Latest:	4 Sep 2023 (17 days ago)

Reported by:	Desertnights (9 reports)
Quality:	Good
Waterflow:	Moderate Low
Wetsuit:	Thin wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Special challenges
Time:	3 hours

Team: 4 people with experience level Intermediate to Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: The amount of poison oak in this canyon was the most I've ever seen. Maybe the water at the end washed some of it off, but do this canyon with a decontamination plan in mind for afterward. We did more route-finding around the poison oak than anything else in this canyon. By the pictures shown on this page, the water is high, but I would call this moderate/low overall (the only exception is the rabbit hole where the flow is concentrated). The final rappel is a stunner and the flow at the end was fun & pleasant. The webbing on the final anchor was changed and repaired; the group rappeled 2, 4 & 5 and down-climbed the other raps in this beta.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
4 Sep 2023	Good	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Special challenges	3 hours	4 people Intermediate to Advanced	Desertnights (9 reports)
Comment: The amount of poison oak in this canyon was the most I've ever seen. Maybe the water at the end washed some of it off, but do this canyon with a decontamination plan in mind for afterward. We did more route-finding around the poison oak than anything else in this canyon. By the pictures shown on this page, the water is high, but I would call this moderate/low overall (the only exception is the rabbit hole where the flow is concentrated). The final rappel is a stunner and the flow at the end was fun & pleasant. The webbing on the final anchor was changed and repaired; the group rappeled 2, 4 & 5 and down-climbed the other raps in this beta.
1 Sep 2023	Great	Moderate High	Thin wetsuit	Normal	6 hours	9 people Brand new to Advanced	Reiternick (10 reports)
Comment: Just had to reinforce webbing on rabbit hole rappel. Great canyon. It was 7 people of team’s first time rapelling, they did great.
13 Aug 2023	Great	Moderate High	Thin wetsuit	Normal	2 hours	3 people Intermediate to Expert	Aquamoo (85 reports)
Comment: Quick run before the drive home. We took the express approach and were car to car in less than 3 hours at a leisurely pace. Did a little bit of trail work on the approach (watch out for poison oak). We did not go in the rabbit hole, the flow was a little spicy but it was probably doable. The last rap was beautiful as always, there was a couple fishing in the last pool.
5 Aug 2023	Great	Moderate High	Thin wetsuit	Normal	2 hours	1 people	Jcsjcs (84 reports)
Comment: Biked up early in the morning from Kern Valley Airport where I had flown in and camped the previous evening. Locked the bike at the intersection of the exit trail and the dirt road. Approach took 0:50. The canyon was charming with many easy downclimbs and a good bit of boulder hopping. Rappelled R2 and must have skipped R1 and R3. The rabbit hole had too high flow for comfort so I went over the top. R5 was the highlight of the day with an incredible view under the chockstone from the free hang (picture attached). There were no water challenges in the pool. 1:30 descent time.
29 May 2022 Trip report	Great	Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	4 hours	9 people Beginner to Advanced	Speeddreamz (6 reports)
Comment: a great day in Lower Salmon. Temps outside weren't too warm, water was cold but very low. No abnormal challenges. Remember to park further up near the aquaduct, did this the first time not sure why I parked at the lower car (at mountain hwy 99).
18 May 2022	Good	Low	Thin wetsuit	Special challenges	6 hours	8 people Beginner to Intermediate	Hillbelfi (29 reports)
Comment: Georgia Tech canyoneers on our SoCal adventure! Lower Salmon was a bit bushwhacky at first, but the early rappels were pretty and we loved how much water there was! We were able to bypass a couple of the rappels with careful downclimbing. Special challenges at the rabbit hole where the last rappeler forgot to unclip their safety and got stuck weighted on the safety, under the chockstone and unable to climb back up to unclip it. Water was low enough that they could maneuver themselves out of the flow and get a knife sent up to cut the safety and descend. 1 carabiner as canyon booty at that anchor for whichever group comes next. Last rappel was just spectacular and a great day overall.
23 Apr 2022	Great	Moderate Low	Full wetsuit	Special challenges	5 hours	5 people Intermediate to Expert	Aquamoo (85 reports),Willie92708 (795 reports)
Comment: We tried out a (maybe new?) sneak approach which drops you in at the big slabby area immediately above the rabbit hole rappel. We experienced some issues at the rabbit hole rappel and chewed up a lot of time. The final rappel (the second one we did) was awesome, it reminds me of Monkeyface in SoCal. Willie: water temp was 41F at the rabbit hole. Anchors are OK.
26 Jul 2020	Great	Moderate	Thin wetsuit	Normal	3 hours	8 people Brand new to Advanced	Greatshaitan (41 reports)
Comment: Great run in Salmon Creek. Ran into a few snakes. Water levels are flowing but pose no issues. Rabbit hole was nice. 100 degrees out made for a 3/2 suit a perfect option.
28 Jun 2020	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	3 people Beginner to Advanced	KelMo (11 reports)
Comment: Water was moderate-low, making the rabbit hole fun but not particularly challenging (minus the annoying "got-water-in-my-ear" factor). We did rig another rappel (3.5) off of a tree that hangs over the stream. I'm going to guess the crazies that came before us downclimbed through the stream, but it seemed awfully slippery to do that when we couldn't tell what was at the bottom of the drop (the stream curved out of view and none of us had done the canyon before so didn't know what was beyond. Spoiler: it was a small drop that was easily down-climbed!). This rappel might have been unnecessary, but now it's there, so you're welcome. It should be noted that there is an exit path almost immediately DCL after the last rap (much before the indicated GPS point in the beta), so almost no creek-walking required (unless you're into that kind of thing).
14 Jun 2020	Amazing	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	4 hours	4 people	Willie92708 (795 reports)
Comment: Flow was barely class C, just good fun, nothing pushy in the rabbit hole. The final rappel with 2PM Sun on it was awesome sight (see pic). Anchors are all OK, although that tan piece at the last rappel (doubled up with a purple piece) is getting old.
8 Sep 2019	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	4 hours	4 people	Willie92708 (795 reports)
Comment: Great fun and not scary at all! The flow in the rabbit hole was easy to descend through without packs. The pool at the last rappel is standing getting off rope an just a touch of swimming to exit with no hydraulics to worry about. We played around with a number of small jumps between R1 and the rabbit hole. Anchors are all good. Poison oak is out in force; be careful at the drop-in point.
13 Jul 2019	Good	Very High	Thin wetsuit	Advanced	5 hours	4 people	Freddy (50 reports)
Comment: Very high conditions. Outside temperature 100+ water temperature icy cold. Rap 1 flowing too high to rapped down the middle, giant rooster tail spitting with very choppy landing. Rabbit hole submerged with log jammed in hole. Last rap is sporting big left side rooster tail into the wall with a very spicy landing. We aborted last rap
3 Nov 2018	Amazing	Moderate Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	4 hours	4 people Beginner to Advanced	Greatshaitan (41 reports)
Comment: A chilly day in Salmon. 4 hours car to car. 3/2 was a little chilly, those in 5/4 were nice and comfortable. We only hit R1, R4 and R5. Down climbed the rest. Rabbit hole had a lot of logs and sticks jamming it up. While removing them one snapped and gave me a black eye.... fun times.
19 May 2018	Great	Moderate	Full wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	9 people	Freddy (50 reports)
Comment: All anchors are solid. Daytime temperature 79. Cold water.
26 Aug 2017	Great	Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	6 people Intermediate to Advanced	Wyoung (12 reports)
Comment: Did the approach in 100 degree weather, but the water was still on the cold side. Aside from the hot approach, the water was low, but still a nice flow. We were trying to move so fast through the canyon that we bypassed 2 raps by accident. Be wary of poison oak.