In Praise of Smaller Canyons

Sometimes, canyoneers just want to have fun. You know, plop down into a convenient, little canyon with a few rappels on a pleasantly warm winter day. Some gurgling water for atmosphere. A little breeze to remind you it's January. The undergrowth is a bit dormant and stamped down by previous rain and cold temperatures, so no bushwhacking to speak of.

This would describe Fall Canyon, a minor jewel in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles. The hike in is maybe two miles on an abandoned fire road that descends into Big Tujunga Canyon, crosses shallow Big Tujunga Creek and ascends a short distance where one can drop into Fall Canyon. Lickety-split, easy-peasy, you're at the first rappel of a mere four altogether. There's a log wedged across the rock above the rappel to remind you that this gentle canyon can get rough on occasion; after all, that log probably washed down in a flood. (There's another one below at the second rappel.)

There are reasonably solid bolted anchors at each rappel, so there's not much to do here but rig up a rope and head down the rugged rock face for 40 feet. Conveniently, the anchor was placed to avoid the water spilling down into a tiny pool.

The next two rappels are 45 and 25 feet. The morning sun is warm on the rock and you can't believe there's an El Nino threatening somewhere out there. The last rappel is 90 feet and mostly down through a waterfall. I swung from side-to-side to avoid splashing too much in the main stream, but I came out wet anyway. No big. By the time we got back to cars, I was dry. Just a pleasant day in a pleasant canyon. We'll grind out a big trip some other day.

Jerri crossing Big Tujunga Creek.

Winter trees, Big Tujunga Canyon.

Jerri taking the escalator down into the canyon while Rich uses the stairs.

Preparing the rope for the first rappel.

Rich rigging the rope for the first rappel.

A log that washed down the canyon.

Rich tossing the rope for the first rappel.

We make it a habit of watching each other set up on rappels just make sure no one goofs up, like forgetting to lock the carabiner.

Kevin starting down the first rappel.

Rich tossing the pull rope over the second rappel.

Jerri, the queen of canyons, on her throne.

Rich descending the second rappel.

Rich starting down the third rappel.

Jerri untangling her rope from some branches.

Rich headed down the last rappel.

Jerri swinging out to avoid the water on the last rappel. It didn't really work.

Kevin descending the last rappel.

Kevin on his toes.

Death Valley canyons

I have to admit that the thrill junkie in me absolutely loves the technical canyons in Death Valley National Park. That is, the canyons (as previously posted on this blog) that often involve arduous approaches, high, long rappels and nearly impossible down-climbs. But nearly as spectacular as those rugged canyons are the ones that are much, much easier to get in and out of. Here are three that I recently visited, Marble, Mosaic and Fall, that didn't need a rope and were still fun.

A desert big horn sheep's skull in Marble Canyon.

A hiker passes through a multi-colored passageway in Marble Canyon.

Hundreds of years-old petroglyphs in Marble Canyon, most of them indecipherable.

Another view of the petroglyphs. Is that a coyote in the lower right? No idea.

A narrow passage in Marble Canyon. Much of the rock here was laid down when this was originally the bottom of an ocean.

The petrified wood look of the rock in Mosaic Canyon.

Mosaic Canyon's narrow corridors.

I'm not sure if conglomerations of rock like this are why it's called Mosaic Canyon, but I'm willing to bet it was.

Hikers make their way through a series of easy-to-climb ledges in Mosaic Canyon.

Nearly invisible from a short distance, Fall Canyon's entrance takes you into a cathedral of rock.

The lower section of Fall Canyon.

Fall Canyon narrows with views to the Grapevine Mountains above.

Yours truly winding through the upper Fall Canyon slot section.

Barrel cactus growing above the upper section of Fall Canyon.

The polished walls of upper Fall Canyon.

Just past this boulder the upper Fall Canyon narrows takes a quick left turn into another chamber.