Tar Creek - canyoneering-

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:50 am

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=387675

Made a quick jaunt down Tar Creek in LPNF on the edge of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary yesterday

Thankfully the weather was cooperative (mostly) The area is still recovering from the Piru Fire (10/23/2003) but the brush was not much of a problem (yet)

I like the canyon too bad there isn't more of it! Oh well

Enjoy!
Matt

moppychris · Post by **moppychris** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:10 am

That look out over the last water fall(right before you went back up) is crazy. One time I saw a search and rescue helicopter hovering right under the fall. The water was flowing off the top pools. Amazing. Tar Creek really looks like something out of the Rockies or Sierras. It is magical.

Was there any water this time of year?

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:37 pm

moppychris wrote:Was there any water this time of year?

Nah nothing I'd go into willingly, you could smell the pools from a ¼ mile away

the water was green and nasty

Oddly though at the base of the falls there was a spring fed pool, you could probably drink from with out treatment

Matt

edenooch · Post by **edenooch** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:26 pm

Jealous............i really wanted to hike this area after hines peak

I am as to what mr dacey would refer to as "caught slippin"
i need a big hike this weekend......im still conditioning but my journeyless latley

platypii · Post by **platypii** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:45 pm

I absolutely love that place! Easily in my top 3 favorite spots in SoCal. I went on May 30 of this year with a bunch of friends. Did you get to see the condors? They seem to like chilling at the top of the final big rappel.

Incredible how close they get. In fact I was the last one to rappel, and the freaking condors started attacking the rope!! Either they thought it was a snake (which we saw many of in tar creek), or perhaps the condors were hoping for a *ahem* larger meal?

Besides the condors, the other main attraction in Tar Creek is the epic cliff jumping!

Speaking of... some of my friends did Eaton Canyon last weekend. By all appearances the fire did not hit it! WOOHOO!! ::happy dance::

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:35 pm

platypii wrote:I absolutely love that place! Easily in my top 3 favorite spots in SoCal. I went on May 30 of this year with a bunch of friends. Did you get to see the condors? They seem to like chilling at the top of the final big rappel.

Nope no condors ....

platypii wrote: Besides the condors, the other main attraction in Tar Creek is the epic cliff jumping!

Yeah with my back you'd see another helicopter out there

Ze Hiker · Post by **Ze Hiker** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:53 pm

gee Kenny no wonder you busted your ankle, lol. nice jump!

platypii · Post by **platypii** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:41 pm

Zé wrote:gee Kenny no wonder you busted your ankle, lol. nice jump!

Haha, okay I guess I deserved that one. In fairness even I'm surprised it took as long as it did for me to break!

I'm going stir-crazy from lack of adventures right now. All I can do is post pictures from my glory days

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:33 pm

nice trip...and photos(Condors are such ugly cool dudes and dudettes)...Ze, Im surprised you didnt see that knife edge rifge extending out there for descent 8)

Post by **Taco** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:36 pm

Cool racing condors.