Fossil Snail Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A IV (v3a1 IV) Raps:7, max ↨190ft
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| Best season: | Nov-Mar (avg for this region)
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36.4467, -116.5971
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Introduction
The entire canyon is covered in ancient snail fossils. And it proved to be a bland canyon with polished chutes, narrows, slots, potholes.
Approach
Directions from the CA / NV State line
From Death Valley Junction go North Hwy 127 for 7.5 miles to NV state line. At the state line Casino, go North on Hwy 373 for 5.7 miles to Mecca Rd - turn Left (West) On Mecca Rd, go West 5.8 miles to it's end at the junction of Casada Rd to final turnoff point. Do not go North on Casada Rd.
At the Mecca /Casada roads junction, (36.49396,-116.52499) head out West into the desert 1.1 mile along a use trail/road to Waypoint "Car9" -(36.48697,-116.54101) and park or camp. You will cross over the old rail-road grade berm. One sign says wilderness boundary. Go past that to Car9 WP, and you will see further DV Wilderness Boundary signs. Do not go past this point.
Approach
Start out on foot for the long flat 4 mile desert crossing to the start of the canyon aiming for the ridge between two canyons left of the wide gulley. Start looking for snail fossils in rocks on the ground after three miles.
Also while ascending the ridge to get to the canyon put-in point, you are on a steep ridge between 3400 & 3600 feet, and it becomes cliff-ed out at the top where you need to traverse over to the left. Original party set up a rappel to get off this cliff when they could not go any further up. As a better option, the 2nd time they went up, they found a gully to descend down on the left side (2nd- maybe 3rd Class) to continue on, and avoid the rappel a little higher up. Look for this gully (36.44868, -116.59702) to escape off the ridge. There was still a cairn there March 2023.
Lose a little elevation getting into the gulley. Head up towards the head of the gulley. It's easy walking on the right side. An emerging use trail crosses the gully higher up. Continue traversing. It will cliff out with an intimidating view down into Deep Six Canyon. Traverse left on a use trail, round a corner and gain a little to cross a ridge and descend into the canyon.
(Short cut approach saves off 2 miles.)
Descent
Walk around a small dry fall and then around a 35 ft drop. Half-slide down a partial tunnel followed by a short down climb on slick rock. Bypass next down climb on the left or descend it.
- R1 - 70' off cairn to pothole, over pothole and then another 30'
- R2 - 100' off cairn down a carved waterway past a bright green algae pool (throw ropes far to avoid)
- R3 - 40' off cairn
- Walk a short distance and weave through eroded watercourse
- R4 - Natural anchor into shallow pothole 30' and then over edge 160' down a beautiful tunnel (190' total)
(possible you could do this in two stage but there was no evidence of an anchor at the bottom of the top pothole)
- R5 - 60' off natural constriction. A short undercut halfway down.
- R6 - 30' off natural boulder
- Two downclimbs and then walk a canyon gulley
- R7 - 30' from boulder into an awkward overhang
(Lots of fossil snails at the top and bottom third of the canyon)
Exit
Four mile hike back to car
Red tape
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
Background
First Descent completed by Scott Swaney & Aysel Gezik 2-12-16
