Tenaja Falls
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| | Difficulty:3B II (v3a2 II) Raps:1-4, max ↨100ft
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| Best season: | Winter to Spring
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33.5561, -117.3898
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WaterflowIntroduction
Tenaja is a very short and easy technical descent in San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. It is perfect playground for newbies/beginners with up to 4 rappels.
View from approach (by RAVL)
Approach
DRIVE
Drive from north via Ortega Hwy - from Ortega Hwy 74 turn right (driving from west) to S Main Divide and stay on this beautiful and scenic road for about 16 miles (40 minutes). S Main Divide turns later into Los Alamos Truck Trail. Once the road crosses the creek the Tenaja Falls trailhead will be on your right in about 0.7 miles. Warning this road is very narrow and primitive, so it may be closed due bad weather - pleas check with Forest Service Authorities.
Drive from south - I-15 to Clinton Keith Rd west; in 5.2 mil turn right to Tenaja Rd ; in 6 mil turn right to Cleveland Forest Rd ; stay 5.2 mil on Cleveland Forest Rd (will turn into little "bumpy" Tenaja Truck Trail. Tenaja Falls trailhead will be on your left.
HIKE
There is an easy approach from the parking lot (30-45min).Hike down to the creek and follow the trail to Tenaja Falls - there is a initial "wet creek crossing" wich can be avoided crossing the creek about 100ft upstream. Trail to the falls is in good condition . The falls will become evident as you hike in.
Descent
Tenaja is not bolted (and it should stay this way) and you have to build natural anchors for all raps.
There is more than one options for R1( about 60ft)- we used far right side of the falls for R1. Please choose your anchor carefully and if your intention is to ascend back, dont leave there your rope for a safety reasons (there is usually a lot of hikers, especially teenagers and your rope may be used by them). You can climb up from R2 to R1 .
R2(90ft -100ft from an anchor) start in the stream - for an anchor can be used one of the big rocks. R2 is really beautiful !! If you plan to ascend back, leave at R2 note asking people not to touch/alternate webbing and rope.
R3(about 40ft) anchor was build on far left side.
R4(about 25ft) we used a meat anchor and rappeled from the big boulder in the middle of the falls.
R4 can be also downclimbed or combined with R3.
Exit
Our intention from the beginning was to ascend back, so we left our ropes in place except R1 as I mentioned above and ascended back up, climbed out the creek at the top rappel and used the access trail to return. You can also follow the creek downstream, possible bushwhacking and poison oak.
Red tape
You need to use and display National Forest Adventure Pass.
After heavy rain, please check the road condition/closure with Forest Service Authorities.
Beta sites
SummitPost.org : San Mateo Canyon
None
Trip reports and media
John C. on Rap2 (by RAVL)
Background
Native Indians probably made the first descent as they were here thousands of years before we stumbled on this. Radek, John C. Eric H., Anel and Caryn B. descended it on 1-17-2016.