Flat tire to start the trip on NM 126 between La Cueva and Cuba, NM.

Flat tire changing. It turns out the tire was ripped and couldn't be repaired. A dude sold us a used one in Hanksville so that we'd have a spare.

Friday morning we met Bill's father, Walt, and brother, Paul, at the head of Leprechaun Canyon (Mile 28.1 canyon) 30 miles southeast of Hanksville.

Looking up the slots of Leprechaun Canyon.

Flowers are pretty.

Getting harnessed up for the three rappels in the narrows of the East Fork of Leprechaun Canyon. Paul had never rappelled before.

Bill downclimbs into the head of the slots.

Paul on his first rappel ever. Awesome!

Walt's a canyoneering veteran after joining Bill, Erik and I for some canyoneering in the Escalante in April 2003.

Crawling under a chokestone in a narrow section.

Cool section of narrows near the canyon's junction with the main fork.

Yeah!

Very smooth walls in this section.

Walt on the third rappell in the canyon.

Subway section in the main fork on our way heaing out.

Friday evening we drove to a campsite near the trailhed for Bell and Little Wild Horse (LWH) Canyons in the San Rafael Swell. This is the swell!

Saturday morning we hiked into Bell Canyon to do a loop hike up Bell and down Little Wild Horse.

Smooth narrows in Bell Canyon.

The Geists!

Going down LWH Canyon was a very fun romp with lots of cool rock features to play on. We also encountered numerous families with dogs and kids!

After spending a few hours in Bell and LWH, we had the afternoon to hike a loop through Ding and Dang Canyons. This is the mouth of Ding Canyon.

A pothole in Ding Canyon. It was about six feet deep!

Ding Dang Dome at the head of the two canyons.

Looking at the wildly featured and colored rocks at the head of Ding Canyon.

Using a webbing handline for a steep drop section in Dang Canyon.

Lots of boulders and problems in Dang Canyon kept things very fun and interesting.

Our campsite for Friday and Saturday nights.

Sunday we decided it was time for Paul and Walt's canyoneering graduation and headed into the technical and long canyons of Lower Baptist Draw and Upper Chute Canyon.

Bill body-bridging over the first major obstacle in Lower Baptist Draw.

Unavoidable wading section in Lower Baptist Draw.

Nice light in some cool narrows in LBD

Bill assists Paul with the first rappel in LBD

Lower Baptist Draw spills into Upper Chute Canyon at this point leaving us with a 22 meter rappel into Upper Chute Canyon

Looking down the 22m rappel and another party in front of us about to pull their rope

Nice narrows in Upper Chute Canyon

Lots of boulders strewn about in the bottom of the canyon

The Geists looking content in Upper Chute Canyon

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Cool colored rock in the canyon

If this pothole was full, this would REALLY be an interesting rappel and exit from water!

More sweet water wading in Upper Chut Canyon

Heart-shaped water hole in Upper Chute Canyon

My favorite photo from the weekend

Reflection in pool in Upper Chute Canyon just before we broke out into the open for a long two hour slog in the afternoon heat

Paul walking along the ledge to avoid the nasty mud and water

Ah, what a weekend!

Late day light on the walls of the San Rafael Swell