In April 1995 Daniel, David, Tom and I went down the Bass trail
and 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 left
the Esplanade I got hailed on (rain was normal). (20.2KB)
The view from on the Bass trail, about halfway down. The storm seemed
to 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 tonto
at 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 this
nice overhang in Copper canyon. I learned that if I wear too much
I 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 the
night. 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 spot
to find water. The sun had finally broken through! (36.1KB)
We spent that night in Garnet canyon, which is this amazing place with
all sorts of rocks. This very dramatic confluence of pink and blue
rock was much brighter and more vived than can be captured in this
touched-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 packs
and 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 the
left 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 the
stream enters the river. In 95 the pool was sandy and empty.
In 97, after the controlled flood experiments, the whole
bank of the pool was covered with sand and the pool was
filled with rather large fish (trout?). (30.9KB)
Daniel cooking one of his wonderful gourmet homemade trail meals on the
beach 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 truely
incredible 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 of
lower Bass canyon. Yes, that's my camera bag in the way. I was
a 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 left
the Esplanade I got hailed on (rain was normal). (20.2KB)
The view from on the Bass trail, about halfway down. The storm seemed
to 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 tonto
at 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 this
nice overhang in Copper canyon. I learned that if I wear too much
I 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 the
night. 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 spot
to find water. The sun had finally broken through! (36.1KB) 
We spent that night in Garnet canyon, which is this amazing place with
all sorts of rocks. This very dramatic confluence of pink and blue
rock was much brighter and more vived than can be captured in this
touched-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 packs
and 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 the
left 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 the
stream enters the river. In 95 the pool was sandy and empty.
In 97, after the controlled flood experiments, the whole
bank of the pool was covered with sand and the pool was
filled with rather large fish (trout?). (30.9KB) 
Daniel cooking one of his wonderful gourmet homemade trail meals on the
beach 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 truely
incredible 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 of
lower Bass canyon. Yes, that's my camera bag in the way. I was
a 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)