1 S Harvard via Idlehour trail

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:11 am

With all this talk of low snow, I went for the Idlehour trail. Upon arrival at Eaton park however, it was obvious there would be little if any snow.
The Idlehour trail has increasingly been plagued by downed trees/bushes and now looks like the lastest storm added a couple.

1 S Harvard is a drainage that intersects the Idlehour trail. Very much a clear drainage, with a lot of cascades, and a couple of drops that I just went around easily. I was hoping to get into Eaton by going around the last drop into Eaton, but I was surprised by it being 3 waterfalls, not just 1. Turned around and reversed the drainage back to the Idlehour trail.

Then down the Idlehour trail to Eaton and down Eaton. Didnt get very far into lower Eaton since it requried a swim where there normally is no swim...if only I had the time to keep on going

There was all of 2 small patches of snow left, but it did snow here

Went up the Telephone trail(took 8 mins to get up to it) then all the way back to my car finishing at 2pm. On the way took a look at Esme canyon and the imposing Muir canyons.

Idlehour trail view

Coming to 1 S Harvard

Drop in the drainage

Rock bottom closeup

1st of 3 waterfalls -30-40 ft. A red webbing with no rapide was left here by a previous party that was girth-hitched to a single branch on a bush. Little sign of rope wear, and no sign of further travel, so it was unclear if the previous party continued.

2nd of 3

3rd of 3(certainly > 100ft)

Point of no return - Eaton

Swim

Esme canyon-I counted 5 drops but couldnt see how long the last one was

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:41 am

Great pictures AW. Big falls!

Is 8 minutes a long time or a short time for the climb up to the Telephone Trail?

Post by **Taco** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:08 am

Esme looks cool. Folks do that as a canyoneering route on a regular basis, no?

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:33 am

HikeUp wrote: ↑Great pictures AW. Big falls!

Is 8 minutes a long time or a short time for the climb up to the Telephone Trail?

It usually takes me at least twice as long. The soil was nice and compactable, and the use trail was in excellent condition. Summertime brings a dry/crumbly trail thats gutted....especially in the middle portion.

Taco wrote: ↑Esme looks cool. Folks do that as a canyoneering route on a regular basis, no?

I dont know of anyone who has done it. Pretty much the only rappelling into Eaton I know of is people who have descended the Muir ravines.

Post by **Taco** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:35 am

Harumph. It's on the list now. 8)

Johnny Bronson · Post by **Johnny Bronson** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:31 pm

add it to the 10452395829058234905 list

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:18 pm

Johnny Bronson wrote: ↑add it to the 10452395829058234905 list

Oh, the short list you mean.

HJ

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:44 pm

Nice trip AW.

Do you know of any access to the middle section of Eaton (middle of the technical route - the mile or so of hiking) from the fire road near Henninger?

Last time I was there, I chatted with two mountain bikers on the way up who said they were going to ride up to Esme Junction, then hike down "from the helicopter pad" on a trail they said utility workers used to access the water tunnel. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about.

They were not talking about the telephone trail - they very specifically talked about going into the water tunnel a short distance to check it out.

Unless there is another water tunnel near Idlehour??

Post by **Taco** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:00 pm

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑
Johnny Bronson wrote: ↑add it to the 10452395829058234905 list
Oh, the short list you mean.

HJ

My summer list is growing. I can reach most of it by bicycle so it's cheap... just need rope now. Also, a harness that doesn't castrate me might be nice.

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:09 pm

cougarmagic wrote: ↑Last time I was there, I chatted with two mountain bikers on the way up who said they were going to ride up to Esme Junction, then hike down "from the helicopter pad" on a trail they said utility workers used to access the water tunnel. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about.

Just guessing CM, but they may have been refering to the helipad west of Esme Junction. On this ACME map, the helipad I refer to is A and they may have either been talking about descending ridge B or C. Just a guess.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:19 pm

The only way to get to the middle part is to walk down at a diagonal from just before Telephone flat..."Telephone trail ends at a flat area (Telephone Flat) in a saddle (34o12.18'N 118o5.49'W and elevation 2580ft) behind a promontory or ridge that juts out into Eaton Canyon. .... First look down the gully on the south side of the Flat; though steep this can be safely climbed and allows access to or exit from the middle section of the canyon" Its a descent on the spine of a certain ridge for a ways then into a gully then into Eaton creek....its got nothing to do with the helipad or utility workers....no bikes either 8)

There is the closed water tunnel down by pk1841, downhill of the helipad(thats an understatement), that is unlikely their destination...hmm..I dont know what tunnels they were talking about.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:33 pm

Johnny Bronson wrote: ↑add it to the 10452395829058234905 list

Yeah, first he has to climb Muir

or descend the main canyon...one of the drops...ending of drop is at bottom left of pic

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:10 pm

AW wrote: ↑though steep this can be safely climbed and allows access to or exit from the middle section of the canyon"

hmmm indeed...when Chris says "steep" it is best to believe it...

Post by **Taco** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:18 pm

Arright, sounds like a done deal.