Choprock has a nasty reputation owing to a dual fatality that occurred there in 2005. (A team of two canyoneers dropped into a frigid pool from which they could not escape.) But we had the privilege and fortune of attempting Choprock with the individual who first descended the canyon (in 1980-something) and the individual who has likely done the canyon more than anyone else (26 times!). Throw in a 5.13 climber for good measure and we were in as good a company as one could wish for. The canyon lived up to its reputation -- long, strenuous, and beautiful.
I'd done the lower portion of Neon on an earlier trip, but this time around we traveled further upstream on the approach, taking in long stretches of interesting canyon that were new to me. The Golden Cathedral at the lower end of Neon remains one of the prettiest places I've ever been. Would highly recommend making the trip sometime. (Technical canyoneering is optional, as you can hike to the Cathedral from the bottom up.)
The drive home was not without excitement of its own. On SR14 headed west into Cedar City, I struck an elk (or large deer?) at about 45-50 mph. Initial estimates from body shops suggest $3500 and 7-10 days for repair. Still, it could have been much worse, and there's no doubt the elk got the raw end of the deal...
Many thanks to Ram, Aaron, Jenny, and Stefan for sharing their Choprock expertise!
Pictures are up on Flickr for Choprock Canyon (with Ringtail Canyon) and Neon Canyon (with Exit Hike) but I've included a few below as well.
...sigh. Does socal have anything like this?