In April 1995 Daniel, David, Tom and I went down the Bass trailand out to Elves Chasm. We were in for 9 nights... 
Daniel, Tom and David, getting ready to hike. It had snowed that morning.Yes, my pack cover was too small...(29.8KB)
The view from the trailhead. It was still quite stormy, and as I leftthe Esplanade I got hailed on (rain was normal). (20.2KB)
The view from on the Bass trail, about halfway down. The storm seemedto be clearing, but it was only teasing. (37.3KB)
As I rounded the end of the Bass trail I was rewarded by a beautiful rainbow over the central gorge! It made it all worthwhile... (33.6KB)
Daniel getting ready to bed down for the night on the tontoat the border between the Bass and Garnet regions. Daniel and Tom slept outside and put up their tent just in case. David and I knew better.Around midnight we heard rain on our tent, a lot of swearing, and them zipping up their tent. (32.6KB)
In the morning it was still raining so we hiked in the rain to thisnice overhang in Copper canyon. I learned that if I wear too muchI can get a lot wetter from my own sweat than I can from the rain. (33.2KB)
The view accross the river from the overhang during the storm. (9.3KB)
The same view a few hours later. Compare with the view a week later. (12.2KB)
We decided the storm was clearing (this time we were right) so we hiked to the first unnamed canyon, above Walthenburg rapids, for thenight. This view is along the way accross the river. Compare with the view a week later.(55.7KB)
The next day, resting in the second unnamed canyon. Also a good spotto find water. The sun had finally broken through! (36.1KB)
We spent that night in Garnet canyon, which is this amazing place withall sorts of rocks. This very dramatic confluence of pink and bluerock was much brighter and more vived than can be captured in thistouched-up picture. (41.2KB)
On the route to Elves. We'd cached a lot of stuff in Garnet, but the route is still pretty rough. Here we had to take off our packsand climb down these lava boulders. Gloves were required to avoid cutting our hands. In 97 we did this with our packs on:as Daniel put it "we are no longer wusses". (29.2KB)
My first time at Elves. I was truely stunned. (45.4KB)
Elves is a series of waterfalls through a crack in the wall. Here are two of the falls in sequence. The large boulder in the top of theleft picture is the same as the boulder in the bottom of the right picture. (48.8KB, 45.2KB)
One of the elves, at the highest point we went in 95. In 97 we figured out how to go higher. (29.7KB)
Here I'm taking a dunk in the pool just above where thestream enters the river. In 95 the pool was sandy and empty.In 97, after the controlled flood experiments, the wholebank of the pool was covered with sand and the pool wasfilled with rather large fish (trout?). (30.9KB)
Daniel cooking one of his wonderful gourmet homemade trail meals on thebeach where we spent the two nights we were at Elves. (30.5KB)
On the way back, having dinner overlooking the river just east of Garnet (I think). Couldn't ask for a better dinner view! (52.0KB)
Bedding down that night. Of course we had to sleep far away from each other at this point due to the smell... (22.2KB)
The view the next morning. This is why we were here. (16.0KB)
Bedding down just east of the first unnamed canyon. A truelyincredible view accross the river. Compare with the view a week before. (60.2KB)
The same view as before, a week later on the way back. (25.4KB)
A view of the switchbacks climbing the redwall at the back oflower Bass canyon. Yes, that's my camera bag in the way. I wasa little tired... (37.7KB)
We hiked about 2/3 out, stopping for the night just below the Esplanade. Another wonderful dinner view. (14.9KB)
A very happy crew in the end. (32.6KB)
back to Steve's Canyon page
Daniel, Tom and David, getting ready to hike. It had snowed that morning.Yes, my pack cover was too small...(29.8KB)
The view from the trailhead. It was still quite stormy, and as I leftthe Esplanade I got hailed on (rain was normal). (20.2KB)
The view from on the Bass trail, about halfway down. The storm seemedto be clearing, but it was only teasing. (37.3KB) 
As I rounded the end of the Bass trail I was rewarded by a beautiful rainbow over the central gorge! It made it all worthwhile... (33.6KB)
Daniel getting ready to bed down for the night on the tontoat the border between the Bass and Garnet regions. Daniel and Tom slept outside and put up their tent just in case. David and I knew better.Around midnight we heard rain on our tent, a lot of swearing, and them zipping up their tent. (32.6KB) 
In the morning it was still raining so we hiked in the rain to thisnice overhang in Copper canyon. I learned that if I wear too muchI can get a lot wetter from my own sweat than I can from the rain. (33.2KB) 
The view accross the river from the overhang during the storm. (9.3KB) 
The same view a few hours later. Compare with the view a week later. (12.2KB) 
We decided the storm was clearing (this time we were right) so we hiked to the first unnamed canyon, above Walthenburg rapids, for thenight. This view is along the way accross the river. Compare with the view a week later.(55.7KB) 
The next day, resting in the second unnamed canyon. Also a good spotto find water. The sun had finally broken through! (36.1KB) 
We spent that night in Garnet canyon, which is this amazing place withall sorts of rocks. This very dramatic confluence of pink and bluerock was much brighter and more vived than can be captured in thistouched-up picture. (41.2KB) 
On the route to Elves. We'd cached a lot of stuff in Garnet, but the route is still pretty rough. Here we had to take off our packsand climb down these lava boulders. Gloves were required to avoid cutting our hands. In 97 we did this with our packs on:as Daniel put it "we are no longer wusses". (29.2KB) 
My first time at Elves. I was truely stunned. (45.4KB) 
Elves is a series of waterfalls through a crack in the wall. Here are two of the falls in sequence. The large boulder in the top of theleft picture is the same as the boulder in the bottom of the right picture. (48.8KB, 45.2KB) 
One of the elves, at the highest point we went in 95. In 97 we figured out how to go higher. (29.7KB) 
Here I'm taking a dunk in the pool just above where thestream enters the river. In 95 the pool was sandy and empty.In 97, after the controlled flood experiments, the wholebank of the pool was covered with sand and the pool wasfilled with rather large fish (trout?). (30.9KB) 
Daniel cooking one of his wonderful gourmet homemade trail meals on thebeach where we spent the two nights we were at Elves. (30.5KB) 
On the way back, having dinner overlooking the river just east of Garnet (I think). Couldn't ask for a better dinner view! (52.0KB) 
Bedding down that night. Of course we had to sleep far away from each other at this point due to the smell... (22.2KB) 
The view the next morning. This is why we were here. (16.0KB) 
Bedding down just east of the first unnamed canyon. A truelyincredible view accross the river. Compare with the view a week before. (60.2KB) 
The same view as before, a week later on the way back. (25.4KB) 
A view of the switchbacks climbing the redwall at the back oflower Bass canyon. Yes, that's my camera bag in the way. I wasa little tired... (37.7KB) 
We hiked about 2/3 out, stopping for the night just below the Esplanade. Another wonderful dinner view. (14.9KB) 
A very happy crew in the end. (32.6KB)