{"id":6712,"date":"2017-11-21T11:30:28","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T18:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/fitness\/?p=6712"},"modified":"2017-11-21T15:33:01","modified_gmt":"2017-11-21T22:33:01","slug":"phoenix-wilderness-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/health-and-fitness\/news\/phoenix-wilderness-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Phoenix Wilderness Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

The best part of an adventure is the people you meet along the way. \u00a0People who choose to live a simpler life…. with simpler cars<\/p>\n

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Photo by Derrick Jones-Nelson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An adventure is a reminder that life is about collecting moments and not collecting things. Life is about having stories to tell, not stuff to show.<\/p>\n

As I set out to try canyoneering for the first time, I really didn\u2019t know what to expect. The only thing I knew is that it would most likely make for one hell of a story and I was right. \u00a0Derrick Jones-Nelson (AZ Foothills Photographer) and I started out to meet our Phoenix Wilderness Adventure guide David at the Diversion Dam. As we approached Globe, Arizona we saw a side to Arizona\u2019s beauty that we never saw before….<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were feeling excited and of course a little nervous. I mean after all, we were driving into an un-known part of Arizona, meeting someone we never met before and doing something we never did before.<\/p>\n

Meet David from PWA<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When David noticed we were a little nervous the first thing he said was, \u201cEntering Phoenix terrifies me.\u201d He said that in Phoenix we have to worry about all of these people on the road and how we have no control over other people\u2019s actions. He explained in nature, it\u2019s only you and nature. And as long as you take your time and you are thoughtful, it\u2019s less risk than driving home. With that thought in mind, I knew I was ready to get started.<\/p>\n

As soon as we arrived to Hog canyon David handed myself and Derrick Nelson (Photographer) a backpack with all of the equipment we needed for the day. The backpack included gloves, helmets, ropes, and harnesses.\u00a0The backpack even came complete with water.<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

David went through a 30 minute training class on proper technique. He explained that the technical way to rappel down a mountain is actually in a squat position (I couldn\u2019t have been happier to learn canyoneering also works your gluteus). \u00a0David also explained that throughout all of our descends we will be connected to not one, but to two ropes for extra safety, both a rappel and a belay.<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After both Derrick and I felt ready to go it was time to make our way over to the canyon. David ensured that we were tied in and ready to go prior to moving anywhere near the side of the canyon. Once we were secure, it was all about taking that first step.<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s the moment in which fear began to kick in for me. David explained canyoneering was probably a lot more mental, than it was physical. He explained that trips with PWA were about more than just a physical challenge. Trips are used for corporate team building, for getting over individual fears and the list goes on and on. From that moment on, I looked at David as more of a coach than a guide because I knew I was going to need his coaching to get over some fears.<\/p>\n

What they say couldn\u2019t make more sense at this moment, \u201cCourage isn\u2019t about knowing the path, it\u2019s about taking the first step.\u201d And it was time to be courageous\u2026 after all, it gets dark in Arizona early so we didn\u2019t have all day.<\/p>\n

And just like that I took the first step,<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As soon as I got passed the first step, I looked for Derrick to smile for the camera. In fact, I stopped so many times to smile for the camera he yelled, \u201cI already got that shot.\u201d Haha<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And with the blink of an eye, we made it down the first rappel of the day. We were about 50ft down Hog Canyon. My heart was racing, the adrenaline was pumping and I couldn\u2019t wait for the next rappel.<\/p>\n

The next rappel was the largest of the day, about a 100ft descent. \u00a0David even had Derrick out on another ledge to be able to capture photos at just the right angle.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s amazing what Derrick would do to make the photos come alive for the readers. \u00a0Wow, doesn’t the photo speak for itself?!<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a lot easier to take that first step this time, but it was quite a workout to stay in the squat position for 100ft. As you get closer and closer to the bottom it becomes harder and harder to slow down. I even had to ask David to slow me down a bit as I made my way towards the bottom of the mountain.<\/p>\n

As David stood on top of the mountain he was able to slow down my descent very easily; that made me feel very safe and secure. At 150ft down we took a snack break.<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hog Canyon tour with PWA is a four mile tour with four rappels and three rock climbs for a total of 500ft in and out. We were halfway through the rappels. Cell phone service was long gone and it was just us and nature. The John Muir catch phrase that Phoenix Adventure Wilderness quotes states the following, \u201cIn every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We definitely received far more than we sought; suddenly we were sliding down rock formations only to get to our next rappel. It felt like we were starring in the movie The Hunger Games, only we just ate a snack, so we had the best of both worlds. David was able to explain why some of the formations in the canyon were the way they were, It really gave us an appreciation for the beauty inside of the canyon.<\/p>\n

\"\"The next two rappels were a piece of cake; I even smiled for the camera the whole way down. \u00a0What I wasn\u2019t prepared for was the rock climbing on the way out. I have never rock climbed and for some reason, I didn\u2019t realize we were going to be doing the real deal. There I was, nails extra-long, wearing Nike free running shoes looking ahead to three high rock climbs.<\/p>\n

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@djyesphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Years prior I had jumped off a waterfall in Hawaii and the wind had turned my legs above me, so I landed in the water on my tail bone. The impact was so intense, I found myself praying to God under the water to let me walk again. Jumping off a cliff was my own stupidity, but I had to learn to get over the fear of heights it had installed in me and what better way than to rock climb. Rock climbing is a sport. It is a physically and mentally demanding sport that tests your strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t easy but luckily David from PWA was able to coach me through it. I\u2019m uploading actual footage from our climb so you can see first-hand just how talented David is with what he does.<\/p>\n