Hanksville, UT is no hot spot, but it is the epicenter of some of the best canyoneering in the world. In October of 2006, 17 friends — most of them newbies — met there for a week of canyoneering. Canyoneering is more or less climbing + hiking + scampering + swimming + slithering + anything else required to squeeze through cold, dark, muddy slot canyons. We went down the Black Hole of White Canyon; the East branch of the main fork of Leprechaun Canyon, and itty-bitty (but fun) Fry Canyon. We also spent a rainy day goofing around in the desert, for lack of other options. Though I’ve since gone down much wilder (and more technically-demanding) canyons like Kolob Creek Canyon, Slotfest stands out because it was such a party — even when Jon got stuck in quicksand.