Big spring is one of the larger springs in the ash meadows national wildlife refuge. It’s a deep clear warm spring that is home to some species of fish including pup fish. Water boils from The bottom of the spring up into this cauldron and creates a stream flowing from its resurgence
Looking down our route into the canyon, the descent is further than the horizontal distance to travel.
The sun gives way to radiant heat
As the shadows provide free air conditioning at this time of year.
It’s quite cool out but our bodies produce enough warmth to continue.
Wear proper clothing and that will contain what warmth you produced.
Although I am drinking less water in the usual attempt to cool down
I we all still need to find a seep, a pothole filled with protein rich organisms in water, or some other slime mold like water source.
This will allow for a more enjoyable experience
Also all the medical conditions that come with a lack of water, including the whole death thing doesn’t sound that exciting.
Inching our way down a cliff, limestone appears to cleave at angles so the chance of finding a way down is possible.
It just doesn’t look obvious from
Afar.
The closer we get to our break point the less daunting downclimbing appears.
Working our way into a crow flies stones throw away in the Grand Canyon can be quite interesting.
Once we stepped down into the canyon we shouted for joy as the twisting walls became thin and narrow.
Around each corner, we found incredible scenery
Sun lit fiery walls and a bunch of meandering twists deeper into the belly of a beast.
The breath of this dragon chills our bodies ever so slightly like a airborne poison drip over time
Eventually you are chilled even with a thin wetsuit
It is at this point that your blood starts to boil as you shout over a large and beautiful free hanging rap into the canyon below
Taking my time down, I realize how incredible and amazing this geology looked in a stone time machine appears.
It is simply incredible bear witness to such beauty here.
There simply is not enough day light to capture the full value of what I am looking at.
Even when I continue to slow down time and atune to the details
The drainages that are influenced by water gravity and pressure give us a sneak peak into the past.
This rope elevator takes me down
1
All Photos by Project Cave and Cave Photographer: Irina Tabarana
Death Valley Canyoneering is always a great winter option when every other canyon or region around a radius of hundreds of miles is snow covered or eliminated by lack of access.
The black range provides a great canyon option for big views and a relatively easy approach as long as you select the canyon with the shuttle.
Hades Canyon in particular starts at the top of Dantes View.
You literally get out of your car and start heading down to badwater basin.
The black range canyons start to all blend in together, especially when you have done over 10 of these canyons on this range alone.
What I found of particular interest is that we encountered a lot of big raps over 150 feet in length and less than 200 ft in length.
there were some raps that appeared to be broken up into shorter raps which made the count around 30 raps.
we were still lucky to find some excellent drops and some nice interesting hydrothermal activity within the rock itself.
The colorful array within the strata was nice and I think this canyon was better than I thought it would be.
We were a group of 10 and we finished the canyon, car to car,
in 9 1/2 hours.
for official beta on Hades canyon, visit rope wiki for more information.
I think this is one of my favorite canyons in the black range area for its numerous large drops and some sections of scenic colorful rock.
Group intends to RAPPEL!
Some might notice this insistent statement when in receipt of this right of passage into the gates of this sacred landscape.
I am humbled to live near a place where
inverse stone walls made of our own worlds
history protect and contain its unyielding enchantment to allow the fierce from within, to run free....
as most of world watches from above.
Rappel on....
Some places are so remote that they are not announced.
What is in a name or in a title
given to a destination?
This is a question only you can answer.
A question that actually has no meaning except for the meaning we give it.
Our own insatiable desire to seek more and consume might be checked by a lack of a name for a destination, or would it?
This exclusivity could make it even more desirable.
Within our own biological needs, ego satisfaction, and life conditions we seek experiences and tap our curiosity.
Our own pursuit to seek experiences whether it is of our own or within a partner or collective to share we, we still seek to experience.
Our curiosity drives exploration and some enough times, may even feel like our home.
Indeed I find the world outside my home and my relationship with the outdoors is ever evolving.
Enduring by nature and fortified by desire to understand it, to hold it, to respect and cherish it.
Yet it can’t ever truly be realized on any of those attributes.
It can’t truly be understood, held, or even respected to expectations that we as humans even appear to outline.
Yet our fierce world
that we reside with, holds a formidable nature of reference experience.
Billions of years of experience.
This experience will prove it’s anchor is in place and we are the ones that are merely passing by.
As we travel through backcountry trails
And descend down canyons
Our presence is known
And documented to the effect of even a foot print or a ungrafully rooted shore imprint of a slide
These marks are repaired through time
And our planets durability prevails
To even visit such places is an honor
Some may even call it luck
Other consider it a privilege.
All of which are valid in their own right
Whatever our perspective is occulated to and whatever our valid perspective verifys our position
We are still passing by in the Devine presence to this moment.
Allow yourself to color your surroundings with amazement and wonder.
Allow yourself to accept the challenges ahead of this adventure.
Allow yourself to breathe the life bearing surroundings of vitality.
Be inspire to question what’s further
And be curious within your own fierce presence.
Your relationship with yourself, with who and even what you find important, and with the world around you is up to you and this is a journey you are privileged to write about.
1