Route Editor
Route Scout
| Insomnia Canyon, AZ |
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DESTINATION Insomnia Canyon 7 Photosets 2020-07-11 2019-07-04 2013-08-10 2012-09-17 2011-10-23 2011-06-05 2011-05-29 |
| HAZ Member Vaporman's 229 Photosets 2011-07-16 2011-07-02 2011-06-26 2011-06-19 2011-06-18 2011-06-12 2011-06-12 2011-06-05 2011-05-28 2011-05-22 2011-05-08 2011-05-07 2011-05-06 2011-05-01 2011-04-30 2011-04-16 2011-04-02 2011-03-31 2011-03-27 2011-03-24
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This is also ticks off the last of the 'known' BIG canyons of Arizona for me, having already done Waterholes, Deer Creek Narrows, and its sister canyon Illusions last summer. That is of course until the Grand Canyon canyoneering book comes out later this year and blows away all these 'easier' Mogollon Rim canyon. 
We all know it's coming but it's the 'elephant in the room' of the whole trip that we try not to overanalyze... 
The western side drainage we choose started off thorny & overgrown and then presented us with log traverses and down climbs before dropping into the flat main drainage. The canyon started off with some small upper narrows so we geared up and took turns on the optional first rappel into a high wading pool. The rest of the upper narrows was full of chilly pools to mostly wade, small slides & down climbs, plenty of logs to climb over, and a couple short rappels. One rappel of note is from some above a potential 8ft deep keeper and continues down a chute just a little too steep & long to safely slide into the shallow pool below. The sweet narrows continues on thru some tight squeezes & deep chambers with an occasional green room full of lush vegetation. There was also a few rappels and down climbs in there but nothing a seasoned canyoneer should have any trouble with. 
The 2nd to last rappel before the BIG rappel is a double drop into a staging chamber for the BIG boy. This double drop rappel goes over a sandstone fin that after just two rappelers it had already sawed into & corseshot our 200ft rope. 
Once down, I broke out the camera snapping loads of pics and taking turn fireman belaying the remaining 3 rappelers. Once we were all down and safe, we ate some food and continued down canyon to what few obstacles remained. After a couple short nuisance rappels and down climbs, we were bushwhacking & rock hopping our towards the confluence with lower Illusions Canyon which comes together down a slippery slide. Just around the corner from that confluence with the main confluence with West Fork where we regrouped and dropped gear before making the relatively easy creek hiking thru the Subway and the even easier yet equally scenic 3-mile trail hike back to the lower vehicle left at the West Fork TH along the highway. 