the last person can stem over the drop a few > feet and step over (exposed move-class 3-4) left to the bolt and > rap down to the backside of the pothole, and watch the others > solve the problem, which in certain conditions can > be quite challenging.

The pothole is pretty deep. We sequenced people down with a handline from above. Can downclimb it, but pretty tricky with a large stem out on flaring surfaces. Was nice to have the handline.

If my memory serves me correctly, there was a rock up top, but I didn't check how well it was lodged as a choke. Easier, quicker and cleaner to just sequence. Defeated with two potshots filled with rocks from the pothole, and a pack toss; then pulling oneself up. Some required a partner assist from below, but all made it through fine. Probably around 12ft deep on the climb out side. Threw the rocks back into the pothole for the next bunch.

> In its present condition, it is not that challenging. For 4 years > now it has slowly, but steadily filled with sand. It is 7 feet or > so below the lip. Do note that if you find it such, you are > standing on about 5-6 feet of gravel and sand. In the future that > may not be there. If some or all sand is gone and it is a swimmer, > and it will be like that again, some future folks will be sorely > tested. Also those very lovely small bridges above the pothole > have historically held much debris including the logs that have > been the exit method of choice over the last several years. > Because of floods or the farming of logs, for escaping the > pothole, these tunnels were free > of any useful logs last week, so when the one being used now is > gone, a replacement will not be handy, unless a log is brought in > during the same flood. The pothole has been in "filling mode" for > a few years now, but one event could change that. Take care.

Yep, very good points Ram. We always have pothole escape gear (and our creativity) with us in Neon. The escape this year was on a smaller, and very slick when wet, branch. Still worked fine as a solo exit. Didn't notice an anchor around that area (though I didn't really look all that well, as another member of our group set that rap with an anchor around the windows. We changed it to a macrame; perfect place for it. Was an easy pull, so it's clean again. Wondering what others used, or if they just jumped the drop?

> Ram >

The anchor is above the lip of the pothole on the left (LDC). Jenn climbed up (doable, even for me) and dropped a hand line and then we all went up - lightest to the heaviest (me). Then rapped in.

bruce from bryce

>From: "A.J." adventure_geek@yahoo.com
Reply-To: Yahoo Canyons Group
To: Yahoo Canyons Group
Subject: [from Canyons Group] Re: Neon Potholes >Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 15:32:22 -0000
> The issue here is that the this pothole shows many looks.
It can be 15 feet or so deep below the lip, when scoured.
The downside of the pot, with the lip, does have OK features,
including a nice handhold at top. What concerns is that the higher
the lip, the harder the downclimb is to ACCESS the pothole from
upcanyon. An easy downclimb, when full or even 6 feet down, it
bombays severely low down, when empty. Sequencing folks down on
rap becomes the only sensible and safe option. As no anchor is
readliy available, the last person can stem over the drop a few
feet and step over (exposed move-class 3-4) left to the bolt and
rap down to the backside of the pothole, and watch the others
solve the problem, which in certain conditions can
be quite challenging.
The pothole is pretty deep. We sequenced people down with a >handline from above. Can downclimb it, but pretty tricky with a >large stem out on flaring surfaces. Was nice to have the handline.
If my memory serves me correctly, there was a rock up top, but I >didn't check how well it was lodged as a choke. Easier, quicker and >cleaner to just sequence. Defeated with two potshots filled with >rocks from the pothole, and a pack toss; then pulling oneself up. >Some required a partner assist from below, but all made it through >fine. Probably around 12ft deep on the climb out side. Threw the >rocks back into the pothole for the next bunch.
> In its present condition, it is not that challenging. For 4 years
now it has slowly, but steadily filled with sand. It is 7 feet or
so below the lip. Do note that if you find it such, you are
standing on about 5-6 feet of gravel and sand. In the future that
may not be there. If some or all sand is gone and it is a swimmer,
and it will be like that again, some future folks will be sorely
tested. Also those very lovely small bridges above the pothole
have historically held much debris including the logs that have
been the exit method of choice over the last several years.
Because of floods or the farming of logs, for escaping the
pothole, these tunnels were free
of any useful logs last week, so when the one being used now is
gone, a replacement will not be handy, unless a log is brought in
during the same flood. The pothole has been in "filling mode" for
a few years now, but one event could change that. Take care.
Yep, very good points Ram. We always have pothole escape gear (and >our creativity) with us in Neon. The escape this year was on a >smaller, and very slick when wet, branch. Still worked fine as a >solo exit. Didn't notice an anchor around that area (though I >didn't really look all that well, as another member of our group set >that rap with an anchor around the windows. We changed it to a >macrame; perfect place for it. Was an easy pull, so it's clean >again. Wondering what others used, or if they just jumped the drop?
> Ram



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> The anchor is above the lip of the pothole on the left (LDC). > Jenn climbed up (doable, even for me) and dropped a hand line > and then we all went up - lightest to the heaviest (me). Then > rapped in.

Yep, thanks Bruce. I know the bypass to the right, and a few of our group took that route. Most of us wanted to drop into the pothole and go through it. Fun, and good practice. Some of us have Imlay and Heaps lined up soon, so the more practice the better.

FWIW, a good climber can also do a downclimb from the bolt area. You can stem between the pothole and the rap on the walls. A few of us took that route last year...