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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


One of what seem to be many old cars in the San Rafael Swell. This one marks the trailhead for Knotted Rope and Quandary Canyons.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


CP stems over some of the initial water-filled potholes.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Before long, extensive water encourages us to pause and suit up. Here's Dominic wearing his wetsuit for the first time ever!
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Time to get sweaty doing some strenuous stemming to avoid the water as long as possible...
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Dominic and CP carefully sneak around a pothole on steep slickrock.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Its a runner!
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Time to discover what this canyon's known for: semi-keeper potholes. The creepy truth of the matter is that a man watched his wife drown here after she broke her arm entering a pothole. He was powerless to help her and watched her succomb to hypothermia. People have put this piping (from old mining operations in the area I believe) in some of the tougher potholes.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Its kind of eery not knowing how deep the potholes really are as we balance across the piping.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


CP oozes into a pothole.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Its a swimmer!
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Dominic's got too much energy.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Its a cold one!
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


AA help CP out of a deep pothole. That's a stick floating in there.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


The canyon opens up just when we were staring to have fun. Its over all too soon.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


All of these large potholes at the end are easily avoided. In retrospect it would have been fun to practice pothole escape techniques in the sun here for a while. Instead we went and climbed Tomisch Butte.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


Imposing Factory Butte comes into view as we near the end of the canyon.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


We followed the Muddy River for several miles back to our camp at the airstrip.
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Knotted Rope Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah
October 14, 2011


The crew slogging up the muddy but beautiful Muddy River Gorge.