Cascade Creek
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| | Raps:17, max ↨270ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 10 min Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 17 Aug 2024
"All anchors in good condition. 6 hrs RT from the bottom with no shuttle. Excellent, steep canyon adventure. |
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| Best season: | Jul-Sep
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38.0295, -107.6510
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Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
One of the Ouray classic canyons, Cascade features the longest rappel in the area (but break it up with the rebelay). Two more stunning rappels of 180' and 200' are hidden upstream amidst many narrows, downclimbs and rappels.
Waterflow checkpoints are: viewing Lower Cascade Falls from many points around town, the flume at the Lower Cascade Falls Parking Exit, or hiking 5 minutes from the Parking Exit to get a closer look at the bottom of Lower Cascade Falls.
Approach[edit]
The full descent is best approached by setting a shuttle. Park the exit vehicle at Cascade Falls Park on 8th St, just below the bottom of Lower Cascade Creek Falls.
Drive south on Main St and turn left onto Amphitheater Campground Road, Parking the start vehicle at the Na Gah Picnic Area just before the Amphitheater Campground. An alternate start to the hike begins by Parking at the trailhead at the end of the Amphitheater Campground Road.
Hike the Upper Cascade Falls Trail to where it crosses Cascade Creek. Optionally, check out the old mining cabins at the Chief Ouray Mine before starting the descent.
Cascade Sneak Route
The lower section of Cascade Creek may be done in a half day using the sneak route, which allows hiking in above drops: R13 or R14 (see kml map). There is minor exposure and some route-finding for the shortcut hike. Some have also climbed up to gain R12, but getting back into the canyon above R21 is more sketchy with looser rocks.
The same parking locations for the full descent can be used for the sneak route.
Reposted Mountain Project ice climbing directions to the bottom of Charmin Tube (R12): "Hike up the amphitheater road 0.5 miles. Just before the first switchback, leave the road, and continue on the normally obvious trail (38.0244, -107.6626). Climb briefly, then stay left where the trail forks. If no trail, look for a 10' tall stump or just keep wandering NE towards the cliff band. Pass through a sneak in the cliff band, and continue up several switchbacks above. At 8700', contour into Cascade Creek to access the climb (38.0270, -107.6621)."
Descent[edit]
R1: 60' from webbing around a tree DCL, just before the approach trail crosses Cascade Creek. Use dark webbing and select part of the tree to keep this not visible from the trail. This is a dry rappel, but is better than the scree slope on the same side.
R2: 25' from bolts DCL
R3: 30' from bolts on a large boulder DCR
DC a gully DCR or Rappel 45' from a tree DCL
R4: 40' from bolts DCR
R5: 30' from bolts DCL
DC three short tiers in the watercourse or Rappel 70' from a tree DCR
DC DCL or under a shelf DCR or Rappel 35' from a tree that has fallen along the waterfall
R6: 40' from a tree DCL, or DC DCR
R7: 15' from a tree DCR, or DC
R8: 25' MC to 180' set a traverse line from a tree DCL to bolts in a great station for standing DCR
R9: 60' from bolts DCR
R10: 100' from a tree higher on the hillside DCR
R11: 30' from bolts DCL
Possible exit DCL above R12 (one team has added this path to include R12 as part of their sneak route for the lower section. This is a suspected walk off option for ice climbers, but it's reported as having a loose slope that's harder to negotiate than the worn trails below at the bottom of R12 or R13).
Charmin Tube R12 is the ice climbing pitch called the Charmin Tube
R12: 200' from bolts high on the wall DCL. Beware of the false floor under the anchor behind the large chockstone. A small climbing move is required to reach the chains, which is recommended over any extensions on that anchor. While that anchor is high off the deck, it has survived floods since at least 2008.
R12 comments from previous beta input: Be careful with the second 200 ft drop. There is a opening under the anchor which can be fatal if you fall through when you contact the anchor. The bolts are about 10ft off the false floor. A climbing move can be done but we ended up hooking the rope through and threading the rope into the anchor chain master point. This drop could really do with a new set of bolts
Possible exit DCL after R12
R13: MC 15' to 45' from bolts DCR
Possible exit DCL after R13
R14: 35' from a tree DCR
R15: 60' from bolts DCL down three lower angle tiers or 25' traverse line to 35' rappel
DC: 10'
R16: 80' from a tree higher DCL down the Corkscrew Rappel. Ice climbers appear to have slung a lower tree as a winter anchor.
Lower Cascade Falls
R17: traverse line 25' to anchor bolts DCR for 270' Lower Cascade Falls. Setting this retrievable traverse line (MC) will protect people getting to the rappel station.
Cross the flow from Rappeller's Left to Rappeller's Right. It is not possible to remain on Rappeller's Right all the way down. Trying to do so results in a pendulum swing from Rappeler's Right to Left along a sharp ledge, which presumably is the cause of Lower Cascade Falls becoming notorious for core-shotting people's beloved long ropes in the 2000s and 2010s. Manage sharp edges appropriately and choose a good rappelling fall line if choosing to rappel the full distance from the top anchors.
Preferred: R17A: 150' to the rebelay station on Rappeller's Right at about the level of the first ledge, then R17b: 130' free hanging rappel from the rebelay station.
Rebelay Stations are safer as they allow someone manning the station to keep eyes on their teammate while on rappel.
The rebelay station on Lower Cascade Falls can difficult to locate. The guidebook Canyoning in the Colorado San Juan Mountains has a good photo of people at the rebelay station to help identify key features for the first person down.
Caution! There is another bolted rebelay station, which is an anchor used for ice climbing on Rappeller's Left, on a ledge below the preferred rebelay station. This does not provide as good of a pull from the anchor above and is Not Recommended.
Exit[edit]
A 5 minute walk down a tourist trail either side of the watercourse.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
- Canyoning in the Colorado San Juan Mountains Book by Ira Lewis
- Current Water Level Assessment from Canyoning Colorado: https://canyoningcolorado.com/canyon-reports
HikeArizona.com : Cascade Creek - Uncompahgre- Super Amazing Map : Cascade Creek
- Icopro.org : Cascade Creek
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Candition.com : Cascade Creek
Wikiloc.com : Cascade Creek
