Soba Ridge to Sheep Canyon to Fir Draw
Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 4:49 pm
Willie and I started semi-early on the Icehouse Canyon Trail yesterday. About a mile in it was time to cross the stream and see about finding the base of Soba Ridge, which lies west of Kimchi Ridge, which forms the western wall of Sheep Canyon.
We followed a small trench up the lower section until it dead-ended at the main, rocky ridgeline higher up. There are two or three spurs jutting off the ridgetop to the east, but they would have to wait for another day.
(About to mount the ridgeline from the approach gully)
(Looking east at the more difficult spurs)
(Looking west toward the cliffs above Fir Draw)
I did not take many close-up pictures of Soba Ridge.
Because mostly I shot video of Willie.
The easiest route on the ridge proved to be class 4ish with nothing really frightening. After topping out on the rocks, we dropped into Sheep Canyon and ascended a bit more.
The upper portion of this canyon is very pretty, with beautiful trees and rock formations. Some of the falls were class 4 with bypasses.
(This was my favorite climb of the day.)
(Willie approaching the big boulder obstacle.)
(A particularly beautiful stretch of Sheep Canyon.)
We were running out of time, so the rest of the canyon went unexplored. Looking at a map, we decided to try crossing over to Fir Draw and descending that way.
(Sidehilling from Sheep Canyon to Fir Draw.)
We were several hundred feet above Fir Draw. We selected one of the feeder gullies and tried it.
(Looking toward Sugarloaf while trying to drop into Fir Draw.)
After much scree surfing, we finally reached the main gully and discovered a little spring.
The water of course was cool and refreshing. From there we followed the stream down to Icehouse and out.
We followed a small trench up the lower section until it dead-ended at the main, rocky ridgeline higher up. There are two or three spurs jutting off the ridgetop to the east, but they would have to wait for another day.
(About to mount the ridgeline from the approach gully)
(Looking east at the more difficult spurs)
(Looking west toward the cliffs above Fir Draw)
I did not take many close-up pictures of Soba Ridge.
Because mostly I shot video of Willie.
The easiest route on the ridge proved to be class 4ish with nothing really frightening. After topping out on the rocks, we dropped into Sheep Canyon and ascended a bit more.
The upper portion of this canyon is very pretty, with beautiful trees and rock formations. Some of the falls were class 4 with bypasses.
(This was my favorite climb of the day.)
(Willie approaching the big boulder obstacle.)
(A particularly beautiful stretch of Sheep Canyon.)
We were running out of time, so the rest of the canyon went unexplored. Looking at a map, we decided to try crossing over to Fir Draw and descending that way.
(Sidehilling from Sheep Canyon to Fir Draw.)
We were several hundred feet above Fir Draw. We selected one of the feeder gullies and tried it.
(Looking toward Sugarloaf while trying to drop into Fir Draw.)
After much scree surfing, we finally reached the main gully and discovered a little spring.
The water of course was cool and refreshing. From there we followed the stream down to Icehouse and out.