Canyons, Cliffs, and Water… Oh my
Tackling Oak Creek Canyon by harness
Good morning Ouray! The brisk morning air swept through my red dirt colored sweatshirt which resulted in goosebumps rising on my arms and legs. But, breathing in that fresh mountain air makes every chill worth it. Even in August, the morning was cold because the San Juan Mountains shield the sun from warming up the small town of Ouray until it stretches high in the sky.
We ate breakfast at a restaurant called, “Timberline Deli.” As we walked up the steps, the first food in our line of sight were donuts. Beautifully hand-crafted donuts. Of course, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity for the sweet delight. In addition to our donut, I had eggs, bacon, and toast. The perfect amount for a full-stomach to ensure energy for the adventure that awaits. Eric ordered a green-chili breakfast burrito. It looked delicious, smelled even better!
We met Kayden and Ryan (our two guides for the day) ,along with two other men who would be joining us, at Canyoning Colorado. They made sure to give us a small introduction to what we can expect from our trip today and made sure we didn’t have any questions prior to leaving the facility. With no questions, we all smiled and headed out the door to make our trek up the mountain to the trailhead.
View of Box Cañon sign from Oak Creek Trailhead
Laughing and bouncing around in the back seat of Kayden’s transit adventure vehicle we crawled our way up the steep gravel road to the Oak Creek Trailhead. We unloaded the vehicle and Ryan showed us how to make a backpack out of a wet suit! They talked about how we didn’t need much to bring up there and the materials we needed Ryan and Kayden both carried for the group. Thankfully, the sun summited the mountains to warm us up since we were stripped down to our swimsuits. The hike to the entry point to the river wasn’t too bad. Being already adjusted to the altitude helped a lot. The trail was mainly uphill, multiple switchbacks, and had great views of the terrain below. Kayden made a stop and asked us to smell a tree. Strange we thought, but why not? We each took our turn to smell the Ponderosa Pine Tree. Leaning against the shedding bark, I took a deep inhale. It was sweet smelling. Some say it was like butterscotch, others thought cream soda. My vote was butterscotch, even though I am not a huge fan of it.
Continuing our ascent, I asked Kayden, “What makes Ouray so special for Canyoneering?” His voice changed to a true passionate tone when he answered.
“Ouray is so unique for canyoning and many people don’t even know it. I guided in New Zealand for five years and many other places around the world, but nothing comes close to Ouray. Other places, you would need to travel an hour, maybe two in order to reach one canyon. Not in Ouray. Here, we have eight different canyons, all involving water, waterfalls, natural slides, pools, and it is all within a 10-15 minute drive from our business. “
Advanced trip: Bear Creek Falls
The last portion of the trail was a gradual downhill. On the left side of us were delicious thistle berries we got to snack on. Picked fresh right off the plant. It seemed we were not the only one who liked to snack on nature’s fruit as we approached a rather large mound of bear fecies that had remanence of berries in it.
Alas! We made it to our entry point at the first river crossing. Gearing up, we put our wetsuits, jackets, harnesses, helmets, and shoes on. Excitement built up in my stomach for the new adventure. I had a grin that couldn’t fade even if I wanted it to. Most importantly I had my partner in crime, also known as my husband, next to me for our own version of couple’s retreat.
Ryan did his safety checks and started explaining what to expect for the first repel. Kayden had already headed downstream to set up the tension line.
Walking down towards the first repel in Oak Creek Canyon, Ouray, Colorado
Walking slowly, careful of our foot placements, we formed a single-file line to follow Ryan like ducklings down river. Squatting, testing, and placing our feet in good placements was key. Ryan made sure we were careful so we wouldn’t twist an ankle or worse, break anything. All I thought was, “well that would just be a waste of a trip.” Thankfully, nobody did! The river echoed its mighty roar agains the canyon walls, drowning out all other sounds. Even with the snowmelt and monsoon chill to the stream, the wetsuit and shoes kept us nice and warm.
Approaching the first repel, we lined up to go one at a time. Ryan was suspended on the side of the grey rock, patiently waiting for each person to scale the ledge towards him. He taught us how to properly use the Super 8 Descender and locking carabiner for the repels. Once secured in, we unhooked our two unlocking carabiners and sat our weight back and slowly release the rope through our dominant hand.
Walking backwards was almost like a scene from an adventure/action movie. Water splashing every which way, scaling the rugged canyon walls, nothing but a rope holding you from falling. It was exhilarating!
At the end, I let go of the rope (Kayden told me to) and zip-lined down the rest of the way. The rest of our group made it just fine, and was all fired up with adrenaline, ready for the next drop!
We walked along the river and carefully maneuvered around smaller waterfalls till we reached the next drop. This one veered away from the main waterfall and was about 15 feet down. This part of the canyon reminded me of a city. Skyscrapers made of granite, the street made of water, and instead of car horns and people talking, it was nature. Absolutely serene. Peering around the corner of what was soon to be our largest obstacle, it was a view that came right out of a storybook.
View from atop the 130-foot waterfall in Oak Creek Canyon
The water rushed itself off the edge of the cliff, spewing water down a magnificent canyon wall, plunging down into the slick rock below. Kayden was suspended on the cliff edge where we would make our decent. Half of our group was nervous, while the other half was eager. Nonetheless, we all did it and had a thrill doing so.
Walking out to Kayden, and getting our repelling devices situated, I took a moment to peer below to see nothing but mist from the waterfall, tall Ponderosa Pines, red color bouncing off the rocks, and Cascade Falls just across the town of Ouray. Once ready, I pushed my legs against the rock, got my body weight back, and slowly released the rope through my hands. Getting used to the speed of which I wanted to comfortably release, I took my time for the first part. After about 20 feet, I was going faster, bouncing my feet against the rock to swing just enough to make me giggle. To my left, I watch the water pouring itself down at a much faster rate that I ever would want to go. Towards the bottom, I feel the mist brushing my face like little butterfly kisses before plunging to the pool below. It only came up to my knees, so it was easy to stay upright.
It’s majesty, the Oak Creek 130-foot waterfall
The next repel was small considering what we had just done, but it brought us into a slot canyon with slick rock walls formed by the water artist, Oak Creek Canyon. The pockets in this small section were deeper than what we have already experienced.
The next drop had a lovely field of raspberries for us to snack on while we waited our turn to plunge down the tight crevice. This repel was a little more technical than the rest. You scaled down walking backwards before placing yourself right in the center of the forceful water. It was hard for me to concentrate on my feet placing while controlling my speed of decent. With the water pushing down on my whole body, I tried to go a little faster, but didn’t foresee the depth of the pool we landed in. Simply I didn’t drop far enough and I swung a little bit, but caught myself with the rock wall.
Before our next descent, we stopped to take a little snack break. Ryan brought fruit snacks and Laura Bars for our group to have for an energy boost. While we sat and ate, we had a much clearer view of the Amphitheater mountain range and Cascade Falls. With no other people around, it felt like our own little world.
This repel we doubled-up on our rope. Not because it was a big drop, but because it had a sharp edge. Ryan and Kayden spoke a lot about how in climbing and canyoneering, you are always doubling up on your gear. If one fails, you have a back up. After you pass the ledge, you are suspended in the air. Only using your hand to control your decent because the rock was undercut. It felt like Mission Impossible!
Wading ahead, we came to a natural waterslide. We simply used the rope to help us get situated and lowered into the body-wide rock slide before releasing down, ducking under a log, then plunging into the water below. I submerged my head and popped out of the water gasping for air because of the cold shock! Thankfully I warmed up after about a minute.
The last repel we had to hike about five to ten minutes. Weaving in and out of the river, stopping for raspberry snacks, and waiting for our group to rejoin we finally make it. Both Kayden and Ryan say this is their favorite repel in this canyon. Looking over the cliff, you descend off-camber directly into the waterfall. When it was my turn, I slowly and carefully walked down the first part that took me into the line of fire (water). Laughing because of the pure fun, I end up loosing my footing and slipping to greet the rock with my body. It didn’t hurt, but it was nearly impossible for me to gain my footing, I turned my body to the side and just slid down the rock. Almost like a vertical slip-n-slide. We all make it down and meet back out on the Perimeter Trail.
KEY THINGS TO NOTE:
8 Different canyons ranging in beginner to advanced
Minimum age is 10
If you want to do an advanced trip, you must do a beginner or intermediate trip with them first
They do accept walk-ins, but it is better to book in advanced
For the intermediate and advanced canyons, you will need to be prepared to hike at least 1-2 miles uphill.
For this hike it was about 45-minutes of hiking to get to our entry point