SLOT CANYON ADVENTURE

 Doc in a tight spot

 Champ demonstrating why he is the champ

 Slot opening 60 feet up the face

 Looking toward the end

Don't get me wrong, I do like to be a spectator.  I like high school and college sports and like the pros when they are in the playoffs.  I love attending my daughter's dance performances.   I do like a good movie.  But, I do prefer to be doing it, rather than watching others do it.  Take this past weekend as an example, I went riding our Arabian horses with the Rufriders.  But this time, to add to the experience of riding in the southern Utah desert, we added the thrill and adventure of climbing through a very challenging slot canyon.  This wasn't any ordinary slot canyon.  It was the Blue John slot where a few years ago Aron Ralston had a huge rock trap his arm and after an agonizing five days of being trapped in what was an amazing test of courage in this life or death situation, chose to amputate his own arm in order to escape.  You may have read the account or even seen the movie, but to experience this same slot was amazing.  The top photo shows Doc working his way through a very narrow gap.  The second photo shows Champ deciding to take the high route when the slot was narrow enough to straddle.  You don't want to know how high in the air he was.  The third photo requires a bit of examination.  Consider that the  top of the riders on the horses are about 8 feet tall.  If you work up the rock face to a level of 60 feet you will locate an opening where the slot ends.  Once Aron Ralston freed himself and made his way out of the slot, he  now had to rappel down this 60 foot face in order to  begin his hike to where he was rescued.  The last photo is from a rider looking up the canyon and as you can see it dead ends so there is only one way out.  The slot is located beyond the tree to the right.

I can't begin to tell you how challenging this was.  Some of our group (and these are hardened cowboys) used the word "can't" when they were struggling to get past an obstacle.  But you know what, with a bit of teamwork and effort, they did!  A great lesson here.  So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... get up off of the couch, set the DVR and go find an obstacle to climb over, through or around.  This is the type of stuff that reminds you that you are alive.  Get out of the city and get close to nature.  Make sure you are prepared as nature can be very unforgiving, but challenge yourself.  The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy life!