Esme dibble-dabble 3/9/13

[AW~]

Went out to check out Esme Canyon, a tributary to Eaton. A recent storm, but no flow in Esme. Most Eaton canyoneers cross this nothing of a creek for a brief second or two....since its water is stolen upstream. During the winter, the creek is considerably easier to travel, so off I went. Not too shabby, but not brush free either...non-scenic and the long way as it meanders quite a bit with small downclimbs that were slimy&slippery.

The canyon starts all of a sudden around a turn. The first obstacle of significance was a downclimb and soon thereafter I was on top of the first rappel, a short 10fter that could be done in 6ft. I did try to bypass this one but no such luck. I was now staring at the unexpected, a watercourse dropping super fast with few natural anchors, and several drops with less than 10ft between each one, finally just dropping out of sight. The view was neat though as I could see and hear Eaton several hundred feet below. All in all this was a tougher place than I had imagined, conjuring up thoughts of needing bolts.

A later recon would confirm that a retreat was in order since I didnt have enough rope or any bolts....but of course I couldnt reverse the downclimb...hehehe. The decomposed cliffside ended up being the way to get back upstream. I hurried to get out of there, as this would be a good place to get jacked by some mountain lion.

Went here and there, and on the way back I ran into someone carrying their daughter I was like- wait a minute, I know who this is! And sure enough, it was HikingJim. Twas a nice day, with everything green and comfy hiking weather.

Esme canyon early morning


First obstacle - downclimb


Top of rappel 1. Bottom center is the watercourse.


View of Muir


Middle section of Esme


Esme joins Eaton


About 50ft downhill from Telephone Point, an excellent view of one of the Muir routes.


Same route....this particular one is so forsaken and formidable.


Razorback ridge as seen from the Helipad. Bunch of loudmouths down there

[AW~]

Finished this one up...kinda. It would end up there were 2 tall drops of approx 80ft at the end.

I found myself at the top of the first small drop in the same situation, but it was noon from a later start. Seeing how time intensive the first drop was to set up, I went for the bypass, this time able to bypass most of the short drops. There was one more small drop to go before the main drop, which looked like it was several hundred feet. I bypassed this by staying relatively close to Esme and saw the main one was followed by the last drop...just in time to not being cliffed out and was able to contour away to safe ground.
It so happened at the bottom of the last drop it was an easy level path to a campsite used for those returning from Eaton back up in the sun to the Telephone trail. However, for this day, I would travel down Eaton.

[Sean]

Thanks for the report. Any pics from this recent trip?

Also, are you saying that everything in Esme can be either downclimbed or bypassed? Are ropes necessary?

And when you reach Eaton, are you saying a hiker could scramble up to that old road that goes up to Henninger? Is that the telephone trail?

Thanks!

[AW~]

Thanks for the report. Any pics from this recent trip?

Nothing much more than
https://www.flickr.com/photos/13833920@ ... 613211435/
There was too much sun this time vs the darker shadowed creek and anyone really needs to bring a tripod to get the views available.

Also, are you saying that everything in Esme can be either downclimbed or bypassed? Are ropes necessary?

There was only one time where I got into Esme at the end of the small drops. Other than that, they are all rope rappels in the creek/canyon. I was atop the canyon and couldnt see into it for the most part. Then the last part was keeping an eye out on cliff out...even though I had the rope if it came to that.

And when you reach Eaton, are you saying a hiker could scramble up to that old road that goes up to Henninger? Is that the telephone trail?

Yes, the hiker can take the old Esme route back to the telephone trail back to the helipad loop back to Henninger.
Its not the telephone trail...see http://www.dankat.com/advents/maps/loweat.htm ...the Esme trail is an old trail/route that goes from 'telephone flat' SW to Eaton."Approaching the end of this section you will recognize that a large canyon is entering from the left. This is Esme Canyon. If you look up at the left wall of the main canyon just before the Esme Canyon junction, you will see the remains of an old trail. "

This old trail is basically an add-on to the telephone trail, which the telephone trail connects with Eaton further upstream, and then heads up to Muir . I should say used to head up to Muir. From just above Eaton to the ridge on Muir is totally overgrown, with at least some telephone poles visible. The ridge on Muir was bulldozed from the Station Fire, so its still hanging in there fine.

The telephone flats used to be a parking lot...
http://www.lafn.org/~dave/eaton_can_hist.html
And so what 'they' used to do is take the telephone trail down to Sugarbowl campground(aka Eaton creek), handline a fixed rope on rappel 1, and then handline/jump rappel 2(it had a deep pool pre-fire), and then go up the Esme trail back to the cars. That is what I recollect from Richard Nyerges, a ANF forest ranger, RIP. Nowadays its thought of as an exit/bailout which is not taught anymore in canyoneering as something to note during canyon travel.

As far as conditions of the Esme trail, its excellent at the bottom lol...the uphill/downhill part is basically steep gullies...and they are south facing sunshine gullies with spaced sage brush. As far as the way I went its pretty much a one way deal. Super-steep with large drop ahead warning all the time.

[HikeUp]

AW, from the lafn link, the missing route is described as follows...

2.8 The missing "level" route to the "Parking Lot"

There once was another way to reach the "parking" lot above defunct Sugar Bowl Campground and the last waterfall of the lower canyon. One hiked up the Mt Wilson Toll Road about 2/3 of the way from Altadena to Henninger Flats. Then one left the road and went E on a slightly climbing trail to the parking lot. The author took this trail in the late 1970's and found it to be in poor condition (especially as it neared what the author thought was the parking lot --he turned back at this point). But it now seems to have vanished. Since the terrain near the parking lot is almost vertical, it would be dangerous to try to follow this old route.

Is this the same route you (or Brennen) describe above...

If you look up at the left wall of the main canyon just before the Esme Canyon junction, you will see the remains of an old trail.

The lafn description is confusing. It makes it sound like there was a route that followed high above the main canyon connecting the toll road (from somewhere below entrance to Henninger flat) to "parking lot"/Telephone flat. Yet he says head E from the toll road???

[AW~]

Is this the same route you (or Brennen) describe above...

Nope, although he mentions the Esme trail in 2.5.."To avoid the upper series of waterfalls one hikes up the NE slope of the canyon side to reach what Brennen calls "Telephone Flat" and I call the "parking lot"..."

Idk about the missing Toll Road trail...the telephone trail is basically flat as it is and it starts close to the top/helipad.

[HikeUp]

ok thanks. that missing trail description makes no sense at all. might just email the guy.