Muir Ravine (East)
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| | Difficulty:3B IV (v3a2 IV) Raps:14, max ↨150ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 50 min Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 14 Jun 2020
"Took the Lone Tree trail up to Muir East. Drop-in was very brushy at first but soon eased to a set of fun downclimbs. A small stream started lower dow |
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| Best season: | nov-may
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34.2070, -118.0943
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Introduction[edit]
This is the Eastern most of the 3 major Mt Muir Ravines that drain into Eaton Canyon. The upper half of it is dry and most steep earth and scree with a few rappels here and there. The lower half is totally different as there are springs that feed a significant amount of water in winter and spring. All the water makes the plants so thick that it more like a jungle than most other SoCal canyons. The final rappel is awesome, over a giant chockstone into free hang being showered by the waterfall. Immediately thereafter it dumps into Eaton, just a bit downstream from the Grotto.
Approach[edit]
Eaton Saddle Shuttle[edit]
This shuttle starts at the exit of Eaton Canyon at 2184 Crescent Drive, Altadena, CA 91001. Don't park closer to the gate as that's no parking weekends and 2 hour weekdays. Park cars and drive up Angeles Crest Hwy to Eaton Saddle at 34.239351, -118.093361. This is a 4.4-mile hike, mostly over flat terrain. The approach begins on Mt Lowe Road to Muir Peak Road. Do not take the Sam Merrill Trail, but continue past Inspiration Point for another ~1 mile, to a sharp bend in the road. See Common Approach (below).
Lone Tree Trail Climb & Shuttle[edit]
This shuttle starts at the exit of Eaton Canyon at 2184 Crescent Drive, Altadena, CA 91001. Park cars and drive to 34.198833, -118.121836 along the Rubio Canyon Debris Basin on E Loma Alta Dr. Hike north on E Loma Alta Dr. about 400 feet to Camp Huntington Rd / Edison Rd, hike on the that paved road staying left on the dirt road / paved drive fork. A short distance further on the dirt road you reach some water control infrastructure in Rubio Creek itself, then a trail following the creek bed. A bit further there is another trail sharply angling back and up on the ridge on the right side. This is the Lone Tree Trail. Climb this trail for 2000 vertical feet directly to the Rock Mass Saddle. Continue climbing the ridge for another 800 vertical feet to the Mount Muir Road and an old water tank. Head East on the road for ~1/4 mile to the sharp bend. See Common Approach (below).
Common Approach to both start points[edit]
You will see a lone telephone pole on a knob at the sharp bend. Hike up to the telephone pole and following the use trail down the ridge ~0.4 miles to a telephone pole with upward force ceramic insulators at 34.2123, -118.0941. About 150 feet further on the ridge, drop off the ridge and find an animal run that has also been pruned with limb loppers (As of April 2019). Wander back and forth as needed to follow the cut limbs, as this path is FAR easier than bushwhacking directly! Soon you will be in a tributary of East Muir Ravine.
Descent[edit]
Once in the tributary, hike down steep dirt, scree, and rock to the first rappel.
R1 (short) off a bush DCR at 3421021, -118.09443 (3400 feet elevation).
R2 (short) off a tree DCL proceeds shortly after R1.
R3 ~100'? with red cord sling, the 2 Yucca Rappel, is off a bush DCL.
R4 ~100'? off a bush DCL at 3200 feet elevation takes you to a large scree / small talus field and the other major tributary joins here at 34.20927, -118.09452.
Below this the canyon soon gets much wetter once you pass the springs.
R5 (short) The Bear Den rappel. Maybe you will get lucky and rappel onto a bear sleeping there! :)
R6 (short) over a giant boulder that hides a larger spring.
R7 feet? At this point the canyon has become a jungle of canyon kelp plants and progress is slow just because it hard to step on solid ground.
R8 ~80' is a blind rappel off a large tree DCR out of the canyon bottom on a leafy and rocky slope.
R9 8' is a 8 rappel over a mossy rock with plenty of water.
R10 ~80' is a much longer version of R9.
Soon thereafter you can see the opposite side of Eaton canyon, so it's not far now!
R11 ~120' is best rigged from a large tree DCR because it makes an excellent straight shot for the rope down R11, but you have to climb up to it through the thicket of steep canyon kelp and use the tree's roots to get to its limbs.
R12 and R13 both ~150'? continue down the plant thicket over slaby rock cascades rigged from many option of large trees.
R14 ~120' You now are at the Money Drop R14 (~120 and the last drop in East Muir Ravine. Since the plants are so thick it's hard to actually know were the edge of the drop is located. Close to the drop DCL there a good sized tree growing on a ledge just 6 feet above the canyon floor, and it's easy enough to climb up to this tree without worry of falling over the drop. This tree is perfectly placed for good rope pull and ease of getting on rappel, and only the rigger need climb up to the tree.
NOTE: For the April 2019 descent and the creation of this beta, we cleaned out all the old webbing and "ghosted" all the drops (except R3 at noted above), since this was easily done with a FiddleStick and since this canyon gets so little traffic that webbing left behind will likely be shot by the time the next party goes through it. We removed over a 100 feet of webbing, but this was only 4 anchors worth. Likely there is far more webbing buried under the plants, gravel and rocks, since the 2019 winter dumped huge amounts of rain and all the canyon bottoms in the area changed significantly. And of course we remove half dozen Mylar party balloons too.
Exit[edit]
After the money (last) rappel (R14) you are nearly in the Eaton Creek bed. Watch out for poison oak climbing down the last little bit to Eaton. Follow Eaton Creek down past a few slides, short jumps, the rabbit hole, the short down climb, Penultimate rappel, and the final rappel into the crowds. Follow the Eaton exit trail back to the Wilson Bridge, climb up to the bridge and follow the road back to your car(s).
Red tape[edit]
Permit no longer required as of Jan 2017
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/socal/eaton-canyon/permit/
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
The Money (last) Rappel, over the giant chockstone and into the waterfall shower: https://www.facebook.com/beamer.hodge/videos/10205700817716510/