Triumph In Manker Canyon
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:02 pm
On Sunday Willie and I started up Manker Canyon at 6:36 AM. A few other cars had beaten us to the Baldy Lift parking lot. A layer of high clouds would keep the heat away and periodically tease us with drizzles all morning. It would also allow long-range views up and down the canyon.
By 6:49 we finished with the Manker fire road and continued cross-country up the canyon. Large boulders filled the creekbed, but we negotiated them with ease. Eventually the rocks lessened in size and number. Some pieces of old pipes and railings and stuff popped up here and there.
Around the 7600' mark a spring still trickled in the main canyon. Also, a 15' waterfall on the right, at the end of a narrow tributary, offered a weak flow.
The climbing was generally class 2. However, we encountered a couple solid class 3 scenarios with minimal exposure, one on a near vertical wall of white rock about 15' high with good holds.
Exiting the gulch took some scrambling. The super steep headwall was very loose. Around 8550' we turned right and using tree branches pulled ourselves up the easiest-looking slope. I dislodged a big boulder which passed within a foot of Willie, who was following behind me.
By 8:02 we had completed Manker Canyon and triumphantly stood upon the Devil's Backbone Trail, which we then used to bag Harwood and Baldy.
Willie climbing a rock obstacle in Manker Canyon
Class 3 wall of white rock, bypass on left (not shown)
Manker Canyon's headwall, exiting up the right side
Willie on the Devil's Backbone Trail
On the Baldy summit
By 6:49 we finished with the Manker fire road and continued cross-country up the canyon. Large boulders filled the creekbed, but we negotiated them with ease. Eventually the rocks lessened in size and number. Some pieces of old pipes and railings and stuff popped up here and there.
Around the 7600' mark a spring still trickled in the main canyon. Also, a 15' waterfall on the right, at the end of a narrow tributary, offered a weak flow.
The climbing was generally class 2. However, we encountered a couple solid class 3 scenarios with minimal exposure, one on a near vertical wall of white rock about 15' high with good holds.
Exiting the gulch took some scrambling. The super steep headwall was very loose. Around 8550' we turned right and using tree branches pulled ourselves up the easiest-looking slope. I dislodged a big boulder which passed within a foot of Willie, who was following behind me.
By 8:02 we had completed Manker Canyon and triumphantly stood upon the Devil's Backbone Trail, which we then used to bag Harwood and Baldy.
Willie climbing a rock obstacle in Manker Canyon
Class 3 wall of white rock, bypass on left (not shown)
Manker Canyon's headwall, exiting up the right side
Willie on the Devil's Backbone Trail
On the Baldy summit
