Yankee Doodle, Sept. 29, 2012

The Harry Reid Center for Outdoor Engagement led a canyoneering trip, through the Pacesetter club, for students on Saturday through Yankee Doodle canyon.
SUU students who signed up for the trip met at SUU Outdoors at 8 a.m. to meet with trip leaders and other fellow students.
The group that went on the adventure consisted of 10 participants, nine women and one man, and two leaders.

From Left to Right; Elizabeth "Lizard" Pattillo, Sydney Critchfield, Rebecca Sirrine, Lucile Renauld, Nicole Barnes, Hailey Coburns, Michelle Manaran, Alexa Kruckenberg, Luke Maynes and Brittney Zenz 

Luke Maynes, a freshman English major from West Jordan, was the lone male participant on the canyoneering trip.
“I thought it was tons of fun,” Maynes said. “Especially being the only guy.”
Michelle Maranan, a freshman finance major from Honolulu, Hawaii, said that despite not knowing many of the other participants beforehand the trip was a fun way to meet new people from campus.
“The group size was perfect,” Maranan said. “I knew two of the others but I got to know the others well ... It was a great way to spend time outdoors instead of inside on technology.”
The leaders for the trip were; Keith Howells, Outside Editor at the University Journal and canyoneering guide for a local guide shop, and Breanna Bassett, a senior outdoor recreation in parks and tourism major from and HRCOE office assistant. Both are outdoor leaders through the Pacesetter club and ORPT major.
Yankee Doodle canyon is located about an hour south of Cedar City near the town of Leeds.
A short hike, with a few rappels, Yankee Doodle is perfect for beginning canyoneers to learn and experience the sport.
The trip took off from the parking lot and made it to the first rappel, only a 200 ft walk down the dirt path.
Yankee Doodle recieves a lot of traffic from canyoneers and the trails above the canyon go every direction, not good Leave No Trace practices. The trail down the small creek seems to be the most used but there are several extra trails running to the first rappel.
Howells set up the rappel and taught participants what to expect while rappelling over the first cliff.
Canyoneering with a big group can take a while to move from one ledge to the next because realistically only one person is on rappel at a time.
Participants rigged up on the rope and began the descent down the first rappel. 

Alexa rappels down as Michelle, Hailey and Lucile look on.

Sydney Critchfield, a freshman nursing major from Spanish Fork, shared her thoughts on going over the cliff on the first rappel.

Blistered hands all bandaged up

“Okay, going over that edge was scary,” Critchfield said. “It was a major adrenaline rush to just walk backwards off of a cliff but it was nice to have (Bassett) at the bottom so we knew we wouldn’t completely die.”
The leaders employed what is known as a fireman’s belay in canyoneering. A person at the bottom can halt the rappeller by simply pulling down on the rope, which is important incase someone loses control and slips.
One minor injury came from this rappel, a few blisters on Critchfield’s hand. She said her hand was sore a few days later but is fine.

Hailey heads down the big rappel in Yankee Doodle

The next rappel was the big rappel in Yankee Doodle measuring approximately 80 ft. It has a tricky start where rappellers have to swing out around a boulder with nothing between them and the ground but gravity.
As the canyon continues, the walls narrow up and there are down climbs ranging from 5-25 ft where canyoneers have to problem solve to reach the bottom safely.
Participants were put on belay to keep them safe and to minimize possible injuries as they traversed the canyon drops.
“The canyon was stunning,” Critchfield said. “There is something about being away from everyone else and that you had to push yourself to make it to the end.”
SUU is surrounded by landscapes known around the world for beauty and outdoor recreation, trip leader, Breanna Bassett shared.
“We want students to experience southern Utah,” she said. “And open them up to possibilities for future trips with their family and friends, to be engaged in the outdoors.”
To find more trips sign up on the mailing lists at the HRCOE and SUU Outdoors. Trips fill up fast and usually have a size limit.