Class:
3A/BIII
Gear:
Rope: 2 @ 120’, 2 @ 60′, 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
Expected Time Commitment:
Car to car for a small solid team 6 hours on high water days
Technical Obstacles:
6 long rappels directly in the water course.
Non Technical Obstacles:
Some Poison oak, snakes, loose rock & steep earth slope approach with some route finding challenges. About 3 miles of hiking total.
Recommended Time of Year:
Year round minus heavy rains or run off periods.
Finding the Trail Head:
The hike requires a car shuttle. Drive both vehicles up the Angeles Crest Highway from La Canada/Flintridge past the junction at Clear Creek and the Switzer Parking Area. Two miles beyond the Switzer Camp turnoff, the road makes a long sweeping turn to the left. At the start of this turn on the right side of the road there is a white metal gate where you will emerge at the conclusion of this hike (at 34o15.65′N 118o6.96′W and elevation 4010ft). Turn one vehicle around and leave it in one of the turnouts just before the gate and bend. From this parking area you can look south directly up at the sandstone walls of Supercloud. It looks very difficult from this viewpoint.
Then, in the other vehicle, proceed on up the road to Red Box Junction and turn right onto the Mount Wilson road. A short distance (0.4mi) beyond Red Box, a gated asphalt road (2N52) switchbacks up to the right. Drive a few yards up this road to the parking area before the gate.
The Approach:
From the parking area, proceed past the metal gate and hike up the asphalt road, 2N52, passing above Red Box junction. After 20min and 0.7mi you reach the first hairpin turn to the left (and the drop-in point for a different hike down Cloudburst Canyon which is on your right). Continuing on up the road, 1.7mi and 45min from the start you arrive at a second hairpin turn to the left at an elevation of 5450ft. Just past the apex of this turn a broad trail or former fire road (with a small dirt berm across the entrance) branches off to the right. Follow the remains of this old dirt road as it contours off to the west below the ridge west of Mount Disappointment. Do not drop down into the canyon that you cross about 0.1mi from the asphalt road since it connects with Cloudburst Canyon. Instead continue on along the faint dirt road; about 0.3mi from the asphalt (1hr from the start) the dirt road ends; an animal trail continues to contour around the heads of Supercloud Canyon but you will drop into Supercloud here by proceeding straight down the steep slope at the end of the dirt road. Though steep the descent is quite easy since the surface is relatively fine sand and earth. Veer to the right into the bottom of the gully that soon turns toward the west.
The Canyon Descent:
#1 60′
#2 80′
#3 35′
#4 60′
#5 40′
#6 110′
Follow the stream bed down canyon until you reach the second of two debris damns which can be down climbed on the left. keep you eye out for a fire road that will cross the stream bed twice. At the second crossing take this road to the right and follow it back to your car first parked car.
Pick up some trash on the way out as this is a popular spot for weekenders.
