Bailey Canyon Trip Report 1/5/11
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:04 pm
I knew I wanted to go exploring but I could not make up my mind where to go. The recent storm and my lack of snow/ice gear was limiting my options somewhat. I looked into Pasadena Glen Canyon, Eaton Canyon, Castle Canyon and Cascade Canyon. Eventually I decided to check out Hastings Canyon, via Bailey’s Canyon. I found a bit of beta on a canyoneering website that looked promising. I downloaded the topo on my iPhone and took off.
I left the trailhead in Sierra Madre at 10:25am and made a good pace up to the old stone cabin, arriving at 11:05am. I dropped into the canyon and proceeded upstream.
After about 75 meters or so I came to a fork where I stayed left.
The fork, not the greatest photo... sorry
A little further up a very large oak tree had slid off the hillside choking the canyon, the route over and under the slippery tree branches was a bit treacherous, but just a small taste of what was to come.
The topo map, that I had downloaded, showed that I needed to cut south-west across the hillside so at this point I attempted too but was shut down after a 100 meters or so by over head high brush that was to thick to penetrate. So I dropped back down into the canyon and proceeded further upstream. After about 15 minutes of hiking I came to a boulder choked waterfall and right before this waterfall was a very small side canyon. I decided to try my luck cutting back across the hillside from the small offshoot canyon but once again after about 100 meters I was shutdown by impenetrable brush. So after retracing my steps I dropped back into the main canyon and continued upstream.
Here is the link to the site where I got the topo, if the author has a problem with me posting I'll remove it. http://www.dankat.com/advents/advents.htm
My time was running out so I gave up the attempt to gain the ridge and decided to stay in the canyon and see how far up I could get. After climbing up to the left of the waterfall (15 meter scramble) I came to yet another fork. I stayed left as it looked a little more adventurous. Shortly after the fork I came upon some fairly steep sections of solid granite, probably Class 4 stuff. It was fun climbing up the solid granite (about 6 meters or so, not very tall) but it was a bit spicy as a good amount of water was running down the face.
The brush choked hillside, notice the solitary pine tree on the hillside - a good landmark.
After this bit of climbing I discovered an impressive 15+ meter tall waterfall. It was to loose to climb so I gained a small ridge to the right of the waterfall that I hoped would take me to the 4,000 foot “summit” I was aiming for. It was much hotter on the exposed south face above the canyon than I was expecting and after picking my way through the brush for about 10 minutes I decided to stop. I had reached my high point for the day.
View from the high point, you can see the oil rigs out in the ocean that are south of Long Beach!
After a quick photo op, I found an easier way to drop into the canyon (bypassing the 6 meter cliff I’d 4th classed up) and frustratingly I made it back to the stone cabin within 30 minutes. 1.5 hours hiking up, 30 minutes back down, of course on the way down I had not attempted to gain the ridge above Hastings Canyon a fact I forgot to factor into my time equation. It was only 1pm and I had till 2:15pm, I could have spent another 20-25 minutes or so continuing my push up the mountain. Since I had some time to kill I took my boots and socks off and ate some cheese and crackers. The hike down was uneventful, I came across a few people walking their dogs and 3h 40m after starting I was back at my car. Not a bad day and a good conditioning hike to help me prepare for some of my bigger goals.
Bailey's Canyon from the trail[/i]
Here is a Google Terrain map of my high point (as best as I can guess)
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 07079fdeb7
I left the trailhead in Sierra Madre at 10:25am and made a good pace up to the old stone cabin, arriving at 11:05am. I dropped into the canyon and proceeded upstream.
After about 75 meters or so I came to a fork where I stayed left.
The fork, not the greatest photo... sorry
A little further up a very large oak tree had slid off the hillside choking the canyon, the route over and under the slippery tree branches was a bit treacherous, but just a small taste of what was to come.
The topo map, that I had downloaded, showed that I needed to cut south-west across the hillside so at this point I attempted too but was shut down after a 100 meters or so by over head high brush that was to thick to penetrate. So I dropped back down into the canyon and proceeded further upstream. After about 15 minutes of hiking I came to a boulder choked waterfall and right before this waterfall was a very small side canyon. I decided to try my luck cutting back across the hillside from the small offshoot canyon but once again after about 100 meters I was shutdown by impenetrable brush. So after retracing my steps I dropped back into the main canyon and continued upstream.
Here is the link to the site where I got the topo, if the author has a problem with me posting I'll remove it. http://www.dankat.com/advents/advents.htm
My time was running out so I gave up the attempt to gain the ridge and decided to stay in the canyon and see how far up I could get. After climbing up to the left of the waterfall (15 meter scramble) I came to yet another fork. I stayed left as it looked a little more adventurous. Shortly after the fork I came upon some fairly steep sections of solid granite, probably Class 4 stuff. It was fun climbing up the solid granite (about 6 meters or so, not very tall) but it was a bit spicy as a good amount of water was running down the face.
The brush choked hillside, notice the solitary pine tree on the hillside - a good landmark.
After this bit of climbing I discovered an impressive 15+ meter tall waterfall. It was to loose to climb so I gained a small ridge to the right of the waterfall that I hoped would take me to the 4,000 foot “summit” I was aiming for. It was much hotter on the exposed south face above the canyon than I was expecting and after picking my way through the brush for about 10 minutes I decided to stop. I had reached my high point for the day.
View from the high point, you can see the oil rigs out in the ocean that are south of Long Beach!
After a quick photo op, I found an easier way to drop into the canyon (bypassing the 6 meter cliff I’d 4th classed up) and frustratingly I made it back to the stone cabin within 30 minutes. 1.5 hours hiking up, 30 minutes back down, of course on the way down I had not attempted to gain the ridge above Hastings Canyon a fact I forgot to factor into my time equation. It was only 1pm and I had till 2:15pm, I could have spent another 20-25 minutes or so continuing my push up the mountain. Since I had some time to kill I took my boots and socks off and ate some cheese and crackers. The hike down was uneventful, I came across a few people walking their dogs and 3h 40m after starting I was back at my car. Not a bad day and a good conditioning hike to help me prepare for some of my bigger goals.
Bailey's Canyon from the trail[/i]
Here is a Google Terrain map of my high point (as best as I can guess)
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 07079fdeb7