Imlay Canyon - Deep and Wild

I continue leading the way as cold water traps into my wetsuit chilling me to the bone. I am already cold and it is only the beginning of a long day of swimming in a sunless corridor. I jump into another pool and my feet don’t reach the ground. I swim forward clenching on to my backpack using it as a flotation device. I run into a series of logs floating in the water so dense I am unable to swim any further. My head is the only thing above water. A giant stump is suspended in the air above me, wedged in-between canyon walls. Behind the giant stump lies another debris pile stacked about 3 feet high blocking the climb out of the pool. I cannot tell if this high stacked pile of logs is on solid land or floating on the water.

This canyon hasn’t seen humans in months. Snow has covered the canyon, filling the holes and freezing the narrow corridor. As spring and summer returned, it has brought warmth to the entire canyon melting the frozen water ways. Fallen trees and forest debris have been released from its frozen state forming dangerous flash floods and creating barricades for future canyoneers. I am the first person to meet this obstacle. I need to investigate the large debris pile blocking our way out of the pool. We have already rappelled 100 vertical feet into the canyon so turning back now is not an option.

The logs are so dense I am able to crawl on my hands and knees on top of the logs, my back scrapes against the giant stump. I sink back into the water and I am now chest deep in a pool still unable to touch the ground. I reach the stack of debris and press ever so lightly of a log sticking out the pile. The huge stack of logs slowly tumbles towards me. I have never been in an avalanche, but I think this is what is would fill like. Everything around me is unstable. My head is inches away from a path of logs about to collapse. I investigate the huge log, maybe I can climb on top of it to get out of this dangerous position. I pull down using its rotting root system as hand holds.

The stump moves. I am now in between a stack of logs and a 800 pound stump, all about to collapse. I quickly go back the way I came I reach out for Ian’s hand. Still floating in the cold water we take one of the logs floating on the water and use it to take down the avalanche of debris. Five minutes of jamming the log against the pile we dislodge the 800-pound stump and it crashes violently into the pool. We wait until the whole pile stops and settles. We continue our descent ready for the next obstacle.