Conditions:Hell for Sure Canyon-20241111015717

Latest:	9 Nov 2024 (7 mos ago)

Reported by:	Jcsjcs (121 reports)
Quality:	Great
Waterflow:	Very Low
Wetsuit:	Rain jacket
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	11 hours

Team: 3 people

Trip report URL:

Comments: Parked outside the gate of the preserve and started hiking shortly after sunrise. The approach hike was beautiful with a good variety of different terrain like the broad wash, smaller washes, and mild bushwhacking. The abandoned road was almost entirely gone. Approach to the base of the ridge took 3:30, then another hour of fun scrambling to the drop-in. We rappelled R0 immediately after the drop-in off a log DCL, then enjoyed a long playful section of the descent with numerous easy downclimbs before getting to the top of R1 near the end of the technical section. We built a cairn about 10' back from the lip. There was no apparent place to anchor R2 so we combined R1 and R2. Then we built a cairn for R2, warmed up in the sunshine at the bottom, and began the exit hike. The descent took 2:30. On the exit we stayed in the Whitewater River wash the whole way which ended up feeling easier than the abandoned road route and took 3:45. We reached the truck just as it was getting too dark to see.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
9 Nov 2024	Great	Very Low	Rain jacket	Normal	11 hours	3 people	Jcsjcs (121 reports)
Comment: Parked outside the gate of the preserve and started hiking shortly after sunrise. The approach hike was beautiful with a good variety of different terrain like the broad wash, smaller washes, and mild bushwhacking. The abandoned road was almost entirely gone. Approach to the base of the ridge took 3:30, then another hour of fun scrambling to the drop-in. We rappelled R0 immediately after the drop-in off a log DCL, then enjoyed a long playful section of the descent with numerous easy downclimbs before getting to the top of R1 near the end of the technical section. We built a cairn about 10' back from the lip. There was no apparent place to anchor R2 so we combined R1 and R2. Then we built a cairn for R2, warmed up in the sunshine at the bottom, and began the exit hike. The descent took 2:30. On the exit we stayed in the Whitewater River wash the whole way which ended up feeling easier than the abandoned road route and took 3:45. We reached the truck just as it was getting too dark to see.
8 Dec 2019	Great	Deep pools	Thin wetsuit	Special challenges	1 day	2 people	Dangel (157 reports),Morgan (103 reports)
Comment: Morgan: Worth the effort! This canyon takes some getting to but has a little bit of everything - long approach, river crossings, backcountry route-finding, a ridge traverse with some fairly exposed sections, natural anchor building and two gorgeous long rappels. We located our anchors to allow for rappels directly in the watercourse and flow was perfect, though a bit chilly in a 3/2. R1 is a full 160 feet - a 330 is just long enough to rig this rappel without requiring a separate pull rope. A very strong team with an alpine start might be able to pull this off as a day trip, but we chose to include a bivy. We ran this canyon a day after it saw rainfall, and I believe the terminal ridge approach (a standard San Bernardinos choss pile) was made slightly easier by the fact that the rain had packed the dirt down. The prior day's rain also made for fun, but not ridiculous, water levels in the canyon. Worth noting though that this canyon is NO place to be during active rainfall - we passed numerous recently broken alders accompanied by the fresh rockfall that crushed them.