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Canyons are inherently risky. Flash floods occur without notice on sunny days. Technical skills & surrounding topography knowledge required yet does not eliminate risk.
unique rappels by autumnstars Overview
A fun, pretty canyon with flowing water and some unique rappels. Uphill, but fairly pleasant approach, mostly on a real trail! Warning Be smart! Although this is a frequently-visited canyon, always be prepared with enough gear to replace webbing and rapides in case they are worn or missing. At minimum, you will need: helmet, harness, rappelling device and biner, and 2x90 ft ropes. Check out the canyon flow before you commit - the rabbit hole rappel may be too powerful for even the most experienced during strong flow. As always, carry extra rope.
From the trailhead, simply follow the Rincon Trail uphill, over a saddle, and then up along Salmon Creek until you reach a bridge crossing the creek (approx 1.3 mi from the trailhead). Suit up here with whatever attire you wish, depending on water and air temps - you will not be continuously submerged, but may want some cold water protection. From the bridge, descend into the watercourse, and make your way down canyon. Watch for poison oak in this section, best avoided by staying in the water flow. Apparently, there is a short Rap 1, but many groups accidentally miss it in among the downclimbing. Regardless, Rappel 2 cannot be avoided, and is a beautiful rappel down a 50' waterfall. Depending on water levels, it's a short swim or wade to the other side of the pool. Stay in the watercourse for another short rappel or take one of many high RDC use trails to avoid some of the bushwhacking. Either way, when you see the canyon narrow dramatically, work your way back to the watercourse, where you will shortly encounter Rap 4, aka the Rabbit Hole Rap. This is a moment to pause and check in with everyone. Each rappeler will have to enter the small rabbit hole, along with all the water flowing through the canyon. Even though this rappel is only ~15', if flow is high, this could be deadly. In additional, the landing at the bottom is not a nice deep pool, but jagged rocks that would seriously injure you if you lost control. If flow is too high and you need to eject, return up canyon a bit until you can climb up along the ridge on the RDC side. You can traverse along until past the problem spot, then anchor off a suitable boulder to rappel back down into the canyon. Once down the rabbit hole, swim or wade across and continue down the watercourse. The last rap is off a huge boulder/chock-stone in the middle of the watercourse. Bolts are present on the farthest edge of the boulder, creating a nerve-wracking situation for those with a fear of heights. In spite of an awkward start, this is a highly picturesque rappel (90') with some free-hang action. Swim or wade out the hallway and continue down canyon. Shortly, you will spot a use trail headed up on the LDC side. You can either follow this use trail or continue in the watercourse to the small dam. Both courses will meet up with a dirt road that takes you back to the 3-way fork you passed on your drive to the trailhead. Check out the Triplog. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your canyon trip to support this local community. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
