Keane Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:7, max ↨135ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:4WD - High Clearance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 20 Dec 2024
"You go to Keane for the mines! The old mines and the history behind this canyon is what really makes this trip worth doing. The hike up is exposed a |
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| Best season: | Nov-Mar (avg for this region)
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36.6992, -116.8777
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Introduction
Shall we visit a canyon or a mine? How about BOTH? This canyoneering route goes through several abandoned mines that will delight both canyoneers and cavers.
Can be done with a single 70m rope.
Approach
The original beta describes how to do a full descent in a very long day. Since the best part of the canyon is the second 1/2 of the route, it may be preferable to hike from the bottom up to Big Bell Mine along an old trail on the west side of the canyon and start the canyon descent from there. One may also shorten the canyon by dropping in at the Keane Wonder Mine and starting the descent from there.
Bottom Up Approach
Note: This is not the bottom up approach tagged in the GPX trace
Leave the parking lot (36.6638889°, -116.9511111°) and hike up the trail for about two hours past the mine remains of Keane Wonder Mine until you reach a split canyon and a broken rock bridge. Take the left branch (LUC).
The wash eventually narrows and curves around corner to a big wall at ends the canyon. At the bend look for a faint switch back trail upwards (RUP) that eventaully approaches the drop's lip from the right (RUP). Repeat this with a second big wall, gaining it from the right (RUC). The trail looks more sketchy and loose than it feels while on it. These two canyon walls are the two big drops of the canyon.
After bypassing the second big drop you'll reach Big Bell Mine which has not been gated off like all the artifacts down at Keane Wonder Mine and is left in a preserved state. Beware the white powder as this mine used cyanide for its leeching. So who knows what that stuff is. This is the high point of the bottoms up approach, 2500 ft and 4.5 miles from bottom.
Descent
From Big Bell Mine, retrace bottom up approach by walking down canyon (RDC) to the first of two long drops (R1 & R2). Both long drops are off slung boulders with good looking webbing (2018). Continue retracing steps until you reach the broken bridge. Go through the bridge and decsend the canyon.
- Big Bell Mine
- R1: 90ft
- R2: 120ft
- Pass through old bridge/road
- RX: Approximately 90ft, bypassed DCL
- Walk a long ways
- R3: 90ft
- R4: 40ft
- R5: 80ft
- R6: 50ft, bypassed DCL
Exit
Red tape
Beta sites
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Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (Southwest) : Keane Canyon - Super Amazing Map : Keane Wonder Mine
Trip reports and media
Trip through the canyon done 11-30-08:
https://www.facebook.com/scott.swaney/media_set?set=a.10153186085977930.1073742078.668617929&type=1
Luca Chiarabini's report:
