2016 Travels. Canyoneering Undercover in Utah and tribute to our friend, Kim Ruble.

Our most interesting and challenging canyoneering adventure is Undercover, a true slot canyon on the north side of Arches National Park. We've done this with Kim and Lisa the past two years. It's an hour drive from Moab so we have to leave town early. The final leg of the drive is on dirt roads with some high-centering rocks and sandy patches. The canyoneering route takes about 5 to 6 hours to complete. It's an all day excursion.

Five friends ready for adventure. Kim, Lisa, Cissie, Jackie and Jim

I didn't take pics of the hike across the flats to the head of the canyon because we've done it before. The desert is undefined. The land looks fairly innocent, cut by shallow drainages, but walk in any direction and you'll soon be cut off by a maze of sheer, deep canyons. We're looking for a particular drainage that looks like all the others with the exception that it will lead us into a slot and to the bottom of the canyon complex. There are no signs but if you look for the foot prints of those who came here maybe the day before or maybe last week, and if the wind hasn't blown the prints away, you will find the canyon. Otherwise, you just need to know where you're going.

. Lisa, Cissie, Kim and Jim at the beginning of the slot in Undercover.

The approach to the slot is beautiful but it's at the slot where the fun begins.

Cissie and Lisa hike into the slot.

Kim, Jim, Cissie and Lisa hiking through an easy, wide section of Undercover.

At times the slot opens and the hiking is easy. Then it closes in again with interesting down-climbs and pools and cracks to stem across.

Overlapping walls block out the sun.

Overlapping walls block out the sun and the slot becomes a tunnel.

Cissie, Jim and Lisa stem across cracks and pools where the canyon narrows.

Going on down the canyon.

We arrive at the first rappel and Lisa and Kim rig the ropes to a fixed anchor.

Lisa and Kim rig for the 1st of 3 rappels.

Jim takes the lead.

Jim takes the lead. The first rappel is only about 30 ft. but requires starting out on our knees to duck our heads under the pointy arch. The edge is also undercut at the top.

Cissie and Jim at the bottom, Kim at the top.

The second rappel is just around the bend. It's an interesting one.

Cissie in the grotto above the 2nd rappel.

We prepare for the 2nd rappel in a beautiful, ambient-lite grotto.

Lisa instructs Cissie on rigging for the 2nd rappel.

The anchor for the rappel is at the top of a pour off into a silo of rock. We can't see anything of the descent until we back down a crack and into the spaciousness of the curving walls of the silo. The exit into the slot at the bottom is a crack that is too narrow for a person but we have to lower ourselves far enough into it to have enough rope to defy gravity and move sideways across the tilted rock face. The goal is to get on top of a log jammed into the crack and rappel another 20 feet to the bottom of the slot.

Jim goes first, I follow and Cissie comes 3rd. Kim and Lisa come last. Jim has the most work to do going sideways across the rock face and onto the log then pulling the rope into position for the last 20 foot drop.

Cissie descends the silo.

Cissie stands on the log jam on top of the crack.

Jim on belay uses the rope to help pull us over to the log when we get down to the crack at the bottom of the silo. He coaches Cissie in the final 20 foot drop. The walls are canted and it's easy to bang knees or get wedged in by the backpack.

Jim coaches Cissie in the final 20 foot descent.

This is the last photo I took of our Undercover trip. The lens motor drive failed, the camera shut off and never opened again. If you look back to our Moab posts from 2014 and 2015 you'll see photos of the final rappel and the hike and climb out of this beautiful canyon. It's one of our favorites.

A Tribute to Kim Ruble.

Jim and Kim on the Morning Glory Arch canyoneering route.

Two months after we left Kim and Lisa in Moab, Kim was killed in a plane crash as he took off from the Moab Airport on an early morning flight on December 12, 2016. We were shocked and heartbroken. It was devastating for Lisa, for his daughters, for all his co-workers, and hundreds of friends. We don't know what caused the crash but from the video it may have been a medical event.

I had to write this because Kim has been a big part of our blogs about Moab. He and Lisa are the reason we spend so much time here. He was a veteran, a great pilot and friend. We flew with him several times and went on so many adventures together. He had a deep laugh that came from his core, a wacky sense of humor and a joyous outlook on life. He was compassionate and took time to know and mentor other people. He described himself as "just an old liberal". We all sure got along.

In memory of Kim here are some pics from our canyoneering adventures.

Kim tosses the rope into the Medieval Chamber on the Morning Glory Arch route.

Kim and Jim at the rappel into the Medieval Chamber

Jim wanted to descend first into the Medieval Chamber. When he got to the point were he could see into it he laughed and said to Kim, "You didn't tell me there was a pool down there." Kim said  "Well, you didn't ask."

Kim and Jim shared a special bond and knowledge, Kim as a pilot and Jim as an aeronautical engineer.

Kim descends free-hanging from Morning Glory Arch.

Here we are on a canyoneering trip in Behind the Rock above Moab.

Aron, Kim, Lisa, Neal and Jim Behind the Rocks.

Here we are ascending Elephant Butte, the highest point in Arches National Park.

Jim, Kim and Jackie climbing up Elephant Butte.

Soul Mates. Kim and Lisa on Elephant Butte in Arches.

Kim and Lisa were like stars circling in a cosmic dance. They made each other shine.

Kim, Lisa, Jackie, Neal and Jim on top of Elephant Butte.

Kim and Jim in Undercover.

Kim on belay at the 1st rappel in Undercover.

Kim at the top of a down-climb in Undercover.

Kim free-hanging on the last 100+ foot rappel in Undercover.

Jim and Kim on the hike out after the last rappel in Undercover.

Kim's destiny was his own and not for us to say. We lost him but the loss is soothed by the warm friendship and all the memories we shared. He was one of the very best human beings we've ever known as a friend. He would want us not to grieve too much or too long. We'll take his memory along with us into the canyons. His pilot name was Redtail and we'll have a thought for him when we see the hawk on the wing.

Kim makes fractioning up a steep, rounded shoulder of sandstone look like a walk in the park.

When we left Kim and Lisa at the end of October we hugged a farewell. He said, "We love you guys, you know that". We love you too, Kim.

Thanks for joining us in this tribute. Until next time.
Jackie and Jim

2016 Travels, Canyoneering in Arches National Park and a visit to Corona Arch.

Moab's been bustling since we've been here. Now what ever event was happening is over and sites have opened in King's Bottom, our preferred Moab BLM campground. It's on the other side of the Colorado from William's Bottom. (There's got to be a story behind these names.) King's Bottom is a primitive campground with no hookups, no trash cans, (pack-it-in pack-it-out) and a vault toilet. The cost is $15 per night, $7.50 with the Senior Pass. It's a little more up scale from William's Bottom. There are about 9 sites. King's Bottom has NPR reception and phone but only 2-bars cell data. Williams Bottom didn't have anything at all. Something to think about when you're camping in a canyon.

Morning reflections on the Colorado from our riverside campsite at King's Bottom.

Our camp at King's Bottom has riverside real estate. The river flows as silent as its reflections.

Campsite number 2 at King's Bottom.

We're joined by our friend, Cissie. She's here to go canyoneering with us, Kim and Lisa. Ever since she's seen our photos she's wanted to join us. She did some rappelling a while back and would love the opportunity to do some canyoneering in this gorgeous country. So now's the time. We've hiked with her in the winter around the Lake Roosevelt area in Arizona so we know she's going to love this adventure.

Our gang on todays canyoneering outing: Lisa, Brandy, Stan, Jim and Cissie.

Our first canyoneering outing to U-Turn in Arches National Park is a prelude for a later trip to Undercover Canyon. There are 6 of us and we meet in the parking lot at the Visitor's Center where Lisa gets our canyoneering permit then we carpool into the Park because parking spaces are limited. We park at the first parking area which is a trail head for a scenic walk called "Park Avenue". From there it's about a quarter mile to a 400+ ft., diagonal, rubble-filled crack in the cliffs which we scramble up single file to the top of the rocks.

Part way up the crack I stop to take a picture of our gang. You can see the traffic on the park road below.

A view of Arches National Park from the top of the rocks

From the top of the rocks we get great views of the park.

Lisa, me, Jim, Stan, Brandy, Cissie.

Are we having a good day? So far it's thumbs up.

Looking down at the park road.

We work our way around weathered sandstone domes to get to U-Turn.

Cissie, Lisa, Stan, Brandy and Jim.

We come to a grand view into U-Turn.

Jim, Cissie and Lisa looking into U-Turn and Park Avenue. The "Three Gossips" are on the left.  

Jim and Jackie

Brandy, Cissie, Stan, Lisa, Jim and Jackie

One last photo before starting the rappels into the canyon. There are three short rappels of about 20 to 30 ft. The last rappel is about 80 ft.

Brandy, Stan and Cissie.  

Stadium seating in a rock amphitheater. We watch while Lisa rigs the 1st rappel. Lisa is our leader and expert with lots of training and canyoneering experience. It's her passion and we're the lucky ones to be with her.

Jim always goes first and Stan will follow.

We watch from our stadium seats while Jim is first on rappel. It's safer for us to stay in the stadium seats until it's our turn.

Cissie on rappel and Lisa.

Where do I go from here?

Jim, Cissie, Lisa and Jackie at the top of the 2nd rappel.

The 3rd rappel isn't shear but sloped and high enough that a rope is needed.

Cissie's coming down the 3rd rappel.

Jim and Cissie at the bottom of the 3rd rappel.

The ledge of the last 80 ft. rappel is sloped and rounded so we have to be on rappel before even approaching the edge.

Cissie at the top of the last rappel.

Almost half way down.

The last rappel has a short free-hang at the bottom.

A free hang to the bottom.

The idea is rotate upright and get your feet under you at the proper height above the ground and land on your feet to avoid a butt plant.

Looking good Cissie!

Cissie does a great job on her first long rappel and lands on her feet.

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Everyone had a great day and enjoyed the rocks and the company. We have a nice hike through the canyons and back to the parking log. Thanks to Lisa for taking us on another adventure.

Cissie at the top of the Stair Master trail.

We have a few days before we can go canyoneering in Undercover so we take some hikes and show Cissie around the area. From our camp at King's Bottom it's less then a quarter mile walk to the Stair Master Trail. On this Stair Master you actually get somewhere. The trail climbs steeply at times and offers great views of the Colorado River, Moab, and the La Sal Mountains. Parallel to the hiking trail is a bedrock version for dirt bikes and ORV's. We've seen plenty of these guys get hung up on the steep drop off.

A view of Colorado River from the Stair Master.

In this view of the Colorado from the Stair Master our camp is on the left side of the bend in the river. The ORV Stair Master route in in the lower right corner.

Alcoves along the Corona Arch Trail.

Our next hike is to take Cissie to Corona Arch. It's just a short, easy 1+ mile hike but the arch is certainly something to see. The tail head is along Potash Road.

Pinon and juniper along the Corona Arch Trail.

Nothing's prettier than green pinon and juniper trees against red sandstone walls.

Corona Arch.

Corona Arch flares away from the cliff like a plasma arc on the sun.

The strength of stone.

Cissie at the base of the arch.

The arch straight over head. Complimentary colors.

Utah Juniper. The large trunk makes this beautiful, stunted tree older then we can guess.

Jim and I with Bowtie Arch in the background.

The railroad line to the potash mine runs in a canyon below Corona Arch. We get the chance to actually see one of the few trains that run on it.

A train from the potash mine.

Our next post will be the last of our 2016 Travels. We'll go canyoneering in Undercover on the north side of Arches National Park.

Until Then,
Jackie