EISPIRATEN

Arrived at about 5:15 am...too dark! couldnt even see a trail. Took a brief nap and it was already daylight at 6:30 am. Took off and reached the bridge to nowhere after 4 water crossings & about 8:15. Water levels were OK, but anyone hoping this rain has done a miracle would be mistaken.Views of Iron Mtn(Near summit of west side-snow), Ross Mountain(very little snow on summit). Other little snow was in the upper reaches of a drainage just south of Devils Guch.

I have been curious about the BTN canyon for all the trips Ive passed by so I decided to just check it out. This canyon is identified by its exit 70ft white rock drop and can be viewed from the bridge. To get around this drop involved just one 5th class move & 2 navigational points, the rest of it was a steep incline with exposure. I went about 600 ft up the canyon, a nice mainly 4th class scramble on granite with a lot of boulders. Exit paths to the 2 ridges on either side came into view so time to turn around. Luckily, I had gone high enough and west Baldy was in view. Now that was snow at the top.

Came down and downclimbed to the edge of the drop. It looks like a 400ft drop from the top as the lip of this drop is like 40ft. No way I was downclimbing this drop so I had to return the direction I came.

I moved on upstream on the East fork, etc etc. Iron Fork looked 5 stars, but I decided on Falls Gulch. Past Iron Fork, not much to see. I finally made it to Falls Gulch indentified by a 90ft exit waterfall, which looks much like Thalehaha Falls in Rubio canyon. I got a view of above the waterfall which had a nice cascade. I put in on my list to come back with a camera.....

Then all the way back to the parking lot, meet a couple of hikers returning who had taken the tedious way in. Slowed so they didnt have the tedious way out. Back at 3:45 pm.

On the drive back , the usual fantastic view of snow on Baldy, which entraps many people to stop.

Thanks for the nice TR.

AW wrote:Then all the way back to the parking lot, meet a couple of hikers returning who had taken the tedious way in. Slowed so they didnt have the tedious way out.

What's this about a non-tedious way in to the Bridge to Nowhere with just 4 water crossings? I would be very interested in hearing more about this.

Sounds cool! I still have not been more than about a mile back behind the bridge.

First let me correct that from BTN canyon it was Baden-Powell that had good snow, I didnt actually see west Baldy from the BTN canyon vantage point.

I have read on localhikes.com of people doing several water crossings, or hugging the creek, so thats what I labeled tedious. Canyon right is the place to be for almost the whole way there. Thats why I posted earlier, if someone does the second crossing(from left to right) where the bridge is washed out, they should be able to attain canyon right. Problem is people miss where the trail resumes to canyon right sometimes and end up creekside where the trail is out of sight. A sizable number do walk the correct path, even more on the way back.

Actually there are trails all the way to Falls Gulch, although the number of water crossings escalates. Sort of excited about grabbing some photos to add to my east Fork collection. Falls Gulch,Allison Gulch, yummy..... But first on my list is to add some photos from the West Fork Im missing...also off in timbuktu from the parking lot