Class:
4B/CIII

Gear:
Rope: 3 @ 200’ 30 of webbing, steel rappel rings,Tree anchors at each drop but be prepared to build alternative natural anchors. Self rescue and group rescue gear with head lamps. Gaiters and long pants recommended for the approach hike/climb.

Expected Time Commitment:
Car to car for a small solid team 6 hours on high water days

Technical Obstacles:
Three long rappel directly in the water course. One multi-pitch

Non Technical Obstacles:
Some Poison oak, snakes, loose rock & steep earth slope approach with some route finding challenges.

Recommended Time of Year:
Year round minus heavy rains or run off periods.

Finding the Trail Head:
Travel I- 15 North of Rancho Cucamonga. Exit Sierra and go towards the mountains. (Hit the Del Taco on your way up.) Travel up into the canyon 1.2mi beyond the Lytle Creek Ranger Station. It is also 0.4mi south of the road junction to the South Fork Campgrounds. Park your vehicle here. You will need an adventure pass for this spot. Looking West across the stream you will be staring up into the South Fork drainage of Lytle Creek. You will need to hike up into this drainage via a stream crossing. Be careful any heavy rains can make this crossing very difficult.

The Approach:
Cross above any rapid at the widest place on the stream you can find. Stay to the “hikers” left side of the south fork drainage and hike up canyon for about 15 minutes. Find a small tributary that is flowing water into south fork from the left or south side of the drainage. There is an old painted blank sign on a post that also will help mark the way into the bottom of Bonita canyon. Follow Bonita canyon way up stream into the woods on a rather well traveled hikers trail. As you go you will be looking and for a low angle long earth slope that heads up the canyon wall on the “hikers” right (looking up canyon would be on the right). Take the earth slope up for quite a ways it will be long and loose so stay close as to not allow any falling rocks to gain speed if they are knocked loose. The earth slope will round out onto a ridge, climb the ridge. If you stay as close to the “true ridge” as you can with the drop into Bonita canyon just to your left you will come to a prominent bare peak. (We call this peak “Weenie Peak”). This should take about 45 minutes from the car park. You will continue down the back side of this small peak staying on the ridge line. You will hear the sound of water below, find a small saddle with an earth slope to drop in by. (Be careful not to drop in too soon as you will “cliff out”).

The Canyon Descent:
#1 multi pitch rappel,
Part 1. 35’ rappel into the tree growing out of the wall on canyon right. Anchor: Rock pinch point with webbing in water course or traverse canyon right to find a tree for an earth slope rappel ending at the same crooked tree that will be the anchor for the second pitch rappel.
Part 2. 190’ rappel from the tree into a shallow pool Anchor: Base or tree
#2 100’ rappel into a shallow pool Anchor: Oak tree cyn left
#3 190’ rappel into a shallow pool Anchor: Tree with webbing set high for smooth pull

Pick up some trash on the way out as this is a popular spot for weekenders.