Conditions:Clark Gulch-20210427044002
Latest: |
24 Apr 2021 (4 yrs ago) |
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| Reported by: | Jcsjcs (120 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Great |
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| Waterflow: | Very Low |
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| Wetsuit: | Rain jacket |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | Special challenges |
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| Time: |  13 hours
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Team: 1 people
Trip report URL:
Comments: Cloudy over East Fork at the 630 start time but turned into a beautiful day as I went higher up Iron Mountain. Reached the summit and took a short break after 5:00. Dropped into Clark Gulch just south of the summit, a different route than the first descent party. At first it was a combination of scree, short downclimbs, and some super fun glissading down the sections that still had snow. The highlight of this upper branch of the canyon was a 150' dry fall which could be anchored by a cairn in the watercourse (see picture). However, the natural spot to put it was sloped and debris-covered so I elected to bypass it DCR down a scree slope. I reached the intersection of the branch that the first descent party came down after 2:15 in the descent.
On the main branch, the money rap was amazing, with a clean 90° turn and plenty of anchor materials for the second stage. (See picture.) The canyon was on track for 5 stars but turned disappointing after this, getting choked with brush and having only a few unremarkable low-angle rappels in the remaining significant distance to East Fork. Descent time was 5:00. From the intersection with East Fork it took me 1:25 to get to the bridge and a total of 3:15 to get to the trailhead, which I reached just as twilight was ending.
This was a spectacular and lengthy adventure that I won't soon forget.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Very Low
| Rain jacket
| Special challenges | 13 hours
| 1 people | Jcsjcs (120 reports) | |
Comment: Cloudy over East Fork at the 630 start time but turned into a beautiful day as I went higher up Iron Mountain. Reached the summit and took a short break after 5:00. Dropped into Clark Gulch just south of the summit, a different route than the first descent party. At first it was a combination of scree, short downclimbs, and some super fun glissading down the sections that still had snow. The highlight of this upper branch of the canyon was a 150' dry fall which could be anchored by a cairn in the watercourse (see picture). However, the natural spot to put it was sloped and debris-covered so I elected to bypass it DCR down a scree slope. I reached the intersection of the branch that the first descent party came down after 2:15 in the descent.
On the main branch, the money rap was amazing, with a clean 90° turn and plenty of anchor materials for the second stage. (See picture.) The canyon was on track for 5 stars but turned disappointing after this, getting choked with brush and having only a few unremarkable low-angle rappels in the remaining significant distance to East Fork. Descent time was 5:00. From the intersection with East Fork it took me 1:25 to get to the bridge and a total of 3:15 to get to the trailhead, which I reached just as twilight was ending. This was a spectacular and lengthy adventure that I won't soon forget. | |||||||
| Amazing | Shallow wading
| None 
| Special challenges | 21 hours
| 4 people Intermediate to Expert | Estunum (34 reports) | |
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