Mine Gulch
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| | Difficulty:3B IV R (v5a2 IV) Raps:14, max ↨80ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None | |||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 25 May 2026
"I hiked up to the summit of Baden-Powell and then back along the ridge to the drop-in. The upper reaches of the canyon had a lot of loose rock and it |
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34.3509, -117.7522
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Waterflow
Introduction
Mine Gulch drops sharply down the east face of Mount Baden Powell for nearly 5,000ft. The upper part of the canyon (roughly above Bighorn Mine's elevation) is loose and dangerous, with rocks falling down all year long. The lower section of the canyon provides the goods with smooth chutes, interesting anchors, and slightly less loose rock.
Approach
Hike to the summit of Baden-Powell from the Vincent Gap parking lot. We dropped in around the Wally Waldron Tree, just a little short of the summit.
Descent
The first big chunk of the descent involves scree skiing and downclimbing loose ground. A helmet is suggested as rocks fall from far above and are obviously funneled down the face into the couloir. Several short rappels off sometimes subpar anchors are in this area.
Far down, things clean up and waterflow takes care of some of the quality issues. Interesting rappels off pretty decent anchors bring you down the rest of the way.
The rappel log from the 2026 descent follows. All anchors are in or near the watercourse and will likely need to be rebuilt the next time someone runs the canyon.
R1: 15' - branch
R2: 20' - boulder
R3: 25' - cairn
R4: 20' - boulder
R5: 20' - boulder
R6: 50' - cairn
R7: 40' - cairn
R8: 80' - cairn (banner photo)
R9: 60' - boulder
R10: 25' - boulder
R11: 40' - boulder
R12: 10' - boulder
R13: 15' - tree trunk
Many slides and short downclimbs in this region.
R14: 15' - boulder
A slide into a shallow pool is a great way to conclude the technical section before the gulch opens up into a broad wash.
Exit
Hike to East Fork and take that north to the Vincent Gap Trail. Have your map handy, as it is easy to lose this trail, especially in the dark. Take this back to Vincent Gap and your car.
An alternate exit used in 2026 was climbing a gully beginning at (34.3495, -117.739) which gains 1600' in 0.6 miles, terminating at the Big Horn Mine which has an easy trail back to Vincent Gap. This route cuts off several miles of hiking and 800' of elevation change compared to the East Fork and Vincent Gulch exit.