Spry is one of my favoritest canyons -- a lot of interesting terrain, good views, not too easy, not too serious. A good place to take foreign visitors as it is quite unlike European canyons.

I was anxious to see what had changed by the week of rain we had before. Spry is more-changeable than other Zion canyons; several pools come and go as the sand goes and comes. (And always too soon!)

Some great folks signed up for the trip - Rebecca, Sandy, Amy and Keith -- so I knew it was gonna be a super-fun trip! Got a fairly early start and headed on up the hill!

Having done Spry about 30 times, and being old and weak, I fantasize that I have worked out the easiest route for the ascent and descent. Or at least the one *I* like the most. On this trip it was noted that my route uses six trees as landmarks! Pictures here being tree #1 and tree #2. "Handy root tree" being numero three.

We found our way to the top of the pass, then north and down to the leaning tree (#4), into the slot, out on the slab... East Temple looming to the south!

After a bit we arrived at the first rappel. Down we went.

Caption: Amy doing the delicate traverse to avoid getting wet at the bottom of the rap.

We walked for a bit, to the first slot and the first water. Rope grooves show many people rappel this moderate-but-intimidating downclimb - we ran belays for those in our party who asked. Elevatored down into a swim with the festering debris! Past the arch-type-arch, then a quick nuisance rappel into the tunnel-type-arch.

The next spot is usually traversed around, but the pothole was full of water so it seemed like a good time to stay in the watercourse. We fiddled a stout tree and everyone* enjoyed a brief struggle to escape the TRAP! (Next time it might be a bit more interesting!)(*-except me).

A twist here and there and we arrive at the V-slot. This can be rappelled off a jammed log a bit back, or off a (newish) single bolt right at the top. As a rappel it is awkward; as a downclimb it is intimidating but fun. The bolt is handy for belaying the downclimb. We did that.

Then the inside out rappel, the new set of bolts makes rigging the anchor much less scary.

A little slabaroony takes us to the Black Slot rappel! Though this time it had light in it, so it was not so dark. And a whole bunch of sand washed in so no swim or even wade at the bottom.

Which takes us to the under-block rap. I glanced up to the big tree with the Mega-Grooves; a bright blue sling almost demanded being removed. I put my camera on a handy ledge to the side and hopped up to fulfill the demand. We rappelled below into the slot, a short swim today. Another 60 foot rap down to "The Beach". Which is where I realized my camera was still up there. Sigh!

Then the rappel to the waist-deep pothole, which was a wet sand flat today. Then the "Second Flute" rappel, but we went down the first flute and had fun stemming the pool at the bottom, avoiding getting wet. Slid down the chute, swam the 'last pool', then the longish rap, then the final rap.

The normal annoying boulder-hop down to the tree and the final final rappel. Soon down to civilization.