20211031 San Rafael River side canyon and secret valley, wide FOV

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Alternate versions of this video:
• 20211031 San Rafael Ri... interactive VR 360 video of flight
• 20211031 San Rafael Ri... alternate view, normal GoPro camera on left wing
This a reframed 360 VR video of my flight in the canyons and valleys of the San Rafael Swell. That means you don't have to do anything but watch. The view direction is defined in the editing process. If you see something of interest, try going back in the interactive 360 VR version, where you have full control of where you are looking during the flight. The interactive quality of VR 360 version really captures the sensation of trike flying, although this video does a pretty good job too. -- Jeff
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This video picks up immediately after the end of my "Little Grand Canyon" videos.
On my way upstream, when I noticed a mysterious side canyon merging in from the west. The canyon was deep and it disappeared around a corner but there was a strong flow of water emptying downstream. I was too wary to just head into this unknown canyon so I flew out the main channel and climbed up to examine the side canyon from above. I saw it was mostly straight with a flat bottom, and further out it seemed to melt away, similar to the way the main canyon had dissipated. Beyond that, I had a mostly blank spot on the map marked by a few intermittent streams. I returned to the main channel and dropped back down into the main canyon.
As the side canyon drew near, I took a deep breath and turned into the unknown. I had become accustomed to canyon flying earlier, but my first thought on entering this canyon was that it seemed a lot deeper and a lot narrower. Too narrow to turn around, but as long as I remained calm and stayed on course, I would be ok. The path ahead was clear and I could always go to full power and climb out if necessary.
I came around the first corner and saw deep canyon angle off to the left. I stuck with my strategy of following the water. Look up the dry side canyon on the left side here. It ends in an overhanging cliff.
I saw a column of rock rising out the center of the canyon. I kept it simple and just hopped over the meander to the left of the column. This would be a good spot for a turn around and when I return here someday, I'll probably circle the pylon.
The canyon walls melted away and river channels seemed to fan out in every direction. The main flow of water headed North west, in the opposite direction of my final destination, Mexican Mountain. So I climbed up high and took a look around.
I realized I had taken the wrong branch and crossed over to a deep canyon heading east. I saw a tall pointed spire at the center of the canyon. A large butte rose on the left side of the water channel, with a canyon heading off the to the left again. I followed the main flow of water on the right. The terrain was becoming more friendly with a wide and mostly clear canyon bottom and I could see for miles ahead now. I had no more worries about the end of a box canyon abruptly rising up to block my path. I flew just above the edge of the inner gorge where I could see what was coming up, but also get a good look at the rocks streaming by.
The sun was getting low so I veered off to the small valley on the left which gave me a more direct path back to the Little Grand Canyon. Far ahead, I saw two crags of rock at the top of the divide. I flew right between the crags and entered a wide basin, marked on my map as Cane Wash. My map showed it flowed downstream to the left, where it joined the San Rafael River.
The canyon walls slowly grew on both sides, and I before I knew it I was flying down another amazing sandstone canyon. My GoPro Max 360 camera stopped at this point, so this video from this point on is from my backup gopro7 the opposite wing. If you like this view, check out an alternate version of this video, using this camera.
I had timed things just right. I was just 12 miles from the Mexican Mountain Airstrip where I would land just after sunset in perfect conditions.