Class:
4B/CIII

Gear:
Rope: 3 @ 120′ ropes, 40′ of webbing, steel rappel rings. Mix of trees and bolted anchors at each drop but be prepared to build alternative natural anchors. Self rescue and group rescue gear with head lamps.

Expected Time Commitment:
Car to car for a small solid team 8-9 hours on high water days

Technical Obstacles:
5 rappels directly in the water course.

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

Recommended Time of Year:
Spring, Winter, Fall, Summer

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.)
Head northwest on Sierra Ave toward Lytle Creek Rd. – 0.2 mi., Continue straight onto Lytle Creek Rd. – 6.1 mi., Turn left at Middle Fork Rd. – 1.3 mi. Follow the dirt road up until it ends.

The Approach:
Get into hiking mode for this 2 mile back country approach. Follow the trail to the first stream crossing. Cross the stream and follow the now faint trial as it works its way up stream then gradually breaks away form the middle fork and begins to climb a steep draw by way of a six or so long switch backs. After the switch backs end the trail will round a corner where one of the five water falls can be seen, follow the trial a bit further and begin looking for a steep earth slope to dirt ski your way down putting you into the canyon bottom (approx N34 14.93 W117 34.58). Make your way down canyon following the water until you reach the first waterfall to be down climbed. After the down climb you will find an area to change into your canyon gear and prepare for the technical descent.

The Canyon Descent:
#1 45’ Find a bolted anchor in the wall canyon left at the top of the first drop.
#2 110’ Find a bolt at the lip of a small deep pool at the top of number 2
20 minute hike through canyon bottom, including large amounts of downed trees due to avalanche
#3 90’ Find a bolt canyon right at the lip, drops into pool which can be deep
Warning! Take time to climb out a ridge canyon left at the top of #3 to verify that the bolted anchor is still in place on the wall at the lip of #4 on the right wall. If that anchor is missing and you drop into the pool below no suitable natural anchor can be found and the party will need to either ascend or take up permanent residence at this stance. If the anchor is gone then a 120’ rappel off the trees canyon right to avoid the pool.
#4 90’ Find a bolt canyon right on the lip (that you spied from the left of stance #3)
#5 110’ find a bolt at the lip of number 5. An option to use the trees canyon right exists. Watch for rock fall if you choose this option.

This is a Wilderness canyon so you must obtain wilderness use permits from the Lytle Creek Ranger Station.