FreezeFest conjures up pictures of dirt-clad canyoneers huddled around a small fire while snow squalls wreck tents and blow away neo socks. That was the first one.

Trip Reports and Photos from other folks: Freeze Fest by Bill the Desert Nomad FF by Eric Godfrey, including Video!

These days, the weather is better, and they are more like the NOT-Freeze Fest. This year we had great weather and got a lot of canyons in. We gathered on Boxing Day for the first canyon. We being the A-Team: Ram and Aaron, Rob Heineman, Eric Godfrey and me, Tom Jones. We chose as our target "No Kidding", with the challenge to do a 'clean and safe' descent of this canyon, using all the skills of the team.

No Kidding P 1   |   No Kidding P 2   |   Upper Stair/Lep   |   Achilles   |   Hog Three
Foolin' Around   |   Leprechaun   |   The Black Hole Jan 1st

Ram on the first rappel - into the game. This canyon had been on the list for a few years, but we had not gotten to it. A young fella from Bluff dropped into it this fall, and scratched his way out. Ram went through with a few other people a few weeks later, but some of the anchors they used were dubious. Thus, the canyon awaited a first "clean" descent (at least by our group). The first rappel is not a problem, as we return right by it and can clean the anchor on the way out.

Rob at the first rappel. We set up an omni-sling retrievable sling on the first rappel. The chickenhead anchor was back a ways from the edge, and by using the omni-sling, we would pull the rope without putting grooves into the rock.

Rob rapping in. We actually could of walked around and into the canyon lower down, but we are NOT Rimmaneers!

Eric rapping some rappel.

Here's Aaron providing a fireman's belay on the same rappel.

Aaron climbing out of "The Keeper Pothole". MANTLE Aaron, Mantle!!

And out, with a little tiny boost.