Gargoyles Canyon
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Raps:9, max ↨170ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 14 Sep 2024
"Pleasant hiking-rappelling route, good for advanced beginners due to longer rappels. Vey shallow pools, no jumps, slides. An open creek with no encase |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | June-October, BEST in July, August, September and October
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
47.9914, -121.4534
48.0259, -121.4435
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
Nearby photos
Introduction
Gargoyles is a charming canyon that cascades off the eastern flank of Del Campo Peak in the Gothic Basin. The canyon drops 1,100 feet in less than 0.4 miles and offers a number of nice multi-tiered waterfalls, ending in a scenic final sequence at the valley bottom.
This canyon is committing. Although it may be possible to escape at some points, the hillsides are steep and rocky and navigating them would be difficult and risky.
Approach
From the Barlow Pass Trailhead, head southeast for approximately 300 feet until you come across the sign for Weden Creek Trail (#724) on your right. Head up the trail for 2.9 miles and 1,600 feet of elevation gain until the creek intersects the trail underneath a nice view of Del Campo Peak. This is the waterflow checkpoint.
Descent
PLEASE NOTE:
- The entire canyon is a terrain trap and prone to winter avalanches, which has caused anchor damage in the past. Be aware of this if you are the first group of the season and ensure you have the skills and materials in your group to inspect and/or rebuild all anchors. The canyon has plenty of natural anchor-building materials throughout to build cairn anchors.
- Where bolted, this canyon uses unlinked bolts. Please do not leave webbing or other linking materials on any bolt stations.
- A smaller tributary joins the main drainage after the third rappel. If flow already looks high, you can check the volume of the additional drainage prior to dropping in by continuing up to approach trail for another minute or so after the main drainage.
- If doing the original exit hike back up to the approach trail, the first part of the exit from the creek back to the trail would be difficult to navigate in the dark, even with GPS. It is recommended to start early enough to ensure that there will be enough daylight to make it back to the trail. Otherwise, stay in the drainage down to Weeden Creek, head left and hike the creakbed to the confluence with South Fork Sauk River and from there take Monte Cristo Trail on the right back to the parking lot.
The first rappel is about 25 yards downcanyon from the trail.
R1: 70' DCL from single bolt DCL
R2: 100' DCR from unlinked bolts DCR
R3: 120' DCL from unlinked bolts. There is a short 15' waterfall immediately following this waterfall. It can be downclimbed without difficulty in moderate conditions.
A tributary joins from DCR after R3 that adds about 25% more water to the flow.
R4: 40' DCR from single bolt
R5: 160' DCL from single bolt at the edge. There is a traverse line bolt 15' back from the edge that is unnecessary as the anchor at the edge can be easily reached DCL by walking up and over the rock mound on dry ground. Two-stage rappel.
R6: 50' from cairn anchor. Natural anchor building material is plentiful.
R7: 100' DCR from single bolt. Two-stage rappel.
There is a broad, open rim before the drops become more tightly clustered in an aesthetic final sequence. The next four falls (in two rappels) from the top of the rim are 'The Gargoyles', the final one featuring a rooster tail in moderate+ conditions.
R8: 155' DCL from single bolt near the edge. Two-stage rappel. This is a beautiful rappel line where the main waterfall shoots overhead and you are in the spray, which becomes more concentrated as you descend.
R9: 170' DCR from unlinked bolts below small pothole. Two-stage rappel with a rooster tail on the final stage.
The former R10 has been filled in by rockfall in 2024. Scramble down 25' to the point where the canyon floor flattens out. This is a good changing area before the exit hike.
Exit
Long pants are recommended for either exit option. The timing is roughly the same.
Option 1 Follow the GPS track on the map above. This is the dry option, and involves some bushwhacking, a 200' elevation gain and some tricky navigation that may be difficult in the dark. This option is not recommended if you have less than 2 hours of daylight. Follow the creek rubble veering left as long as you can. It becomes overgrown - be careful of sudden drops or loose boulders hidden by the brush. Continue following the path of least resistance, continuing to angle left, eventually entering brushy hardwoods. Once you enter the pine forest, the walking becomes significantly easier. Follow the GPS track and begin looking for pink flagging after about 100 yards. In 2021, a clear path that avoids devils club and thick brush was flagged, with each flag visible from the prior. The flagging ends at a large root ball. At this point, angle uphill, continuing to follow the GPS track. Be sure to angle right - going straight up will cause you to miss the trail's switchback. Rejoin the trail and follow it out for about an hour back to your car.
Option 2 This option is all downhill or flat, has minimal bushwhacking, but many log crossings and some knee deep water in the riverbed. After the last rappel, stay in the canyon proper drainage, bearing right at the first braid, and take it all the way down to Weeden creek. This takes about 15 minutes and there is some waist high friendly bush bashing. Creek walk left down Weeden Creek, crossing many deadfall logs, to the confluence with South Fork Sauk River, which takes about 45 minutes. At the confluence, go right upstream SF Sauk for about 100 meters, then exit the river on a use trail and find the main Monte Cristo Trail in about 1-2 minutes. Head left down Monte Cristo Trail for 1.5 miles.
Red tape
Northwest Forest Pass required to park at the Barlow Pass Trailhead
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
Facebook Album - First Descent photos on June 30, 2019
Background
This canyon was first descended on June 30, 2019 by Jake Huddleston, Kevin Steffa, and Tiffanie Lin. There was a thunderstorm during the last half of our descent but thankfully she was all bark and no bite.
