Participants were: Dan Sherman (finished the list on this trip!), Mario Gonzalez (3rd ascent), Dale Van Dalsem (3rd ascent), Julie Rush, Judy Ware, Tom Scott, Tom Moumblow, & Eddie Nunez. Wendy Ruess & John McCully, & ferocious Doberman Chessie started up the Canyon Friday A.M. In camp that night Wendy had a sharp pain in her neck & fainted. Then a day in camp & out & home. Cat scan & examinations followed &, fortunately, she only had a pinched nerve, exacerbated by carrying a backpack. This would have been John's 7th ascent; only Ron Jones, with 10 or 11, has more, unless Jerry Schad or some of the San Diego folks have snuck in for more!
Big Picacho was my first desert peak, in '77, and remains a favorite! -Dale
OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL 5/23-25/92
It was a last minute attempt for me to pack and seek Utah transportation, after Ron Jones had invited me to join a small private group to do the Guardian Angels in Zion NP over the 1992 Memorial Day weekend.
As it was, on Sat afternoon we eight climbers first met as a group under the huge red sandstone overhang at Subway Camp, in the North Fork of Great West Canyon. This deluxe spot is about 3+ miles from the trailhead on the Kolob Reservoir road--that pavement which darts northward in and out of the Park, above Virgin, Utah. In our party were Ron, along with Jim Conley, the Mamedalin family--Igor, Suzanne and Tanya, Dean & Pat Acheson, and this writer. Subway Camp is a couple of swim suit minutes short of The Subway, and lies enroute in the DPS Road & Peak Guide's direction.
To me, the watered canyon at this point rivals anything along Yosemite's Merced River. Here the Cascades form a majestic backdrop to equal any mountain scene! We were favored along the way in meeting jovial NPS Ranger Jennifer Gillette, who gave us tips on the locale.
The remaining daylight hours found leaders Ron and Igor, with helpers, setting the necessary ropes for Sunday's climb of South Guardian Angel. This was no easy chore, as four positions were to be secured. The first pitch was a freebie, however, since a fixed webbing strap was found to be already in place--much to Jennifer's concern. One never knows the history and condition of these attractive setups! But this one worked fine.
It was a wet PM for the leaders and helpers, as the current flow rate was not in their favor, and later in the evening it began to rain--lasting all night in a gentle mood. The overhanging red walls were a blessing, for