Sketchy Adventures: Canyons of Ouray, Part 2

After Weehawken Creek we had two more canyons we wanted to get in while in Ouray. Corbett Canyon and the full descent of Oak Canyon. Each one would be a step up from the previous day, and we were happy to have a few new members to our group: the infamous Ram and his daughter Amy for both days, and Steve Morga for Oak Canyon. Ram has been around the canyoneering community for quite some time. Let's just say that he started canyoneering the year I was born. We would all learn a lot from him on this trip from old techniques and new, and how he still manages to spend at least 120 days a year in the backcountry.

For Corbett we decided to do the Main Fork of the canyon since we heard it contained a 240 ft waterfall rappel. After two days in Ouray we felt like we had gotten enough experience with these types of canyons to step it up a bit. Corbett was the longest canyon of the week due to the distance covered: 11 hours, 3500 ft approach hike and 6 miles of travel with 15+ rappels.

The approach hike would take us up towards the head of the canyon below treeline.

Top of the first drop. Approximately 160-170 ft.

Top of the 240 footer. Now things are getting interesting!

Ram and Amy. This was Amy's first Class C (moving water) canyon, but she started doing canyons with her father at the age of 6. Pretty amazing family if you ask me.

The next day had us headed to do the full descent of Oak Canyon: Upper, Middle, and Lower sections with Ram, Amy, and Steve Morga. I've met Steve once or twice but have never done a canyon with him. He turned out to be a great asset to our team and someone who I'm sure we'll do a lot of trips with in the future. This would be the most technical canyon of the week with 20+ rappels, not to mention the 3200 ft approach hike and 5 miles covered over 8 hours.