South Branch Feather River (Log Ride)
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Raps:12 + 10 jumps, max ↨135ft
Red Tape:Closed to entry Shuttle:Required 45min, 7mi Vehicle:High Clearance Rock type:Granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 25 Jul 2020
"Beautiful sunny day. Replaced webbing on 3 anchors and moved anchor from dead bush/tree to a pinch point in a rock above the dead bush. Lower half of |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Summer
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_Banner.jpg)
39.7066, -121.2688
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
-20150616044114_pic.jpg)
-20150616190232_pic.jpg)
-20150616041140_pic.jpg)
-20150616045848_pic.jpg)
Log Ride is currently closed due to Forest Order 05-11-03-21-04 Feather River Ranger District - Fire Emergency Road & Trail Closure. The closure is scheduled to expire Dec 31, 2024 however changing conditions are possible and should be reflected on the Plumas NF Alerts & Notices Page. [edit]
Introduction[edit]
This is a very scenic California Sierra canyon with lots of green moss, crystal clear water and white waterfalls. The stream is always very wide and the waterfalls spread out, so it may be safe to descend even in high water.
Below are some reference pictures to let waterflow analysis forecast the current flow. Please note that Feather River gauges are NOT reliable when the dams are releasing. Always check Yuba river gauges for confirmation.
Approach[edit]
You will need to drive to Milsap Bar Campground, a free campground situated at the confluence of two rivers that is accessed by a high clearance dirt road. Leave a vehicle there and proceed up the dirt road to and unmarked turnout from where you will hike down to reach the river following the route shown on the map. As of Sept 2019, the previous road washouts have been repaired and the canyon is once again a full shuttle.
Descent[edit]
The original beta from sierracanyons.org recommends to descend the two sections of the canyon in different days, but I suggest you do them all in one day. I did this canyon first time in 2010 with a group of 4 experienced people, we went in with bivys and sleeping bags and stoves and everything to spend the night... and even with our heavy packs we did both sections in 7h. I went back in 2014 with a group of 9 people, some of them newbies, and it took us 10.5h car to car to do it all. Should you decide to split the canyon into two days, the Seven Falls trail to the middle is about half an hour each way, well used and quite obvious, though very steep. This could make for an easy weekend-driving up Saturday morning, running lower in the afternoon, then camping at a pullout near the Seven Falls trailhead and running upper Sunday morning.
You should gauge the canyon flow at the exit (campground) and again at the start (when you first drop into the canyon). The canyon is so wide and the flow is so spread out that it might be safe to descend even at moderate to high flow. Checking the flow at the exit also allows you to know where to look for the ropeswing/exit so you don't proceed needlessly too far downstream at the end of the day
The upper part of the canyon is more scenic while the lower part is more technical. Finding pre-rigged anchor stations may not be easy, so bring lots of webbing and be ready to build your own anchors. During the descent you may find anchor stations at canyon left, at canyon right, in the middle or all of the above. Most pre-rigged anchors will involve dry rappels away from the waterfalls, but experienced Class C canyoneers should have more fun ignoring them and building their own anchors to rappel next-to or in-the-middle-of the white waterfalls. WARNING: Do NOT rappel in the waterfalls if using any dry canyon techniques such as toss-and-go, double-strand-rappel, biner-block, etc.
Upper Section
J1. 40' Off a boulder platform in the center of the watercourse or downclimb to a 10' jump LDC
R1. 20' LDC
J2. 15' RDC
R2. 30' Tree LCD
R3. 40' Chockstone RDC
R4. 40' Tree RDC
R5. 130 RDC Pinch point out of water course or pinch between boulders. The pinch will result in the lower half of the rappel being in the flow, and require more than 275' of rope for rappel + pull
R6. 60' Off a small tree slightly back from the fall edge, center-right of the watercourse
R7 30' RDC downclimb to tree, or downclimb
There are also several small slides in this section, check them carefully for bumps or edges.
Lower Section
R1. 130' RDC off a small tree - you may have a little down climb to get to it.
R2, 130' Tree RDC to a large ledge. The rock can be very slippery here, and extending the rope another 15' can be helpful in getting to the water in a controlled fashion.
R3. 100' RDC pinch point against the wall
R4. 130' 2 bolts on large boulder - a 50' free hang rappel to a long slope. There is a sharp edge here on the boulder - edge protection would be advised. An optional rappel is a wrapped boulder far RDC that takes you down an ugly boulder lined crack, but perhaps avoids rope wear issues. There is a fun little slide and hydraulic at the base of this rappel, or you can stay RDC and land on a few rocks.
R5. 30'+ boulder on left or jump/slide from small hanging pothole LDC. This is the waterfall for the 4 reference pictures 2014-07-05, 2015-06-12, 2010-09-09, 2015-05-25.
Long slog (long) you will save time if you can skirt the edges out of the watercourse.
R6/Jump 3. 25 - 30' Rap off a wobbly boulder on RDC ledge or a tree higher up (if you don't mind a lot of poisoned oak). Or jump from a lower ledge that is easily down climbed to access (recommended) Finish a very long slog to Mislap Bar. You have found the campsite when you see a tree swing on your right.
Exit[edit]
If you do upper+lower, the last mile of the route involves boulder hopping in the stream till you get to Milsap Bar Campground, where you might be able to spend the night for free. If you plan to do only the upper, you will have a steep climb out on a well traveled use trail that takes about half an hour.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
- Beta was originally posted on sierracanyons.org (now defunct), Open PDF for Upper Open PDF for Lower
- Explore Pangea
Be aware when reading the above beta that the written description for anchor locations is mostly correct (right or left), but the (ldc) refers to "looking down canyon" not "left down canyon".