The Iron Lung (near Lemon Squeezer) in Rough Canyon (Bangs Canyon area) March 2015

On March 21, 2015, Bill Briggs and I set out to squeeze through the Lemon Squeezer, a curious slot canyon route in Rough Canyon (in the Bangs Canyon area SW of Grand Junction). We had very little information and failed to find the start after much looking, including one trip all the way around Tabeguache Tower to Notch-O-Pass. We finally found a promising slot to climb, and did so. The GPS coordinates matched what we had found online exactly. It was very difficult. I went up and over two chockstones and then Bill climbed very steeply up and turned up and right through a small high hole that led to a spot where one could see sunlight. Then he went a little higher (again, not easy) to a spectacular large balcony. Amazingly, this roughly fit our description of the actual first cave on the route, but that was mere wishful thinking. Squeezing up through Bill’s lead and back into the sunlight was very difficult (5.8). Bill dropped the rope to me as I needed a belay, and a little rope pull. Breathing required concentration.

Bill observed this about his difficult squeeze upward and how the wishful thinking helped: “The strange thing about the squeeze chimney is that I thought I was on route, so I just squirmed upward in the belief that it would all lead somewhere. Without that belief, I wouldn’t have been so willing to do it.”

We then wandered all around, eventually finding another interesting and elegant slot (the Bonus Slot) that led to the top of the mesa, but this was not the Lemon Squeezer. My best guess is that we entered the exit of the true Squeezer and then started up what is an “extra credit” part. We shall return! [Yes: See November 2015 report.] We finished the day by going to Notch-O-Pass again, and back down to our packs. See the map at the end of the Nov 2015 report to see what we now know about how all these routes connect!

Added Nov 2015: As far as we know (having consulted one knowledgeable person), this slot had not been climbed before. We christen it the Iron Lung as the crux is very tight, much tighter than anything in the Lemon Squeezer.

I see that my previous entry here is for May 2012. That was when my knee started hurting on the long hike. I am now 9 months out from total knee replacement.

Notice how it appears to be granite on left and sandstone (Wingate) on right. Interesting fault. But I am not certain of the granite; likely just a trick of the light. Yes: Below is a shot from April 2016 and the stone is all the same standstone.

This next picture is off-topic, but shows a nice hike Joan and I did the next day on the Ribbon Trail, in the same area. This is one the massive slabs of Bangs Canyon that one sees when entering Grand Junction from the east on I-70.