Latest:	3 Jun 2023 (2 yrs, 10 mos ago)

Reported by:	EMoorcroft (452 reports)
Location:	Ponderosa
Quality:	Good
Waterflow:
Wetsuit:
Water temperature:
Difficulty:
Time:	4 hours

Team: 3 people with experience level Intermediate to Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: All anchors look great. Quick and easy!

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
22 Mar 2026	Good			Normal		1 people Advanced	Sportsben15 (12 reports)
Comment: Love this approach, probably more than the descent. Fun scrambling, great views, lots of interesting warped sandstone and a mini arch/peep-hole if you look around. R1b is a neat opening rappel, though it definitely benefits from some edge protection, especially if people aren't deliberate about where they run the rope. The current alternative anchored off the large dead tree on the other side of the ledge is meh and after looking up from the bottom to where R1a traditionally is, I support moving it back to center for a more interesting alternative to the crack. Anchors all in good shape and had no trouble getting ropes stuck in trees at the bottom with a little care. There is a young rattlesnake living in the rock platform at the top of the loose alcove with the aesthetic little tree RDC on the upper part of the exit. It was not interested in sharing that nice shady space with me for lunch. This mini canyon is quite short for a single objective, though offers nice views. Really best done as a warmup for BIE/BIW or Mushroom Drops/Trip. I recommend Paradise Cove for a less-commonly done warmup for the Slingshot/Manzanita/Chopper Drop bench since it exits onto that approach trail and minimizes backtracking, though it's slot rappel is even tighter than Ponderosa's and doesn't have a great alternative.
24 Jan 2026	Good				3 hours	1 people	Coalemus (161 reports)
Comment: First rap webbing is to the right of 1a and is maybe 30 ft now. All webbing good 'n fresh. Was raining on me but not hard enough to flow and the rock was still grippy. High pay to play for this one. Probably best combined with some other Boyton route.
23 Nov 2024					4 hours	1 people Intermediate	Dyln cole (105 reports)
Comment: All Raps have good webbing, removed a second backup rapide from rap 2 (why backup?). All rap starts are pretty smooth, R2 is the most janky, chose R1b and very happy I did so.
30 Aug 2024	Great	Dry		Normal	3 hours	2 people Beginner to Intermediate	Jwhetman (6 reports)
Comment: Great Canyon with beautiful views of Boyton Canyon. All anchors in good condition and in place as reported.
27 Dec 2023	Great	Dry	None	Normal	7 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	Az Arborist (7 reports),24evolution (10 reports)
Comment: Ran this canyon after Chopper Drop. 7hrs CTC. This gem is a lot of bang for your buck. Worth pairing with another. The approach is engaging with some fun exposure and a 5th class section. We did 1b on R1. The alcove is not worth the knife edge. Still be mindful of rope angle on the roof. Dope lil freehang at the end makes for a perfect ending to a day.
3 Jun 2023	Good				4 hours	3 people Intermediate to Advanced	EMoorcroft (452 reports)
Comment: All anchors look great. Quick and easy!
18 Dec 2022	Great				9 hours	3 people Intermediate to Advanced	RFontaine (351 reports)
Comment: Time is for Ponderosa, Chopper Drop and a visit to the Subway! Beautiful overcast day with a dusting of snow everywhere! Perfect conditions made the colors in the rock really pop! We hit Subway and Chopper Drop first, at a leisurely pace. Ponderosa was our last canyon of the day! The approach was super fun and scenic! The class 4 was easy and straightforward. No bushwacking, nice slickrock to climb on! Lots to see on the approach, panoramic views were fantastic! We dropped into the crack on the first rap (R1b) this was a pretty neat start and definitely worth doing! All the rappels were free hanging, fun and very pretty! With the sun starting to go down, the colors in the canyon were fantastic, rock was glowing! All webbing looked fresh! Exit is a straightforward rock hop right back to Boynton Trail, as one would expect. This was a super awesome mini canyon and a must do if combining with another in the area for a full day! Definitely a mini GEM! :D
30 Jan 2022	Great	Dry		Special challenges	4 hours	4 people Intermediate to Advanced	Heliops (17 reports)
Comment: Great approach and some nice raps on the exit. Couple of warnings the Class 4 is real class 4. Second: proceed with caution if you decide to do rap 1B the crack is very tight.
10 Jan 2022	Good			Normal	4 hours	3 people Advanced	EMoorcroft (452 reports)
Comment: Good day on Ponderosa! Sent one team member down rapp 1(a) on one rope, and another down the crack 1(b). Then dropped rope at the crack and last man down fiddle sticked 1(a). R2 was a fun multi stage that took our whole 100 so we opted for a biner block. The pull was good. R3 was fiddle sticked and the anchor looked good. Stayed in the wash on the exit and thay was straightforward.
23 Dec 2021	Good			Normal	4 hours	4 people Intermediate to Advanced	EMoorcroft (452 reports)
Comment: R1 at the head of the canyon was a pleasant introduction. Fiddle sticked on all anchors. A worthwhile adventure!
4 Dec 2021	Great	Dry		Normal	3 hours	2 people Advanced	Nclegg (466 reports)
Comment: Sunset run, 3 hours car-to-car. Took the crack/chimney entrance rap this time and didn’t need to remove my pack. Remeasured that rappel at about 65’. R2 takes a full 100’. Watercourse is super clean and anchors are all in great condition.
27 Nov 2021	Great	Dry		Normal	9 hours	1 people Advanced	Nclegg (466 reports)
Comment: Time is car-to-car for Manzanita and Ponderosa combo and includes lots of route maintenance. Set another rappel (R1a) off a large tree about 25’ back from the edge center canyon which is intended to improve the accessibility of this route. Crack rappel is now optional (R1b). Cleaned up the drainage between R1a and R2. Reset R2 off a large tree and the line now goes directly through the watercourse. All webbing is in great shape. Approach was excellent, per usual, and exit drainage was mostly clean with the exception of some downed trees that can easily be navigated around. Lighting in the canyon is beautiful in the late evening!
25 Oct 2021	Good			Easy	4 hours	1 people	EMoorcroft (452 reports)
Comment: Another great boynton canyon adventure! The approach is awesome. 1.5 hours the rapps were good. Although R1 is a little pesky and probably closer to 60'. Not reccomended for bigger folk or those who don't like tight spaces. I thought it was cool and worth rubbing holes in my new Kuhl pants. R2 and 3 were really cool. Exit was clean and easy. Nice work on this one!
29 Aug 2021	Good	Dry		Normal	9 hours	2 people Intermediate to Advanced	Nclegg (466 reports)
Comment: Time is car-to-car for a Mushroom Drops + Ponderosa combo. Great approach with some scrambling, a class IV climb, and 360-degree views of Boynton. All three rappels are good quality. We hung our packs below us for R1. R2 could be improved with an anchor set high off of a tree in the watercourse, but some large, dead tree limbs will need to be cleared first. R3 is a pretty overhang with some surprises. Cleared lots of debris throughout the canyon. All webbing is new and pulls were smooth. After the final rappel, we simply followed the wash to its intersection with the Mushroom Drops exit. Another great option to pair with one of the many nearby canyons!