Bailey Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:12 to 15, max ↨110ft
Red Tape:Closed to entry Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 29 Dec 2024
"Morning run. 2:20 c2c with some moseying around. R3 or so (the one with the small tree directly near the anchor) looks about due for replacement next |
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| Best season: | Spring;Summer;Fall;Winter
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34.1844, -118.0590
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Introduction
CLOSED DUE TO FIRES Bailey is a great 'first canyon' as it poses no serious challenges and has larger number of rappels for practicing rigging.
Approach
Follow signs for "Bailey Canyon Trail." Don't be tempted by the several forks involving "nature trails." The first leads to a marvelous assortment of semi-concealed poison oak and the second is the canyon exit.
Descent
Rappel 1: 42 feet Bolts canyon right
Rappel extra: 25 feet Tree canyon right up high; avoids slimy slab / trough often full of bees.
Rappel 2: 35 feet Tree canyon right up high
Rappel 3: 54 feet Bolts canyon right, climb down through downed tree left, then look right for anchor
Rappel 4: 40 feet NOTE: Much higher tree DCL rigged with long webbing NOV 2020. Dead Tree canyon left fell down FEB 2020. Down-climb this rappel going through the canyon kelp (weeds) canyon right. Watch out for poison oak mixed into the canyon kelp here!
Below R4 or the easy "staircase" down-climb is a sketchy slab which as of FEB 2020 has a webbing anchor around a big rock canyon center. People also traverse right over the rock to a very steep and shallow dirt gully. As of 2021 there is now a bolted anchor DCR to get down this slab.
Rappel 5: 32 feet Bolts canyon right
Rappel 6: 102 feet Bolts canyon left, rap line goes left over slab, not into the pothole / trough
- a 200' rope is *just* long enough to do rap 6 double strand *if* split evenly. This will leave the two ends 2 ft from the ground so keep that in mind when providing the belay from the bottom
Rappel 7: 42 feet Bolts canyon right
Rappel 8: 58 feet Bolts canyon left, overhanging about half way down
Rappel 9: 26 feet Bolts canyon left
Rappel 10: 66 feet Bolts canyon left, high angle narrow trough
Rappel 11: 27 feet Bolts canyon right
Rappel 12: 25 feet Bolts canyon right
Downclimb (was rappel) 13: 15 feet
Rappel 14 23 feet Bolts canyon center, or downclimb hole and crouch/crawl under rock, be careful of rockfall if doing the downclimb
Rappel 15: 33 feet Bolts canyon left, bolts may be buried in dirt or leaves.
Rare low quality video taken by a hiker on the trail.
The video shows the perspective of the canyoneers to the wall on the longest rappel; Rap 6.
The video is looped out two minutes to show the wall.
Exit
Follow the canyon, around the Dam to the right and back to the parking lot.
Red tape
Bears are occasionally reported in this canyon. Exercise caution and awareness of your surroundings.
Effective 14-NOV-2020 Bailey is open again as the city of Sierra Madre worked with the Forest Service to adjust the Bobcat Fire Closure Area so it does not include the hike up to the Mt Wilson Trail, which is further than the Bailey drop-in.
Effective 9-OCT-2020 this canyon is closed through April 1, 2022 as part of the "Bobcat Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure" for the Angeles National Forest. Forest Order No. 05-01-20-08. Link to CalTopo map showing closure area is here - https://caltopo.com/m/9KEQ?fbclid=IwAR2FQQ-n-3nETK2-f1Dh_AlCh4LbOxAzGCpPxYSkR_bdsddZ9FP7ekwEOQ8
Beta sites
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Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (St Gabriels) : Bailey Canyon - Super Amazing Map : Bailey Canyon
- SummitPost.org : Bailey Canyon
Trip reports and media
- Candition.com : Bailey Canyon
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Wikiloc.com : Bailey Canyon canyoneering
