Shunes Canyon - Almost

Our goal for this recent trip to Zion was to attempt to get as close to the property line of the old Lewis Ranch as we could while staying on BLM and National Park land.

I should explain a bit about the ranch.  George's Uncle George K. Lewis purchased the ranch, which is located just outside Springdale, Utah, many years ago.  Another family owned the land between the Lewis Ranch and the road into town. The drive into the ranch was on a jeep trail and involved 2 river crossings.  The other side of the ranch backed up onto Zion National Park.  It is a very remote and stunningly beautiful place that boasts a natural spring which is like gold in this desert region.

In the 1970s just before George and I got married, George's dad purchased the ranch.  George asked me to marry him at the ranch - in fact he proposed in a grotto up the very canyon we were planning to explore!

Because life at the ranch was pretty primitive, it was not a great place for George's Mom to live.  She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and needed to be close to medical care.  So after having the ranch for a few years, Dad decided to sell.  The new owner of the ranch bought the property between the highway and the ranch and did a lot of development to the site.  That owner died and his estate sold  for an crazy HIGH price to Paul Allen.  Yes Paul Allen, former Microsoft executive and owner of both the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers.  He treated the ranch as a Sanctuary and was serious about keeping it private so we knew crossing his land was not an option.  He died shortly before this trip but that didn't make us feel any more confident of a welcome on his land.

One of the National Park canyons, named Shunes Canyon, ends at the ranch fence. Both John and Tammy remembered hiking from the ranch and then climbing UP from the canyon to the top which is on BLM land so the plan was to drive to the top, climb down, hike in the National Park to the fence line, and hopefully get a look into the ranch.  Only problem was that Tammy and John remembered coming up at slightly different places.  Both possible routes looked extremely difficult but we decided to attempt the one Tammy remembered.  Keep in mind that the hikes they remember were more than 40 years ago.  A lot can change in a remote area in that time - rock slides, growth of the vegetation....to say nothing of how we had changed during that time.  40 years is a long time.

There seemed to be no way down except a climb down a small crack so our two experienced rock climbers, Brent and Matt tied a rope and guided us down.  Well, the 3 women went down!  The men were afraid of heights and just didn't feel comfortable.  I'm glad that they weren't watching their wives climb down and then back up.  Tammy, Katherine, and I waited on a ledge while Matt tried to find a way down.  It was impossible.  Very steep with lots of loose rock or sheer cliffs which was not what we wanted to be climbing down! So now we had to go back up.  Matt demonstrated the climbing moves necessary and got to the top.  He talked Katherine up but it made him so nervous that he came down to stay with me and talk me through it.  I'm glad he did.

According to Matt the climbing moves we were making were what you call a Class 4 free climb.   Look carefully and you can see how far down we would have fallen. 

You can see him here showing me where to put my hand to go up more. 

Sometimes I had to remind him that I am almost a foot shorter than he is and when he would say put your foot there, I couldn't reach.  But I did make it out!  Thanks to Matt's expert advice and encouragement! 

I think he was glad I made it!  And again, I'm glad George wasn't watching.  In fact, I think that this photo would make him nervous. 

The plan is to try John's route next year.  Maybe I should take some rock climbing classes!!!!