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Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:04 am
by AW~
Curious about Condor Jr peak(5049), went to check out Condor canyon.
Trail canyon flowing with a lite flow below lazy Lucas or was it the real Lucas, I never know. Trail canyon falls were still at a lite flow. Condor canyon started out as wash that quickly ended into a hard rock drainage with lots of fallen debris and vegetation. Then it returned back to a wash. About 9ft in the air, a log balanced on top of a boulder showed the power of a previous flash flood. Eventually the wash ended, and Condor canyon came into view...as well as peak 5200. A couple of drainages on either side started up, but I ventured into Condor canyon, which was flowing. Scrambled up 3 drops, the first of which had some exposure.
This lead to the exit of Condor canyon, which was quite unexpected. A tiny grotto area with a 90ft waterfall falling from a narrowwww gorge that had a huge headwall. A sustained fifth class climb on the left to a ledge which had a view into the gorge, but with no rope, it was not for me. Looking out of the canyon, I was higher than the Iron Mtn trail.
Busted, I returned back to the trail canyon trail and then went to snap a picture of a cascade tucked away. Hated that as it was a fierce bushwack, but got the picture. Then returned back to the parking.
More questions than answers, I hope to just use the ridge just after the falls to see if I can get to Jr that way. Started at 8:15am, returned 2:30pm
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:46 am
by AW~
Trail canyon falls...
Wash to Condor canyon....
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:47 am
by Travis
Sounds like a good adventure regardless, I figure the easiest route is probably along the ridge from Big Condor Mountain (but who wants easy?).
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 3:23 pm
by Taco
Beautiful area.
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:20 pm
by AW~
>I figure the easiest route is probably along the ridge from Big Condor Mountain
Thats the way I intend to get there...was just looking to go down from there instead of returning to Big Condor. For this particular hike, its doable to return either by ridges or Condor canyon, but its particularly steep and would require ropes and for Condor canyon, in addition a bolt kit would be carried as the canyon is much like Rubio....I think the best way is to just take a ridge that ends upstream of Trail canyon falls...nice and easy. Theres also a short canyon portion that I may try to photgraph...picture of Rick Kent's..
http://www.rickkent.net/ViewerPlus/view ... x?ID=88543
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:08 am
by AW~
I did try the ridge just after Trail canyon falls to get to the elusive Condor Jr. Gaining the ridge was tough and discouraging even though it was a meager 100-200ft. Eventually open space appeared, but still it had taken 2 hours to move 1000ft. The sun rose above Condor Jr and the open space ran out with dense steep terrain ahead...so I took one last look at Sunland below and headed down into Condor canyon....dense brush caught me by surprise but fortuantely hit Condor canyon in stride. Went to check out the exit waterfall again..difference being I thought the 2 drops to get there were a lot harder to bypass than before.
There was an owl occasionally hooting..cool deal but not long enough to get a sound recording. So then it was a matter of going back. The sun was blasting away and how this Condor canyon works there are basically 2 sections-the lower one being a tougher vegetation section. No matter how careful I was trying to be,I did take a short fall hitting my head on a tree(alder I think) but wasnt hurt.
Back down trail canyon, the flies were out, but nothing like the PCT. It was hot and the canyon is bone dry intersped with a few pools of water. Falls are dry dry dry. Saw a few deer and back to my car at 1pm.
Condor Jr remains elusive although maybe one more shot at it...pictures to follow sometime.
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:37 pm
by HikeUp
Looks like you got your work cut out for you on Condor Jr.
It looks like a real interesting peak to get to but you can bet I'd be doing it the easy way - a stroll down the ridge from Big Condor! I'll take a picture and send it to ya!
Seriously, though, good luck on getting this one done.
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:51 pm
by AW~
HikeUp wrote:It looks like a real interesting peak to get to but you can bet I'd be doing it the easy way - a stroll down the ridge from Big Condor! I'll take a picture and send it to ya!
quote]
That stroll isnt so easy..take a look at google earth which makes it look easy....
but if you take a look at the ridge, you go down and then up to a peak and then back down and up to condor jr. Its this last part which is harder than it looks, there are cracks in the ridge and while it looks like one could just walk on the other side thats not the case...its steep....also, one of the "cracks" which is visible on google earth which is to the left of Condor Jr and cuts through the ridge on both sides...on the left of that crack is a particularly dense section filling up the craggy ridge.
Well thats the only way left..coming from Ybarra canyon its just too steep for the brush cover....so maybe all that is left is the view from GoogleEarth....
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:36 pm
by FIGHT ON
AW wrote:HikeUp wrote:It looks like a real interesting peak to get to but you can bet I'd be doing it the easy way - a stroll down the ridge from Big Condor! I'll take a picture and send it to ya!
quote]
That stroll isnt so easy..take a look at google earth which makes it look easy....
but if you take a look at the ridge, you go down and then up to a peak and then back down and up to condor jr. Its this last part which is harder than it looks, there are cracks in the ridge and while it looks like one could just walk on the other side thats not the case...its steep....also, one of the "cracks" which is visible on google earth which is to the left of Condor Jr and cuts through the ridge on both sides...on the left of that crack is a particularly dense section filling up the craggy ridge.
Well thats the only way left..coming from Ybarra canyon its just too steep for the brush cover....so maybe all that is left is the view from GoogleEarth....
AW? How are you able to post those google earth pics?
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:23 pm
by HikeUp
AW wrote:That stroll isnt so easy..take a look at google earth which makes it look easy....
OK OK... I meant
easier! Maybe
. In any case, it looks like something I might try whereas what you are trying to do is, well, way out of my league.
Re: Trail & Condor canyon
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:36 am
by AW~
some real pictures in case anyone is interested....
driving up BigT road and CondorJr is a certain landmark....
This be "McKinley" canyon with the "Iron Mt"(BigT) trail....
Just up the ridge and is it this close?
Nah..this is looking south towards pk 3000+ which is part of a cool gash at the lower elevations.
Moving to the right...Lukensish...
View north..non descript
Sun is up..yikes...
Hillside I descended.....
Condor canyon wash...
A little class 4....
Tried to get up to the trees on the headwall/cliffside but didnt make it....
Other side of the canyon w/ owl out of sight..class 5
Exit drop...above this was another drop..estimate 40ft.
Back in lower part of canyon...
Ok, well going back to the parking lot...
