EISPIRATEN

Nothing too crazy here. On Saturday I had half a day and was able to make it out to the Colby Canyon trail head around noon. I'd been curious about this little canyon for a while since I've looked down on it from the trail a few times.

I also wanted to find out for myself what was going on with the descriptions that conflicted between Brennen's site and Augie's SP page. They both turned out to be right, you can bypass the raps on the sides or down climb them, but where is the fun in that.

The first rap was 25 feet, followed by a 15 foot and another 15 foot. There are several down climbs and one in particular that I saw an anchor for (a steep 6 foot down climb).

One thing that was pretty lame was the fact that someone had taken the time to bolt the last two falls. Natural anchors were abundant for the first one, and slightly less obvious for the second, but there was no excuse.

The entire canyon took only an hour and twenty minutes round trip so I decided to take my dad down it the next day. We had a great time and even though it was my dad's first canyon, we still made it down in around two hours. Its a great intro to SG canyons, so don't be thwarted by Brennen's one star rating.

Looks pretty nice. Do y'all ever run into other parties doing canyoneering while yer out?

I think there's a well-rated canyon on Glendora Ridge Road, before Cow Canyon Saddle, just north of Fallen leaf Spring. Try that one yet? Heard it's supposed ot be real good, but it's hard to see as that area has a healthy amount of growth.

Sounds like Falling Leaf Canyon:

http://www.dankat.com/advents/fallef.htm

That's the one. Looks like another climate in those shots.

MikeSash wrote:.



One thing that was pretty lame was the fact that someone had taken the time to bolt the last two falls. Natural anchors were abundant for the first one, and slightly less obvious for the second, but there was no excuse.

The entire canyon took only an hour and twenty minutes round trip so I decided to take my dad down it the next day. We had a great time and even though it was my dad's first canyon, we still made it down in around two hours. Its a great intro to SG canyons, so don't be thwarted by Brennen's one star rating.

Mike,

It is a very good "intro" canyon isn't it. That's cool you took your dad down. Nice photos. I didn't notice the bolts when I was there but you're absolutely right-no excuse-there are plenty of natural anchor opportunities.

Hard to go wrong with a nice clear(even more kudos for graffiti clear) rock watercourse...groovin in style at that point .

I personally have never run into anybody in a canyon itself. I do get the what the hell are you doing look from people up on trails occasionally.

For sure a great intro canyon, I think the bolts have been placed pretty recently.

and yes, no graffiti until you get down near the trail, even then I think I just saw one small blemish.

I took my son on his first canyoneering experience last Thursday, July 31. We went down Colby Canyon providing 3 rappels, beautiful flora throughout the canyon and a couple of garter snakes for fauna. There was little water flowing, but there were several pools. Tree anchors were in place for all 3 rappels. However, we spent a little time analyzing the second one because the webbing is tied around two adjacent bush branches 1 inch in diameter each. In the end, I chose to go with it because of the low angle and short distance of the rappel. If the rap had been more vertical or longer, I would have sought to build another anchor although the pickings for anchors at the top of the rap were slim to none.

Augie wrote:I took my son on his first canyoneering experience last Thursday, July 31. We went down Colby Canyon providing 3 rappels, beautiful flora throughout the canyon and a couple of garter snakes for fauna. There was little water flowing, but there were several pools. Tree anchors were in place for all 3 rappels. However, we spent a little time analyzing the second one because the webbing is tied around two adjacent bush branches 1 inch in diameter each. In the end, I chose to go with it because of the low angle and short distance of the rappel. If the rap had been more vertical or longer, I would have sought to build another anchor although the pickings for anchors at the top of the rap were slim to none.

How old is yer son?

Wow, two 1" bushes, BOMBER!

FIGHT ON

My son is 22. By the way, GO BRUINS!!!!

Yep, Taco, I trusted 1 inch branches at that time but someday those branches will start to come loose depending upon how many more people use that anchor. But like I said, there was not anything available.

Augie wrote:FIGHT ON

My son is 22. By the way, GO BRUINS!!!!

Yep, Taco, I trusted 1 inch branches at that time but someday those branches will start to come loose depending upon how many more people use that anchor. But like I said, there was not anything available.

Which means you be at least 35! I think it's cool when a father and a son/daughter go up. cheers!

Ya ya ya go bruins I know. But now that it's football season we like them around! you can have basket ball.

Hey Taco,

Tom and I did the Palisades traverse (Thunderbolt Pk to Mt. Sill) last Saturday. You would have loved the 5.9 summit block on Thunderbolt and the 5.6 summit block on Starlight Pk called the "Milk Bottle." I was bottom roped on the 5.9 but went up without falling and I led the 5.6 Milk Bottle. Tom and I are doing a joint TR for SP.

We have to get you up to Sierra Ryan.

Cheers.