Massive link to location: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=34.16676,-11 ... rvoir%20CA
Before we go any further, the name is from my homedawg John whom I asked for assistance in naming Crimmas Skeletor Cyn. It's a funny name. Couldn't come up with a name while descending it, which is usually when you come up with a good name that reflects what the descent was like.
Here be the approach. Ideally you'd go up the central spur which looks very casual, but it's guarded by those dirt cliffs which are miserable and honestly pretty unsafe. I went up the spur at left, which sucks but I've done it before so I knew what I was getting myself into.
I am awaiting prosecution for yelling at this marker. The battered edge of my trusty machete (which I've had since childhood) can be seen at left. This same blade spent a year atop the big 180ft or so falls in Steele Taco Cyn when I forgot it. Retrieved it with Amanda during a subsequent descent. It is an Ontario 18" sawback machete.
Looking down into expensive people land. I am a 'liberal communist atheist' (or so someone called me that), and view these enclaves of the financially-secure as bubbles of comedic value. Their ways seep into everything, down to the species of plants they choose to decorate their closely-packaged villas, not to mention their predictable automotive choices.
Chew whilst viewing this image. That's quality air!
Now we're in the upper section of the canyon. This is the first drop, which was a downclimb. I tossed my pack down it into the dead tree bottom left, and jumped to sections of solid rock and soft dirt to get down.
Another downclimb, with the beloved crotch-cam. The rock wasn't as bad as it looks, thankfully.
Here be some terrible little plant that sticks to everything. Is it the same species you find deep in Death Valley canyons? Not a fan, Big Dan.
Things started to get a little more canyon-y. Oh, hello there PO!
These silly sticker arrangements help me while doing things alone. I laugh whenever I see them, thus brightening my mood. These canyons require a lot of work, as they require steep loose hikes and tons of bushwhacking. Every little bit helps when you've got nobody to talk to except some crazy guy who never has anything interesting to say.
A cool section
Big rappel. First stage is off a small bush...
...which brings you to...
...a deadman! Solid!
The rare Dudleya Densiflora! Bottom of the photo in the crack, blooming.
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/ ... dleya.html
Looking back at the 2-stage descent.
I had to assume I had already been GoBro videoed and was going to be arrested for suspicion of being suspicious at this point, since I was within line of sight of the fancy houses. If you've ever had to explain to officers that you're not a bad guy and you're doing nothing wrong while guns are pointed at your center-mass on public property, you know the feeling.
Oh goody! A tiny chockstone! It's kinda backed-up by the double Fisherman's bulk, so if the chockstone (about an inch cubed) failed, maybe that would catch. It didn't fail, though I think it moves a little bit.
Committing myself to another downclimb. Hello Kitty enjoys the airtime.
You guys just did that rappel much faster than I. The anchor was solid. It moved a little bit, as it's not especially large in diameter or whatever. These 'interesting' anchors are a big part of what makes this fun.
Here we can see the nature of the canyon change as the general moisture content grows. Or, whatever someone smart would say to describe how this place is wetter.
The end is near!
Peep this, used to be houses or something.
Where are the cops? Nobody to greet me?
I always make sure to end my alone-days with a rant to myself as I walk home. How is the SG River private property? Bend my mind some more, humans.
I also really dig how developers will destroy a piece of land for more houses for yet more people to store themselves in whilst not working, and then they'll put up signs calling the stuff they didn't bulldoze a 'preserve' or somesuch. 'Coastal scrubbrush preserve' or whatever, like the one in West Covina. Bulldoze and flatten the land for consumerism, then call the parts you didn't kill something fancy and win biuo-green-hippie creds! Everyone wins in these politics. How about using condoms more, people? Oh, did I just say maybe people should have fewer kids since resources are limited? Treading on god-given rights, how dare I! OK, rant over.
These adventures are pretty cool. Close to home, lotsa work, can be done relatively quickly (started at 2pm, got home before dark), and plenty of them left because they're really un-sexy. Nobody wants to go chop their way down a canyon filled with biting flies, Poison Oak, sharp pointy plants, loose rock, and all kindsa manly stuff. Well, except the Machete Brothers, but they don't count cause they're misguided and their 'leader' is a masochistic fool. Pain is good, and a requirement for adventure. We can't all go down clean fancy canyons with 16:1 lowering Prusik knot-block systems on bolted anchors or whatever the rage may be.
So, a half-dozen rappels or so to 100ft or so. I brought the usual 200ft rope, but a durable 100ft rope and 100ft pullcord would be better, lighter, less-bulky. Expensive though, thus the old 200ft rope comes out.
If anyone ever wants to go exploring with this crazy ranting admin, just say so. It's honestly really good stuff, all of it. And it's real. It requires physical work, mental work, and balls here and there. Full engagement of the worky-bits.
Cheers folks, have a good day and make sure to go off the beaten path, dangit. You won't regret the memories you keep forever. 8) 8) 8)
