Conditions:Mill Creek (Stanislaus Tributary)-20180715171019

Latest:	14 Jul 2018 (6 yrs, 10 mos ago)

Reported by:	Rossettistone (1 reports)
Quality:
Waterflow:	Very Low
Wetsuit:	None
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:

Team: 3 people with experience level Brand new to Intermediate

Trip report URL:

Comments:

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
11 Jul 2021	Ok	Low	None	Normal	9 hours	10 people Brand new to Advanced	KelMo (12 reports)
Comment: The approach is short but VERY prickly (especially for those in the front of the group). When you get to the river, it looks like there may be a trail that would make the approach much easier, but we didn't follow it to investigate (if it exists, it likely goes through private property). The canyon itself is beginner-friendly (we had a group of 50% brand newbies, 4 intermediate, 1 advanced), but the exit is NOT. Our group split into 2 (half wanted to do full canyon, half were done early), and both exits were very steep, with some exposure, sections of scrambling over loose rock, and getting scratched by bushes. Experienced canyoneers will find the exit annoying/gross but manageable, but it was quite scary for some of our newbies. Water was warm and refreshing on a hot summer day, no wetsuits needed. Time was for full canyon, with a large, slow group. 4 in our party went up after rap 2.5; their time was 8 hours.
21 Jun 2020	Good	Very Low	None	Easy	6 hours	2 people Brand new to Advanced	Tmack0 (5 reports)
Comment: As the description states, a pretty canyon with easy raps, most/all could be climbed down or at least around, as the canyon isn't super vertical sided. We parked at the large turnout where the road turns left, though there is a spot to pull over closer to where you start down, just past the trees. Hike in is short but steep and bush-whacky with shrubs and every kind of pokey/prickly seeded grass and weed (including hedgeparsley, goatheads and foxtails). Flow appeared higher than previous reports, probably closer to 2 cfs, though its easy to stay dry above the waist (until maybe rap 4). Several decent downclimbs that are optional practice raps for beginners (including a fairly long one curving right, climb down the rock spine center canyon, or dry rap to its right ~35'). First mandatory rap is ~30', rock wrap LDC, we replaced sun bleached webbing. Next is the 100'. Dry rig is another wrap LDC (watch for PO at the lip). Slopey waterfall that forks halfway down. Dry route follows left fork just out of sight. Rigged at the center mark of a 200' rope and had plenty to pull with at the bottom, ~95' total (wet route might be a little longer). Other raps are all easy as well. We bailed at the top of mandatory rap 4 (very pretty overhanging waterfall into a pool). This one looked like you rap into a possibly deep pool, potential rig with a knot block in the floor or something further back/up the wall. My partner (1st canyon) was getting tired and time was getting late by our plans, so we exited upstream of this. Exit is horrendous steep uphill sun exposed grassy prickly/pokey weed with PO slog in loose dirt with lots of trashed vehicles (not very fun). Further down canyon it looks maybe a little less steep as the beta says but still a steep hike out. A much longer push down canyon to the river, then up river will get you to a popular swimming hole with developed trailhead. tl;dr: easy access, very pretty with easy raps, beginner friendly, but steep hellish exit hike. Bring extra water, its fairly exposed and can get scorching hot (I used almost 3L)
14 Jul 2018		Very Low	None	Normal		3 people Brand new to Intermediate	Rossettistone (1 reports)