ILLUSIONS CANYON 3BIII, ARIZONA
July 26, 2020
Illusions canyon
A gem among the gem of canyons within this region of Arizona
.
When canyoneers look into what are some of the best canyons, in Arizona, outside of the Grand Canyon, you might here the "I" canyons echoing.
There are three known "I" canyons within the region of North Arizona.
The first two are Immaculate and Insomnia
canyons.
Both of those canyons are worthy of a visit and research
Illusions is the third.
Illusions is, In my opinion, the most scenic of the three canyons.
narrow corridors, deep pools of cold water, and a few questionable anchors where encountered throughout this canyon.
Heading down into illusions couldn't have been more straightforward from the car
.
There was a bit of bushwhacking to go through the drainage leading to the first rap.
wetsuits were decided on after the first couple raps.
This is important: BRING THE PROPER THICKNESS OF WETSUIT.
if not, you will be cold and might even have a random blabbering or two about your choice.
and you will also be cold!
This canyon is indeed quite cold and you will get hypothermia if you do not have proper exposure protection
.
Heading into the deep pools of green mossy slot canyon, the sun struggles to shine any kind of light.
The hue of a failed sunbeam illuminates the dynamic of these corridors defining its personality and character.
log jams and organic debris tell as story of a violent past within the canyon
This is not a place to be when water rages through here.
In fact, it becomes a tomb and the artifacts of the deceased also remain.
Animals caught in the flash have included bears, were found engraved within the un escapable potholes
.
We even encountered some issues with rope management and ended up sinking a rope within the depths of one of the potholes.
Attempts to recover the rope were futile as we swam underwater in 40 degree water temps and made repeated attempts to hook the rope.
The canyon claimed yet another victim in the respect of our own lack of attention.
We continued down canyon and we were able to end the canyon with a safe and efficient action.
June appears to be the best time to visit this canyon since weather is warm and somewhat predictable.
The hike out was steep but straightforward and short in length.
we completed the loop in 8 hours and no car shuttle is needed for this canyon.
For more research on the beta and how to prepare yourself, visit ropewiki.
do not enter this canyon unless you are experienced in canyoneering and have the proper equipment
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