Peppermint Creek (Lower)
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| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:5, max ↨200ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 6 Jul 2024
"We did only the first two rappels of this canyon, but found them excellent! We found this a great place to introduce beginners to rappelling in the w |
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| Best season: | Jul-Oct (avg for this region)
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36.0617, -118.4858
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
Peppermint Creek is a prominent tributary to the Kern River 4 miles north of Dry Meadow Creek where Seven Teacups is located. This descent explores the section between Lower Peppermint Campground and the Kern River. It contains two good rappels and three other rappels along with many pools and cascades. There are a couple slides but only one pool is jumpable. The descent is split into two sections by private property which must be carefully bypassed by exiting the water course and hiking overland for 0.9 miles in each direction.
Approach[edit]
Drive to Lower Peppermint Campground and find a parking spot. The trail begins at the southeast corner of the campground. The road is now reopened after a 2021 closure.
Descent[edit]
Before beginning this trip, ensure that the water flow is low enough to be safe.
The upper section of this descent begins abruptly with the forested stream giving way to slippery granite bedrock. Soon the horizon line of the long rappel down the first part of Peppermint Falls is seen. Just above is a nice pothole that can be jumped about 10ft on the left (LDC) using shallow landing techniques (check the depth before jumping).
R1: 140ft to downclimbable ledge or 170ft to pool at the base of Peppermint Falls. This first rappel can be anchored by a small conifer RDC of the water flow. Be sure to check for hikers below the falls before throwing rope. There is an easy bypass trail LDC of the waterfall, so multiple descents can be made if desired.
Shortly after Peppermint Falls, pay close attention to the private property boundary and stay clear of it to the west; doing so successfully will likely require a GPS. This requires exiting the water course and traveling overland via faint game trails, sometimes through light brush. A fence will help keep you off the private property as you approach the south cabins, but there is no fence initially closer to the north cabin. The property boundary will force you to start climbing a hill, and then shortly thereafter you will reach the corner of the private property and you can turn left (east and downhill). Cross the creek just downstream of the bridge and continue paralleling the water course southeast until the water course becomes rocky again (near the end of the meadow area with pine trees). Reenter the water course at that point to begin the lower section of the descent.
The lower section is longer than the upper section and contains a number of pools along with 4 rappels. It is possible to downclimb/bypass all the rappels.
R2: 60ft anchored from a knot chock in an ideal crack LDC. Possible to bypass RDC.
Shortly after the creek narrows to follow a distinctive crack. A long 25ft low angle slide is followed immediately by a steeper 12ft slide.
R3: 50ft anchored from a tree near the center of the canyon. As of 8/24/2017 all the trees in the center are dead; a lone, live, 5 inch tree LDC and further back was used instead with a long single strand of olive green 1" webbing.
A section of boulder scrambling then follows.
R4: The first stage of a two-stage rappel, 130ft from a rock horn approximately 30ft LDC of the water course. This LDC rock horn anchor rappel ends at a hanging ledge (top of R5, suitable for about a half dozen people) just short of the point where the water fall turns vertical. It's possible to bypass R4 LDC on granite slabs down to the knot-chock for R5, but this is quite steep and sketchy. As of 8/24/2017 there is an anchor (long loop of 1" black webbing with Rapide) buried in a large, bushy oak tree LDC that makes a clean pull, 200 foot rappel (combines R4 and R5) well into the water course; this rappel passes close to the knot-chock anchor for R5 some 100 feet up, and it's easy to get to this oak tree on the slabs LDC. There is also an obvious large pine tree RDC of the water course at approximately the same elevation, which makes for a long rappel (200+ feet combining R4 and R5) that avoids the water fall completely (in moderate water flow), but still lands on slippery rocks at the bottom. As of 8/24/2017 there is an anchor (black 9/16 webbing with large aluminum rap ring) around this RDC pine tree.
R5: 105ft from a hanging ledge. The small tree anchor is now gone as of 5/9/2015. It broke while a canyoneer was using it as an anchor causing serious injury to the canyoneer. A knot-chock anchor was installed on 9-7-15 located on LDC about 30 feet from the main watercourse. This rappel ends in a beautiful, mossy free-hanging section directly in the water course. Rocks are extremely slippery at its base. Possible to bypass LDC via downclimbing and light brush. It's also easy enough to climb up LDC and repeat this rappel.
Exit[edit]
Walk briefly down canyon until the Kern River becomes visible. Change into hiking clothes in an open area and then begin a steep ridge climb on the canyon's left (LDC) following faint game trails and clearings, sometimes through light brush. After 380ft of elevation gain, join an obvious trail and follow it for another 300ft of elevation gain. Make sure to leave this trail at the appropriate point (this may require a GPS) and head west, staying clear of private property. Cross the stream and retrace your steps around the private property boundary. Climb around Peppermint Falls on the right (LDC) and continue upstream to the start of the hike.
The water course in the middle of this descent (non-technical portion) is privately owned. Take extra care not to trespass, both to maintain good relations with the occupants and because the occupants seem ready to engage trespassers.
Parking in the campground may require paying a site fee.
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
First documented descent researched and organized by Matt Maxon, Dominik Nadolski, and Nicolas Barth.