The Latest Rave is your resource for Utah Canyoneering know-how. From Utah canyon condition reports to narratives of mind-bending epics to wildflower sightings, you will find all the beta you need from Tom and his team on The Rave.
As the mayor (self-appointed) of Canyoneering in Zion, it is my obligation to entertain foreign visitors as best I can. In this case, Kiwis Nicole and Raquel were road-tripping in the USA and were sent my way. Rough all over, it is. We did a warmup in Pine Creek on one day; they adventured in Mystery Canyon the next; then it rained on Saturday. Sunday would be their final day in Zion - what would be the best bang for the buck?
Read MoreWent out to the Roost to do some Rambling with Alane from Colorado. The weather was a bit rainy, so we kept things rather mild, and tried to keep not too wet. First day, after driving in, we rambled down the Middle Fork of Robbers Roost Canyon, and did it's one rappel (as two rappels), hiked down the Middle to the North, then up to the usual Mindbender climb-up exit. Made the top as the sun was setting...
Read MoreWorking on the 2nd Edition of my Zion Canyoneering Guidebook, one of the 'benefits' of due diligence is that I 'get' to do all the canyons again at least once, to see how they are doing. Lodge Canyon was never a favorite, but, after two trips this spring, it is not so bad, really...
Read MoreAbysmal Canyon, actually. I love the name because "it is way past Bad". Quite a few years ago, Ram and I were invited on the first descent of this canyon, and it seemed like a good way to start this year's Death Valley trip. We have learned that hiking up from the bottom 3000 feet is easier on the body than hiking down from the top 3000 feet...
Read MoreJust a month prior, we had a particularly great trip through this canyon.So it seemed a good choice for a sunny February Sunday, for these peoples who had done a few canyons in Zion. After a bit of shenanigans, we had ourselves a shuttle driver, used to driving farm equipment so my Pathfinder should not be a problem, allowing the entire day to be dedicated to going downhill, excepting a few minutes here and there...
Read MoreMystery Canyon. Oh my heck my favorite canyon in Zion... well, sorta. Last trip through Mystery, all of seven weeks ago, Amanda had mentioned that she and Chad had downclimbed almost every rappel during the previous summer...
Read MoreI thought I was seeing a climbing movie. Boy was I wrong. Or at least, I've never seen a climbing movie LIKE THIS! At the Q and A, someone stood up and asked: "this is so dangerous, why do you guys do this?" Wait, did they just walk in off the street? Were they on their phone for the whole time? Did not we just see an intense, deeply personal movie that is PRIMARILY about this very topic?
Read MoreI try to see one horror movie each year at Sundance. Not that I am into horror movies, but heck, if I am going to see one, it oughta be a good one, and in a crowded theatre. I saw a quite good one a couple years ago, so maybe I am trying to recreate the past. This year's choice was Hellions, mostly because it fit into my schedule...
Read MoreNot all Sundance films are tiny scrappy foreign low-budget affairs. Hey, WHITE GOD had a fairly substantial budget, though I'm not sure it is going to get picked up and shown in theaters in the USA. BROOKLYN is not a low-budget film. Showing independent but real-budget films at Sundance bumps up the film's serious cred...
Read MoreI was somewhat less psyched for Sundance this year than I SHOULDA BEEN, and did almost zero preparation. Alicia called a couple weeks ago and said - "I can buy you 5 tickets in the next half hour - what do you want". Well, basically, she made some suggestions and I accepted...
Read MoreA coming of age story of a young woman, with an interesting premise. Leia was kidnapped at age 4 and held in a basement for 17 years. She was told the outside world had essentially ended, and she had to stay in. Ben took care of everything, until discovered. Leia is rescued and returned to her "family" - what happens next?
Read MoreMy oh my. This is some seriously messed up stuff. More deserving of profanity than Mr. Cobain's personal torment, but since I've had a couple days and movies to get extracted from the evil madness of Warren Jeffs, I can speak without profanity. But first, what this movie is NOT about...
Read MoreWhile my range of movie genres is large, sex comedies are not usually within my circle of interest. Something about being a frustrated guy of a certain age, I kinda don't need more stimulation in that arena. But I got a ticket for this one so...
Read MoreOh my Heck. This is some seriously f***ed up shit! Told via the stuff found in Cobain's archive - journals (he kept tons of journals), home movies, concert footage, tasteful and sparse interviews with bandmates, mother father and sister, old girlfriends and the widow... developed into a tight, amazing, crazy (as in, clinical), extremely personal look inside the life and mind of Kurt Cobain.
Read MoreSecond movie of the year is this drama from Lithuania. Laura Dahl and Shelley Carver joined me for this one. Here are Laura's impressions:
I knew nothing about the film before arriving at the theater. In fact, I wasn't even sure of the title of the movie - this is what happens when someone else does all the planning for your first Sundance Film experience...Read More
When dogs look upon us, they look upon us as like Gods... and we are white (at least, in Hungary); thus "White God" What an amazing film, and so hard, deliberately, to characterize. Coming of age film? Check! Eleven year old Lili is pushed off to live...
Read MoreYes, it is still winter. After a few days of rain, we were psyched to go sneak another canyon in, and also psyched for a lazyish start, given the festivities the night before, Amanda and Kat's going away party in advance of their coming-up-fast South Africa adventure. The day was grey and not all that warm. The plan was to do Lower Lower Echo...
Read MoreFor this adventure, my two favorite and best canyoneering partners, Amanda Josephine Jessop and Bailey Camille Schofield. THEY went skiing and boarding the previous day, so *I* got to play the man this time, carrying the 300' rope up the hill, holding open doors, helping with seatbelts, etc.
Read More
