TR: Baron Fitzsimmons Canyon
- ACA Rating: 3AII
- Our hiking time: 3½ hours
- Our Hiking distance: 2.1 miles(TOPO!)
- Elevation loss: 585 feet(TOPO!)
- Elevation gain: 585 feet (TOPO!)
- Required equipment: Standard canyoneering gear 1, 220ft rope, 1, 90ft rope, 50ft webbing 5 quicklinks
- Rappels: 5 or 6 to 80 ft
- Hazards: Steep loose exposed terrain
- USGS TOPO map(s) Sunland California
This canyon has always piqued my interest every time I drove home on Big-T road toward Sunland. After years of seeing this it was time to put out the call!
(Note: all coordinates are WGS84 datum)
Trailhead*:
1.6 miles East on Big Tujunga Cyn Rd from Junction with Mt Gleason Ave (34.29526,-118.28296,1540ft)
The Trip:
The Sign here states an “Adventure Pass” is required May thru October when a port-a-potty is present.
We started down and crossed three fingers of the river pushing through dense growth at the waters edge getting glimpses of our two possible routes into the canyon.
After much virtual scouting I felt there was nothing worth the effort & risk to get there I was willing to endure. So the West ridge was selected after checking out the last drop. A 2 stage affair with an interesting flat faced chock stone at the top.
We located a deer trail and started up. The segment from the river to about 1680ft Elevation is very steep approaching 45°+. If you start to fall here you'll have trouble stopping until you hit the river.
Otherwise this isn't horrible. My opinion was / is anything other than our “group” of 2 might consider sending up one person with a rope so others will have a firm hold on something.
We saw 2 deer on the ridge to the west staying off the ridge crest as they do. We reached the flat area at 2000ft ele Bernd and I spread out. He stayed high, I stayed low closer to the edge. Our decision to take the west ridge seemed to be the correct one as there didn't appear to be anything in the upper canyon except at the head wall. This area (the head wall) is like the rest of the Yerba Buena Ridge area. A recently uplifted area covered with unconsolidated sediments (Colluvium?) that is undergoing rapid erosion (geologically speaking) .
At any rate we traversed to the wash junction (34.3013961, -118.2857508, 1996ft) and probed up the main canyon and a side wash. The main canyon was choked with Canyon Kelp (Sticky Snake Root) with small patches of Poison Oak. The side canyon had much less growth but the steep canyon walls carved out by water with many large rocks hanging precariously it was disquieting to be here. I was injured recently when a large 3-4cuft rock fell on my right leg. This experience has increased my vigilance around such dangers.
We started down and quickly came to our first rappel R1 about 45ft of rope was used here as my 90ft 9mm rope reached double with a coil or 2 on the ground. We anchored on a couple shrubs canyon right at ground level.
Pulling the rope committed us to doing the canyon, though I'd have to have a rope to descend the last 200ft of the ridge back to the river.
R2 was about 60ft using ¼ of our 220ft this was very reminiscent of Death Valley. The anchor is a deadman canyon left
While Bernd was stowing the rope I did the next drop... Bernd said we needed to rappel so I setup and anchor another deadman. The drop (R3) it's self is about 20-25ft downclimbable. But I'd already setup .The anchor is a way back so we used about 50ft of rope.
R4 is a 2 stage one portion is downclimbable but the are no anchor possibilities so we put some webbing around a large boulder. With the anchor and such this used about 80ft of rope
R5 was about 60 ft another deadman
R6 the final drop is another 2 stage drop. I wrapped a long rock with webbing and fed it down through a hole making a bomber anchor. The first stage is about 20-25ft an interesting large flat faced chock stone a bit of a flat area then the final drop to river level of about 50-60ft
*Due to repeated auto burglaries at all Big-T trailheads it is highly recommended you not leave anything in your vehicle, not in the trunk or anywhere else, leave the windows down too...Oh the joys of urban canyoneering!