Conditions:Immaculate Canyon-20220627131020

Latest:	24 Jun 2022 (3 yrs ago)

Reported by:	Jawx0420 (44 reports)
Quality:	Amazing
Waterflow:	Very Low
Wetsuit:	Rain jacket
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	5 hours

Team: 2 people with experience level Intermediate to Advanced

Trip report URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfNLCscP36X/?utm source=ig web copy link

Comments: We started early to avoid the afternoon monsoon storms that are typical for this time of the year. We camped overnight nearby to get an early start. Very little sleep due to rain / thunder on and off all night. We got soaked after the first few minutes on approach due to the moisture in the foliage. Everything was so green and beautiful. The canyon itself was amazing and by far one of the best that we've done. All anchors were in good shape. At rap 3, make sure the first person down throws the rope to the second deep pool. If the rope gets pulled while still in the first pool, you can use the heavy logs as an anchor to rap down. It could be down climbable but not knowing how deep the water is makes it risky if you slide down. After rap 4, the beta recommends going up hill to the left. DO NOT climb up the steep drainages that you first see on the left. There was a cairn placed as if it was the correct way. We removed the cairn to help eliminate any confusion. Continue following the canyon downstream to the right and you will see what the beta is talking about. A small ramp on DCL leads you up to the tree with webbing. Recommend pulling from the right side on rap 5, 6, and 7. The single bolt at R7 and R9 are bomber. The exit was steep and was a butt kicker. We opted to stay as close to the larger rocks as possible to avoid the loose and wet soil. I highly recommend this route. It was a blast!

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
5 Aug 2024	Good	Deep pools	None	Normal	7 hours	3 people	EMoorcroft (451 reports)
Comment: The canyon is quite brushy and not as good as I remembered. Staying 100% dry will be challenging but the water obstacles can be avoided with thoughtful rope placement, until the last big rappel. The last big rappel will inevitably land you in knee to waist deep water under current conditions. We cleaned up some anchors and also had some minor set backs on rope retrieval. Sneak exit was steep, but it helps if you if you stay in the main gully. We exited RUC or right up canyon. To my surprise there were bolts in the canyon, but not one for R4 or the rope eater rappel. It seems parties are starting to have more issues with this rappel. Bolts?!?!
12 May 2024	Great	Very Low	None	Normal	7 hours	3 people Brand new to Intermediate	Stber321 (39 reports)
Comment: Cut too far right on the exit gully, straight up the right fork of the main gully is a lot nicer
30 Sep 2023	Great	Deep pools	None	Special challenges	8 hours	2 people Brand new to Intermediate	CanyonKate (1 reports)
Comment: Lost a rope on R4 (the "rope eater" rappel). Would recommend a fiddle stick or an extended rappel to future teams. The rope is a 200ft orange Canyon Fire with blue pattern. It is attached to a 210ft pull cord. If you happen to retrieve this rope please reach out to me ([email protected]). Thank you and be safe out there!
10 Sep 2023	Great	Very Low	None	Normal	8 hours	2 people	Cheveran (92 reports)
Comment: Immaculate's big rappels are beautiful. Pay to play was high today. The approach is pretty bushy. We left a car at the West Fork trailhead. There was awful bushwhacking between the last rappel and the confluence with West Fork Oak Creek. After the confluence, it was a really nice walk along the creek until we hit the car. Anchors were in good condition. We rescued a stuck rope from another party from a couple days prior. R4 wants to eat your rope. The rope pull can be improved by climbing up high DCL, or, better yet, substantially extending the anchor.
18 Jun 2023	Good	Very Low	None	Normal	5 hours	4 people Advanced to Expert	Coalemus (160 reports)
Comment: All webbing was in fine condition. For some reason the penultimate rap has two sets of webbing linking the bolts, both were pretty fresh so we just left them. The approach has gotten really junky with deadfall and lots of thick veg. I suspect that a better approach at this point would be to stay up on the ridge west of the drainage and drop in close to the first rap. Maybe next time. Water would be difficult to avoid entirely, though it's just a few deep wades, they aren't cold, and the day was warm. First few hundred feet of sneak exit is now a hardened chute of carved landslide channel. It's actually really nice going but doesn't last long until you get into the loose, brushy shit that is the norm for this exit.
26 May 2023	Amazing	Deep pools	None	Normal	6 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	Stber321 (39 reports)
Comment: The rooms in the last rappel sequence are amazing, there are no potholes and wetsuits are not required(at least not this time of year). This would be a good canyon to bring beginners down. It has quite a different feel to it than Illusions or Insomnia. The bolt on the final 15ft rap wiggles and the hanger spins free. Seems like it should be replaced. It does seem like the water can be deeper than waist deep, though there are no swimmers.
14 May 2023	Great		Thin wetsuit		7 hours	3 people Advanced	RFontaine (287 reports)
Comment: Such a great canyon lots of variety! Big cliffy raps and a beautiful slotted section at the end! All pools were extra full unable to avoid water but 4/3 suit was perfect, lots of sun, not as cold as the other I canyons nearby. The original tree for R5 has been torn out and found it’s way down canyon. I put webbing on a new tree a tad further back DCL, beta updated. All other anchors in good shape. Exit is full of landslide debris but eventually returns to it’s usual state of steep loose soil the more elevation you gain. Great day. Took our time moving at a leisurely pace.
25 Nov 2022	Great	Very Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	7 hours	9 people Beginner to Expert	Scientist (8 reports)
Comment: We did this canyon from the top parking without shuttle. Potholes had some ice in them, not enough to hold a person weight. With some skills and acrobatic performances some of us were able to pass this canyon with dry feet (although some of us did wade waist deep in freezing water). Long rappels were very entertaining and exciting. On the way out we passed an official exit drainage and got some unnecessary climbing/bushwhacking in the downstream drainage. Got to return and find the exit route, which was pretty easy and with only minimal bushwhacking.
23 Jul 2022	Great		None		5 hours	4 people Intermediate to Advanced	RFontaine (287 reports)
Comment: Such a great canyon! Very fun big rappels, very pretty! We were able to keep all but our feet dry with a bit of agility! Approach was very bushy and thorny. The sneak exit is a lot of loose soil but plenty to grab on to. Stay in the exit drainage the whole way up, disregard misleading trails off to the right that look to cliff out.
24 Jun 2022 Trip report	Amazing	Very Low	Rain jacket	Normal	5 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	Jawx0420 (44 reports)
Comment: We started early to avoid the afternoon monsoon storms that are typical for this time of the year. We camped overnight nearby to get an early start. Very little sleep due to rain / thunder on and off all night. We got soaked after the first few minutes on approach due to the moisture in the foliage. Everything was so green and beautiful. The canyon itself was amazing and by far one of the best that we've done. All anchors were in good shape. At rap 3, make sure the first person down throws the rope to the second deep pool. If the rope gets pulled while still in the first pool, you can use the heavy logs as an anchor to rap down. It could be down climbable but not knowing how deep the water is makes it risky if you slide down. After rap 4, the beta recommends going up hill to the left. DO NOT climb up the steep drainages that you first see on the left. There was a cairn placed as if it was the correct way. We removed the cairn to help eliminate any confusion. Continue following the canyon downstream to the right and you will see what the beta is talking about. A small ramp on DCL leads you up to the tree with webbing. Recommend pulling from the right side on rap 5, 6, and 7. The single bolt at R7 and R9 are bomber. The exit was steep and was a butt kicker. We opted to stay as close to the larger rocks as possible to avoid the loose and wet soil. I highly recommend this route. It was a blast!
13 Jun 2022	Great		None	Normal	5 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	EMoorcroft (451 reports)
Comment: All anchors in good shape. We did R6 as a 190, bypassing the single bolt. The pull was fine, but watch rope placement. Single bolt at last rappel is bomber, hanger spins a little, but bolt is solid. Route 4 hours, sneak exit 1 hour. Were able to stay dry until the knee deep pool at the base of R8. A great route.
22 May 2022	Great	Very Low	None	Normal	7 hours	4 people Brand new to Expert	Natureboytimflair (68 reports)
Comment: Another great run of one of my favorite "I" canyons. Canyon was gorgous as always. Never encountered the bees this time. Maybe they moved on? As always please be careful, especially if one of your team members has an allergy to bees.
18 Jun 2021	Great	Very Low	None	Normal	8 hours	3 people Beginner to Advanced	Triggerfish (63 reports)
Comment: Did Sneak entry/exit. The canyon itself is amazing, with a lot of pretty big drops down fluted cracks. We were totally comfortable in just shorts and t-shirts, with a few wades, no swims. No potholes or other unusually challenging elements. Replaced one anchor sling that was looking crispy. Impressively green and lush down in the canyon. Now, about the sneak exit. We had one vehicle, and we knew it was gonna be a grind. But wow. I'd do Immaculate again, but you'd have a hard time talking me into this exit next time. Poison ivy infestation is heavy, though avoidable with care. 4/5 of the other plants along the way (which the steep terrain often tempts you to grab onto) have thorns that will make you long for the winter days of thrashing through catclaw and cacti in a Superstitions canyon. Keep your gloves on! The ground is a relentlessly steep, unstable mix of baby-head to suitcase-size sliding rocks in loose, dusty soil. So maybe keep the helmet on too. The clearest trail leads right up to the well-known beehive. We were watching for it, and it's about where the GPS tag says, in/by a 10 or 12' tall, snapped off, charred, large dead tree you can see from well away. We worked around it on the right, bumping into some bees up beyond the hive, but being left alone by them.
14 Jun 2021	Good	Deep pools	None	Normal	4 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	Nclegg (419 reports)
Comment: Brought wetsuits along, though we ended up not needed them. Managed to avoid all waist deep potholes except for the last. Final rappel sequence through the sculpted sandstone narrows was excellent. As others have stated, sneak exit was a beatdown up loose dirt and rock but it made for a short trip.
14 Jun 2021	Good	Deep pools	None	Normal	4 hours		EMoorcroft (451 reports)
Comment: 30 min to r1 3 hrs descent 1 hour exit Most anchors seem to be newly backed up. First man down can rig an end to the tree at the edge of the pothole and trolley the rest of the group down. Pools were mostly avoidable with ease but the last one is waist deep. No need for wetsuits. We rigged a CEM off the arch at the last rappel. The bolt looks great and does not move. The hangar does move a little but for the that rappel it is fine and should not pose any issues. Sneak exit has a few faint trails on either sides and a large fin in the middle left. We kept mostly left of the main drainage then cut right before the fin and headed back into the main drainage. Great route.

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