North Fork of the Kings River 4C [Archive] - Canyon Forums

rcwild

06-23-2008, 11:52 PM

NOTE: If you have corrections, additions or current conditions for this canyon, please post as a reply to this thread. If you have a trip report for this canyon, please post it in the Blogs section.

The lower jump trip. An advanced, 10 hour minimum canyon with high risk of injury or bivy.

Rating: 4CR V
Time Required: 10+ hours
Longest Rappel:

Permit Information
No permit, but this is a technically illegal canyon, and access has been allowed up until now based on a personal relationship with the Balck Powerhouse, a relationship established and maintainted by Paul Martzen. Trespassing on Balch Powerhouse property without first consulting with Paul or the Powerhouse for permission or a read on the current protocol is discouraged. Please don't jepordize access to this special canyon.

Preferred Season
July through September

Water Concerns

Special Challenges

Directions to Trailhead

Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate

Approach

Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate

Description
Beta for this canyon articulated elsewhere on the internet is based on a trip report of a non-traditional descent that reached camp well after dark; the standard descent involves no more than four rappels and carefully considered plunges, established over a twenty year period of descents and changing conditions. Local canyoneers are happy to share accurate route information.

Exit
Remember, this exit trespasses on clearly marked private property with barbed wire fences. Consult the Balch Powerhouse or local canyoneers.

Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate

Submitted by stevebrezovec on 17 Jul 2006-07-17

paul martzen

05-13-2009, 03:30 AM

The canyon itself is not illegal, but exiting across the powerhouse grounds is. Just be considerate and careful. Say hi and give your itinerary if you see somebody at the office.

There have been a lot of injuries in this canyon, from sprained and busted ankles, a busted foot, a broken leg, broken arm, gashed heads and one cracked back, that I know of. I have probably heard about only a few of the injuries that have occurred.

Be careful. Wear sticky rubber canyoneering shoes. Don't jump anything until you know the landing is clean and deep. Don't jump anything high unless you know you have good technique. Spot and help each other on the many exposed traverses and down climbs.

paul martzen

07-14-2009, 02:53 AM

PG&E requests that canyoneers stay out of the powerhouse grounds. They said they will clear a trail around the outside of the facility so people can get out of the canyon without going through the facility. I do not know if the brush has been cleared yet or not. I have no idea what kind of hike or scramble it may be to get up and around the facility fence line.

emadjim

08-24-2009, 03:49 PM

I just did the North Fork of the King's river (8/22/09) and talked to a PGE employee at the power station who said that based on the new regulations canyoneers will never get permission to walk through the power plant but that PG&E is looking into making a trail around the power plant. Granted that trail will not be easy because the power plant is up against the mountain on one side and the river on the other.
So, good luck to canyoneers coming out of lower Jump and traveling through the power plant. While we and they understand that canyoneers have been going through the plant for years it is still a priviledge (although illegal) that PG&E does not shut down with bomber fences. However, it could be completely shut down by one person so please respect the throughput for us all.

paul martzen

06-03-2010, 01:22 AM

As of late May 2010, PG&E has cleared a rough trail around the powerhouse. After the last jump/rappel, scramble up the talus to the dirt road/clearing. The trail starts near the highest point of the road furthest from the powerhouse. Follow the base of the cliff upwards till you come to a fence at the high point. The route on the outside of the fence is steep and narrow at first, but eventually widens and turns into a road leading to the large parking area.

PG&E expects to spray for poison oak and do minor brush clearing every year. They do not intend to improve the trail other than remove brush.

Canyoneering trips in this canyon are only safe at very low flows, typically 7 to 10 cfs which is a minimum required release. See http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.450.php
for real time flow information, courtesy of PG&E. In the winter and spring of wet years, releases from Black Rock reservoir can be from a few hundred to a few thousand cubic feet per second (cfs). After high flows, the rocks can be extra slippery for some time.

Adventurenut

07-26-2010, 03:29 PM

I was planning on doing this canyon on 7/31/10 as conditions seemed optimal. As part of my preparation I decided to call Allen Simms, the Generation Supervisor at Balch Camp. He is the person who is responsible for the hydroelectric water flow releases in this canyon. He informed me that there may be unpredictable water releases from the dam upstream. These releases are contingent upon power demands as well as upon proper functioning of other dams located in a chain along the course of this canyon. If one generator malfunctions, or if one of the newly contracted power customers is experiencing a surge in power demand, there may be a sudden unscheduled water release just above this canyon. Allen informed me the flow rates can reach 400 cfs or higher when this occurs, whereas the normal flow rates are about 10 cfs. He was unable to tell me if any such release would occur during the time I had planned for the descent and left it up to me to decide whether or not to do the canyon. Usually releases are done during the winter months only, but he said this would be changing perhaps this year to include the summer months as well due to newly implemented power contracts with increasing demand. He also said that this year warning signs are going to be posted near the river to inform of these conditions. Gads!! what a bummer!

Adventurenut

08-02-2010, 09:28 AM

Well we decided to go down the lower jump on the 31 of July, and there were no flow rate problems, and the canyon has to be the one of the best (albeit long and tiring) canyoneering experiences in the U.S., but just before the exit to the canyon after 11 hours of getting through the canyon, my daughter in law slipped wrong while sliding down three feet along a simple and gently sloped four foot boulder in the boulder maze, struck her shin on a protruding tip of rock, and broke her lower leg. She hit it just exactly wrong. We could not move her among the boulders without causing severe pain, and she ended up requiring a helicopter rescue. We splinted her leg, punched the GPS rescue beacon on my ACR emergency device, bivied overnight, she was picked up in the early morning. Thanks to everyone who helped her!
Though the accident sucked big time, she was having the time of her life prior to getting hurt, and it was amazing to see the skill and response of everyone involved. Thanks especially to Michelle for helping with the rescue and allowing us to see this canyon, and thanks to the expert skill of the paramedics, SAR, and helicoper pilot.

Bethamphetamine

08-03-2010, 10:25 PM

Wow! Glad to hear everyone made it out safe! I plan to do the canyon this weekend, any particular advice or insight? Were you using the Brennen beta?

G.W. Hayduke

08-04-2010, 06:38 PM

Adventure Nut,

Thank you for taking the time to write up this accident report. I am sorry for your misfortune.

If there are any more details you can share from your ordeal that might help others to learn or prevent such accidents in the future, I would be grateful for that knowledge.

Also, did you see any signs either at the upper or lower Jumps trail heads regarding unplanned releases from Black Rock Reservoir?

Hope your daughter-in-law makes a speedy and full recovery.

John

amedina

08-04-2010, 07:19 PM

Not the ending you expected but at least it wasn't an accident on rappel. Sounds like a very painful injury (rock hitting shin). Hope your daughter-in-law heals fast (better a bone than torn ligaments or tendons) and is back out there with you soon.

Adventurenut

08-05-2010, 06:55 PM

One thing I can recommend is going through the canyon with someone who has done it before. There are quite a few specific places to jump and not to jump which would take much time and effort deciphering without guidance. Also sometimes the rappel stations are set up in cracks in random locations which would be very hard to find for the first time. The Brennan article is no substitute for this kind of direct guidance, though it is helpful pointing out the character of the canyon. The most difficult part of the canyon is the long slog through the stream and boulder fields after all the fun jumps, swims, slides, and raps of the upper canyon are over. Hours and hours of this. I think it would be much better to somehow pre place exit ropes you could jumar out of the canyon with after the fun part is done. Or somehow find a safe exit mid canyon. I think this would make a much more enjoyable trip.

mgmilne

08-06-2010, 03:14 AM

Also sorry to hear of the accident. Kudos to being prepared to deal with an emergency.

This canyon definitely deserves its R rating. Personally, i know of many accidents that have occurred in this canyon (which does not get too much traffic) and believe it deserves the respect afforded by the "R" rating. It presents the canyoneer with multiple "above-average" risk factors.

I am personally also concerned that if it becomes too popular, and there are many more accidents here, access to the canyon may become permanently restricted. That would be an incredible shame.

Adventurenut

08-06-2010, 08:19 AM

Yes, there are many signs at the lower jump trailhead warning not to enter the canyon and that there may be unplanned water releases from the reservoirs upstream. Canyoneers advised to enter at their own risk is what they say.

Joel Gat

08-06-2010, 09:17 AM

Hello,

Adventurenut, like I mentioned in PM, I'm glad to hear that things are looking good for Tanya and that your whole group otherwise had an excellent time. I have some thoughts on this canyon and I'm not aiming this at you; I just want to share those thoughts here.

I love this canyon and have gone down it with just the Brennan data and it was more than sufficient (see the "how much beta" thread - give me the canyon rating, length of rope needed, and drop-in coordinates - anything more is bonus). At each jump where the water wasn't clear & 10+ ft deep, we sent a scout down. Someone draws the short straw and doesn't get to jump. Sometimes, the fastest way to do that is a quick meat anchor rap - takes about 2 minutes to set up, per jump, but prevents injuries.

I think the problems arise when groups are in over their heads, the group leaders don't treat the canyon with enough respect, people don't get an early enough start for their speed, etc. This seems to be a favorite canyon for people to introduce friends to big canyons. I went with such a group, once, and bailed at the transition between upper and lower jumps. I felt safety was being ignored, plain and simple. I later learned that a party member got injured while rapping on core-shot accessory cord. Doing what on what? :mad:

This is a serious canyon. I hope threads such as this one, or previous injury data-dumps, like this one:
http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1767
remind people of the potential difficulty. Add in the high release warning signs, and maybe there will be a limit to the number of large beginner groups that go down the canyon? One can hope.

Respect for the canyons will keep us alive and keep them accessible to us. Please be safe! :bighug:

Joel

Imthewalrus06

08-09-2010, 01:25 PM

We ran this canyon this weekend. Originally there were four of us, but one of our party decided not to bring a wetsuit and quickly realized upon entering the canyon that this was a mistake, so he bailed out immediately.

Overall it was a successful trip with no major injuries, but we did have some close calls, one in particular being the 20' waterfall after the 100' free rappel. I think this is the rainbow room, but I can't be sure. After the free rappel, the Brennan beta suggests using the same line to rap the 20 footer. He points out that the water flow is so strong that jumping might be safer.

The waterfall is in two stages: the first is an 6-8 foot wide fall that pours into a pothole. The pothole then pours over a rocky face into the big pool below. The two other members of my party rapped around the top 6-8 foot fall and then pendulumed to the center. I thought this seemed dangerous so I decided to rap through the fall which was a big mistake. The force of the water was so strong that it knocked my hands from the rope and I fell into the pothole. When I emerged, I was stuck behind the waterfall in a pothole too deep to stand. I tried swimming under the falls, but the force was so strong that it forced me under and made me feel like I was drowning. I felt that the rope was forcing me underwater so I unclipped from belay, not knowing that I still had a 12 foot fall below me. This was a HUGE mistake. I know now NEVER to unclip in a situation like this again, for the rope was actually helping me stay afloat. I was able to reach through the waterfall and reclaim the rope. The only way to communicate was via whistle and hand gestures because the water drowned out any yells, no matter how loud. Eventually I was able to feed enough slack on the rope and have my friend pull hard on the brake line. I used the brake line as a handline to escape the flow. As soon as I emerged from the other side of the waterfall, it popped me up and over the lip and I tumbled about 8 feet down the final falls before the slack in the rope finally caught. I rapped the last 4 feet or so and emerged relieved and smiling.

The lessons I learned from this experience are:
Do not underestimate the strength of the water.
Never Ever Unclip in a situation like this one.
Remain calm, and communicate rationally.

I'd also like to comment on an issue which has been debated on many times in this post. Some have the mentaility that all raps must be backed up by an autoblock or prusik. Had I had an autoblock or prusik in this situation, I could have easily been held underwater until I drowned. I think that situations like this show that nothing is absolute.
_____

Moderator note: moved the off-topic posts about autoblocks to a different thread at:
http://canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3066
_____

Other than this close call, the rest of the canyon went very well, but was very tiring. If you are using the Brennan beta, I suggest ignoring his comments on the 80 foot rap into the gorge. You will realize when you reach the narrows and a much safer looking ledge can be accessed about 20 feet above the ledge Brennan mentions. On this ledge is a huge boulder which can be slung as a great anchor.

I also suggest bringing extra webbing as a handline through the boulder fields. It will make your life much easier, for I can see how the downclimbing there can cause one to break a limb.

We ended up having to spend the night in the canyon, but did so on a nice sandy beach about an hour after the narrows section. In the morning we finished the canyon with renewed energy in only a couple hours.

This canyon is NOT for the feint of heart. Swift water training is recommended as are sticky rubber shoes (the other two members of the party didn't have any and they were fine). Do not attempt this canyon solo as a wrong turn could put you in a very dangerous situation. A wetsuit is also essential to help with flotation during the long swims.

We had a great time and I would recommend this canyon, but take all the necessary precautions before entering and plan on spending a night if trouble arises.

Bethamphetamine

08-09-2010, 02:26 PM

I was the leader for the North Fork Kings Canyon trip on 08/07/10, and I agree with most of what Iamthewalrus said.

Water flow was at 9CFS. We started at 0815 on saturday (too late) and were moving slow all the way to the bottom of the first mandatory rappel. We caught our rhythm and picked up speed through the rest of the day. I knew we weren't going to make it out in one day by that point.

We were all hyper-aware of all the previous injuries in the canyon, so anything we couldn't safely jump we either DC'd around, or rapped. 7 rappels total including the very first jump and the final jump at the power station, both of which in retrospect were unnecessary.

We did most things right. Our biggest problem was that we did not have radios, which would have been clutch several times. The noise of all that falling water really degraded our ability to communicate, and all three of us left the canyon very hoarse. Bring radios. Not just whistles and hand signals.

As Iamthewalrus said, he got stuck behind the waterfall at the 20ft rappel that is a continuation of the 80 foot rappel from the ledge RDC where the register is located. He was the last one of the three of us to do the rap, and though I believe he saw what me and the number 2 person did to avoid it, we couldnt communicate that what we did was perfectly safe. It *looked* sketchy. So he went straight over the lip of the waterfall and got pounded.

Once he was behind the 20 foot falls, I could see him but could not communicate with him or the #2 person at the base of the rap to tell them how to get out, and he disconnected from the rope, which terrified #2. I switched spots with #2 (so he could see that Iamthewalrus was okay) and Iamthewalrus gave us whistle blasts, which calmed down #2 and gave me time to work. He was able to make a lunge for the rappel line, re-connect, and I yanked on it to drag him through the waterfall and over the lip of the pothole.

This was over the course of about 5 minutes.

I thought it was the Rainbow Room because on the way down it was obvious to me that you could get behind the waterfall, and it was sort of in the general area. Another TR that mentioned someone getting freaked out in it, so I wasn't too worried as long as Iamthewalrus stayed calm and thought his way out of it, because he was very much on his own until he got back on the rope.

Looking back, I could have had all three of us come down the 80 foot rap to the ledge, then discuss how to get the last 20ft down past it without any drama. But radios would have been just as useful, and a more encompassing solution.

Other than that, I will underscore the need for good scouting. There are a number of locations in the upper section of the canyon where a jump looks like the right thing to do, but it puts you into a hole that is difficult to get out of, or one that would sweep you over a non-survivable waterfall.

We bivied overnight a little less than an hour above the 250ft waterfall and actually had a pleasant time, as bivies go. It was nice to see the penstocks for the power house (and hear the hum of the generators!) while still being a couple hours from the end.

The boulder field was a PITA.

I appreciate PG&E cutting the use trail around the plant.

We all had wet suits, 5mm full, 7mm full, and I was wearing a 5mm FJ and 5mm shorty for a 5/10/5 combo. Air temps in the 90s meant we very much preferred to be in the water :)

To anyone considering running it, you had best be on your A Game. It was a great time!

Bethamphetamine

08-09-2010, 05:34 PM

This seems to be a favorite canyon for people to introduce friends to big canyons. I went with such a group, once, and bailed at the transition between upper and lower jumps.

Joel

I'm curious. Where is the transition between upper and lower jumps and what is the escape route? One of the members of our group bailed after the first jump and had to do several hours of awful bushwhacking through manzanita and poison oak to get back to the access road.

G.W. Hayduke

08-10-2010, 03:23 AM

I'm curious. Where is the transition between upper and lower jumps and what is the escape route? One of the members of our group bailed after the first jump and had to do several hours of awful bushwhacking through manzanita and poison oak to get back to the access road.

Beth,

I'm guessing your team only ran "Lower Jumps" which is what is described in Brennan's beta. Running both Upper and Lower in a single day would be a record, I think. So, the transition is presumably where you started, at the end of the old 4x4 road, with the junked 1930's era car and the ~50 foot jump (or much safer rap off a single bolt) into the gorge.

If your friend bailed after that, I'm not surprised it was an awful bushwhack back to the road. Or did I misunderstand you?

Back to the earlier comments on the multi-stage rap where the summit register is, I agree it's the most difficult rap of the canyon. I, too, rapped that initial falls after the main drop and remember the force of the water bringing me down a little harder than I expected and whacked my knees pretty bad on (luckily smooth) rocks at the bottom... they hurt for months after. I am not sure what the flow was when we descended (late September, 2008) so it might have been much lower than 9cfs, too. I don't remember there being a dangerous undertow, but maybe things have changed since '08.

I also remember it being easy to pendulum into the falls as Walrus describes... perhaps the most dangerous part about this pendulum is that the rope is quite likely to abrade on the sharp rock edge next to the falls (or maybe this was the 3rd and final drop - I can't remember). In any case, the party who broke accessory cord and dropped a team member, I'm pretty sure this is where that had to have happened based on what was written here and some details that were related to me privately.

As an additional data point, our party ended up putting a nice core shot into our rope after four people (who like you were having trouble communicating over the din of the falls) each managed to pendulum and despite their best efforts drag the rope over the cliff edge. I am fairly confident there was no significant damage to this rope before this rappel. Luckily this is the last (major) rappel and our core shot was very close to the end of the rope. That rope is now two shorter ropes :).

Note the Brennan beta recommends you jump this, and looking at my photos from that trip, I'm stumped to offer better advice. You are probably better off (from a rope preservation perspective) just going straight into the spout and not trying to avoid it with a traverse. Or perhaps just send one person down on rap, and assuming the depth is acceptable, instruct other members to jump, to protect the rope.

I'm not sure another anchor would help either, and it would almost certainly be in the (high flow) watercourse and be bolts, so it would have to be replaced each season.

John

paul martzen

08-10-2010, 04:39 AM

The drop described by Imthewalrus06 does not have a name, but certainly deserves one. It seems to be one of the more dangerous locations on the trip. Locals commonly do it as a jump, but the take off slab is extremely slick and the target area (safe landing area) is fairly small. I have seen people slip and have heard of one injury there. I have only seen one person continue the rappel through this drop and he got pounded. I have never thought about rappelling here, but it makes a certain sense to avoid a risky jump if there is a reasonable way to rap past. But this shows that the rap can have severe consequences as well.

The 80 foot rappel here has come to be called the "Big Kahuna". It has been jumped, but never without pain, and never twice by the same person. That is with clean landings. An actual bad landing from that height would do major and serious damage, I think.

Past the drop described by Walrus, the canyon opens out onto slabs above the unimaginatively named, "40 Foot Jump". It is an easy walk around to the left then continue down climbing to the base of the next drop which is called "The Rainbow Room". It is a very narrow but long pool and it is fun to swim back underneath the falls.

Sounds like average canyoneers should consider this a two day trip. That would give a lot more time for enjoying the lower half, rather than suffering through it. The first descent was a two day trip.

Bethamphetamine

08-10-2010, 10:08 AM

Beth,

I'm guessing your team only ran "Lower Jumps" which is what is described in Brennan's beta. Running both Upper and Lower in a single day would be a record, I think. So, the transition is presumably where you started, at the end of the old 4x4 road, with the junked 1930's era car and the ~50 foot jump (or much safer rap off a single bolt) into the gorge.

If your friend bailed after that, I'm not surprised it was an awful bushwhack back to the road. Or did I misunderstand you?

That is correct, we dropped in at Adolph Hitler's car (at least, that's what I told the other group members). :) The 4th member had to climb well up the canyon wall and then thrash. He looked like he was attacked by a herd of cats when we saw him the next day.

Back to the earlier comments on the multi-stage rap where the summit register is, I agree it's the most difficult rap of the canyon. I, too, rapped that initial falls after the main drop and remember the force of the water bringing me down a little harder than I expected and whacked my knees pretty bad on (luckily smooth) rocks at the bottom... they hurt for months after. I am not sure what the flow was when we descended (late September, 2008) so it might have been much lower than 9cfs, too. I don't remember there being a dangerous undertow, but maybe things have changed since '08.

I also remember it being easy to pendulum into the falls as Walrus describes... perhaps the most dangerous part about this pendulum is that the rope is quite likely to abrade on the sharp rock edge next to the falls (or maybe this was the 3rd and final drop - I can't remember). In any case, the party who broke accessory cord and dropped a team member, I'm pretty sure this is where that had to have happened based on what was written here and some details that were related to me privately.

That all makes sense to me. When I took a good look at the second stage I thought to myself, "There's no way in Hell I want to get into that." But I couldn't figure out if the final pool was deep enough, and the take-off for any jump was not confidence inspiring.

So I edged out on a ledge LDC until it was only about a 4ft jump into the pool, pulled about 5ft of slack into the system, and jumped/swung in. I figured if I could get down into the water quick enough, I wouldn't get slammed into the waterfall itself, or the rocks behind it. It worked, and then I lunged over the edge of the lip and rapped down the third stage. I thought my solution was pretty easy, but apparently it didnt look that way from up top.

As an additional data point, our party ended up putting a nice core shot into our rope after four people (who like you were having trouble communicating over the din of the falls) each managed to pendulum and despite their best efforts drag the rope over the cliff edge. I am fairly confident there was no significant damage to this rope before this rappel. Luckily this is the last (major) rappel and our core shot was very close to the end of the rope. That rope is now two shorter ropes :).

Note the Brennan beta recommends you jump this, and looking at my photos from that trip, I'm stumped to offer better advice. You are probably better off (from a rope preservation perspective) just going straight into the spout and not trying to avoid it with a traverse. Or perhaps just send one person down on rap, and assuming the depth is acceptable, instruct other members to jump, to protect the rope.

I'm not sure another anchor would help either, and it would almost certainly be in the (high flow) watercourse and be bolts, so it would have to be replaced each season.

John

You're probably right.. In the future I would get everyone down the 80ft rappel, rap one person down the second stage as a guinea pig, and have everyone else jump.

Also, we did not have any issues with rope damage. Maybe putting slack in the system before the jump was a good idea? Maybe we just got lucky? We were rapping on a 220' 9.2mm Bluewater Canyon rope and our pull cord was a 200' 8mm Imlay Fire

Bethamphetamine

08-10-2010, 10:31 AM

The drop described by Imthewalrus06 does not have a name, but certainly deserves one.

Sounds like Imthewalrus has something to do today! :P

Past the drop described by Walrus, the canyon opens out onto slabs above the unimaginatively named, "40 Foot Jump". It is an easy walk around to the left then continue down climbing to the base of the next drop which is called "The Rainbow Room". It is a very narrow but long pool and it is fun to swim back underneath the falls.

Ahhhhh, good to know!

Sounds like average canyoneers should consider this a two day trip. That would give a lot more time for enjoying the lower half, rather than suffering through it. The first descent was a two day trip.

I agree. Unless you're being led by someone who has done the canyon before, there is just too much ambiguity in route-finding, what to jump vs. what to rappel, and in a couple instances, finding the anchors. Just before the "Big Kahuna" I was scouting in the water course instead of up on the ledge RDC and got all the way down to the pool just above the falls before I had to have the other members of my party set a hand line so I could climb up and out. The Boulder field had a number of route-finding difficulties as well.

Its certainly possible to do in one day, but anyone who goes there without prior knowledge should expect to spend the night. On the plus side, I know of a great bivy location! :)

FWIW, here's a picture of Imthewalrus at the top of the waterfall we have been discussing. I also have a picture as he falls over the lip, but I don't think he'd appreciate it :P

http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-img_1951.jpg

Bethamphetamine

08-10-2010, 11:17 AM

Sorry to spam the thread but I have a lot to ask about the canyon!

We did not find the register but I noticed that some of the bolt hangers (at least the ones on the Big Kahuna rap) were marked 8/10/86. Anyone have info on that?

Also, I saw some other interesting antique bolts and hangers, particularly on the re-belay station 25ft down the....I believe it was the second mandatory rappel. I'd like to think someone went down this canyon when the dams were going in back in the '20s, but I'm guessing they're quite a bit newer than that....

G.W. Hayduke

08-10-2010, 02:48 PM

One thought and two questions (for Paul and AdventureNut)

1. When we descended in 2008, we did this as an overnight, mostly because we had heard it was so much fun, we wanted to be able to frolic, repeat jumps if possible/desirable and not be worried about time. It turned out to be a really good choice because on Day 1 I dropped my brand new waterproof camera (no floatstrap) in a deep pool. We spent 2 hours skin diving for it, and eventually located it! The camera obviously would have been abandoned on a one day slog. With 2 days we had more than enough time, including late starts, sometimes stopping for as much as an hour to play on slides and jumps. Worst part was putting on a damp wetsuit early in the morning on the second day and jumping in the cold water!

2. Paul, to clarify, in the past your party members have jumped from the top of the second falls in Beth's pic, to the large pool at the bottom, on the left LDC?

3. Paul: Rainbow room, etc... I remember the falls after this section being quite spectacular looking, though Brennan's beta recommends circumventing it entirely. So in the past, you have jumped 40 ft into this gorge? I remember we hiked quite a distance around to the left, involving some scrambling through bushes until we basically arrived at a flat area. Guess we missed out on some stuff.

I thought I remember the falls in this being several hundred feet, but I guess my memory is failing :). Curious if the AdventureNut party ended up descending the gorge at this point (probably killed a lot more time than hiking around) which might contribute to the epic they experienced... a good reminder that trip length can be very dependent on the beta (or lack thereof). Sounds like at least some groups have their own beta that is more elaborate than the Brennan route.

Lastly... people jump the 80 foot free rap into the gorge??? :bigeyes: Unbelievable, I would have thought you might break a leg on impact. Sounds unpleasant...

John

Adventurenut

08-10-2010, 07:10 PM

Man, what great additional beta. I think we would have been better off bivy'ing for one night. Interesting we made it thru the technical sections with no trouble on our trip but our injury occurred stumbling through the stream/boulder field at the end. But that's what they always say, injuries commonly occur when you are very tired and shot from effort, frequently, as with us, when you are doing something simple and just not able to attend as much as you could earlier in the day. Or when the muscles get tired and you think you've stepped over something but in reality you are going to trip. My take home lesson from our injury? When you are tired, BIVY!

paul martzen

08-11-2010, 02:44 AM

The register is under the tree, about 15 feet back from the Big Kahuna rappel anchors. It can be a fun read.

The bolts at Big Kahuna are from 1986, I think. The first trip just slung the rock and the bolts were added the following year. We assumed that we would need bolted anchors through out the canyon and might run out, so only used them when there was no alternative. I can't find my notes so I don't recall if we used any quarter inch bolts. They were pretty standard for climbing at that time and I had them. I also had 5/16" bolts about that time and there are some of those in the canyon at the redirect rap and maybe the Big Kahuna. The home made hangers would be from 86 or 87 probably. They may look funky, but they have a lot of mass, so are quite safe. There may also be some old Leeper hangers which definitely need to be replaced. Fortunately, rappelling does not put much stress on anchors.

Hayduke suggests that running the UJT and LJT in a day would be a record. It gets done that way periodically, though most canyoneers should expect a full day in the upper. The original descent only took an hour and a half or so, but I was solo and didn't need any ropework or anchors. Tried that again last year, but ended up taking a bunch of naps in picturesque locations.

Paul

Bethamphetamine

08-11-2010, 12:37 PM

The bolts at Big Kahuna are from 1986, I think. The first trip just slung the rock and the bolts were added the following year. We assumed that we would need bolted anchors through out the canyon and might run out, so only used them when there was no alternative. I can't find my notes so I don't recall if we used any quarter inch bolts. They were pretty standard for climbing at that time and I had them. I also had 5/16" bolts about that time and there are some of those in the canyon at the redirect rap and maybe the Big Kahuna. The home made hangers would be from 86 or 87 probably. They may look funky, but they have a lot of mass, so are quite safe. There may also be some old Leeper hangers which definitely need to be replaced. Fortunately, rappelling does not put much stress on anchors.

Paul

For kicks, here are the bolts at Big Kahuna
http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-p8070104.jpg

This is the redirect
http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-p8070064.jpg

both pictures are from 08.07.10

paul martzen

08-11-2010, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the photos Beth. Like I said, it is a good thing rappelling does not put much stress on anchors! The Kahuna anchors definitely need to be replaced and they should all be replaced with stainless, I suppose.

The two lower anchors at the redirect are 5/16", but the upper one, out of the photo might be 1/4". Seems like there is also a 3/8" there? Been awhile.

I will probably go through this year and if so, make sure they get replaced.

paul martzen

08-11-2010, 03:26 PM

1) Sounds like you are my kind of canyoneer Hayduke. Two days allows people to really enjoy the lower play spots.

Even the Boulder Maze at the end can be really fun if you are not exhausted and in the dark. There are some fascinating routes through it.

2) I have always unroped at the base of the Kahuna. There are fun things to explore there. We swim to the landing on the left. The ledge is low angle down to the lip from where you can jump, but it is often super slick. There are potholes at the upper end of the ledge from where you can belay people down to the jump spot or lower them to the pool. As Joel described in an earlier post, just drop down into the pothole and use your body as the anchor.

There is a big boulder in the pool so you have to be able to jump into the specific landing zone. If it is unclear then have people swim out and mark where the boulder is and where it is clear to jump.

The water used to be so clear that it was often obvious to me where the clean jumps are. I think the increased traffic may have affected that, or maybe it is just not as obvious to other people. As Joel described above, just lower somebody to check it out. Then at least the last person can jump.

3) Below the Big Kahuna (80' free rappel) and the Slick as Snot Jump (I just made that up!), the canyon opens out onto flat slabs above two major drops. People commonly bypass both drops by walking and scrambling around to the left.

The first big drop is into a large roundish pool. It is commonly jumped on the right at about 40 foot high. That is plenty high enough to do damage if you land wrong. The exit from the pool is intimidating, as the rock slopes down and a series of small drops lead to the lip of the Rainbow Room.

The Rainbow Room is a long narrow pool. The waterfall drops into the back end while the walk around/ downclimb ends at the downstream end. The waterfall is probably in the 60 or 70 foot range? but there is a low spot on the rim which is only 55 feet. People rarely jump from here as the pool is so narrow. I have always managed to screw up just a tiny bit in form every time I have done it, which led to significant pain.

Adventurenut told me that he got Michelle Niles to tag along as guide. Michelle is very knowledgeable and strong. She could do the route in a few hours if she so desired. I don't think route finding was the issue.

For most people, the combination of super adrenaline, long swims, cold water, hot air, awkward hiking, tricky downclimbing, etc. etc, just makes this an exhausting adventure. It is hard to think that 2 1/2 miles will beat you up so badly until you have been beat up that badly.

Lastly---- Yes, the Big Kahuna has been jumped by 3 people that I know of. I was not there. They all had clean but painful landings. None of them wanted to repeat the experience. The first guy down tried to wave off the others so they would not jump. But because of the noise and excitement, they though he meant, "Come on down!"

One thought and two questions (for Paul and AdventureNut)

1. When we descended in 2008, we did this as an overnight, mostly because we had heard it was so much fun, we wanted to be able to frolic, repeat jumps if possible/desirable and not be worried about time. It turned out to be a really good choice because on Day 1 I dropped my brand new waterproof camera (no floatstrap) in a deep pool. We spent 2 hours skin diving for it, and eventually located it! The camera obviously would have been abandoned on a one day slog. With 2 days we had more than enough time, including late starts, sometimes stopping for as much as an hour to play on slides and jumps. Worst part was putting on a damp wetsuit early in the morning on the second day and jumping in the cold water!

2. Paul, to clarify, in the past your party members have jumped from the top of the second falls in Beth's pic, to the large pool at the bottom, on the left LDC?

3. Paul: Rainbow room, etc... I remember the falls after this section being quite spectacular looking, though Brennan's beta recommends circumventing it entirely. So in the past, you have jumped 40 ft into this gorge? I remember we hiked quite a distance around to the left, involving some scrambling through bushes until we basically arrived at a flat area. Guess we missed out on some stuff.

I thought I remember the falls in this being several hundred feet, but I guess my memory is failing :). Curious if the AdventureNut party ended up descending the gorge at this point (probably killed a lot more time than hiking around) which might contribute to the epic they experienced... a good reminder that trip length can be very dependent on the beta (or lack thereof). Sounds like at least some groups have their own beta that is more elaborate than the Brennan route.

Lastly... people jump the 80 foot free rap into the gorge??? :bigeyes: Unbelievable, I would have thought you might break a leg on impact. Sounds unpleasant...

John

G.W. Hayduke

08-19-2010, 07:54 PM

We ran Upper Jumps this past Tuesday, and we were surprised to find another car at the upper trailhead for Lower Jumps (lower trailhead for Upper Jumps) considering that it was mid-week.

A group of 5 was sorting gear (3 men, 2 women, IIRC, all young and fit looking), getting ready to start the Lower section, around 8:30am. We talked to them and the group leader said he found out about this canyon from an Outward Bound instructor. He had not heard of Canyoneering.net or Chris Brennan's beta. It wasn't immediately clear whether the group leader had descended the canyon before, but I think he had. I am fairly positive he did not have written beta. He asked me if I knew the release schedule for Black Rock Reservoir. When we picked up our car after a leisurely day running Upper Jumps (around 7pm) their car was still parked there and we did not pass any cars on our way to Balch Camp.... implying that they spent at least 11 hours in the canyon. It was late dusk when we passed through Balch Camp. Wonder if they made it out in daylight...

I took some pictures of the signs that PG&E has posted and some other stuff, but sadly my camera was lost on the last rappel of Upper Jumps (the one where you can alternatively crawl through a hole into a cave-like downclimb. :mad:

Paul, thank you for the additional beta. I am fascinated to hear that you have observed that the water clarity has changed and that human traffic might be affecting that. In all 3 trips to North Fork of the Kings (2 in '08 and 1 this past week), the water definitely seemed "inky".

John

Bethamphetamine

08-20-2010, 09:54 AM

getting ready to start the Lower section, around 8:30am. Wonder if they made it out in daylight...

I took some pictures of the signs that PG&E has posted and some other stuff, but sadly my camera was lost on the last rappel of Upper Jumps (the one where you can alternatively crawl through a hole into a cave-like downclimb. :mad:

John

Sorry to hear about the camera! My vote would be that they did not make it out in one night, if my experience is any indicator. We started at the same time (0815) and had two less people. Hope they found a good spot!

http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-p8070010.jpg

http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-p8080194.jpg

paul martzen

08-21-2010, 12:03 PM

I went through lower jumps last weekend and added 2 new 3/8" stainless Steel bolts to the redirect rap station at the Big Falls and 2 bolts at the Big Kahuna rap station. The first rap station at the big waterfall already had two 3/8" stainless bolts so I did not need to do anything there. The redirect rap station just below had a 5/16" bolt and two quarter inch bolts. I pulled the quarter inch bolt with the home made angle iron hanger, pictured above. It was satisfyingly difficult to remove by hammering wedges under the hanger. Even after 25 years it was still at pretty much full strength.

I redrilled that hole for the 3/8" bolt. With impatient partners and laziness on my part, I did not pull any of the other 1/4" bolts, but simply added the 3/8" bolts into the anchor system.

I did not add any bolts at The Black Hole, the drop immediately above the Big Falls. There are two quarter inch bolts there with chain, but I don't use them, sort of regret placing them, and it is a clean drop if they should fail. I understand that many parties or most newer parties do rap there, so I might come around to beefing it up someday, especially if I am still doing this when I am Brennan's age.

Speaking of Brennan, he writes, "Eventually at 2360ft and 8hrs from the start, the canyon drops into a short section of difficult narrows. It is important to recognize this location for you must climb to a ledge on the left to access a webbing anchor around a large boulder. This rappel descends about 80ft to the water's edge from where you continue with the swimming, bouldering and jumping." We call this area the MiniGorge and have always stayed in the watercourse. If you don't want to down climb here, then you can find chockstones or something to facilitate a short 10' -15' rap. Brennan's rap looks fairly fun, but with a hard pull. Somebody set up a worse looking rap on canyon right with flourescent yellow sling. I cleaned that one.

Somebody placed two pitons at the top of the Slick as Snot Jump, (at the base of the 80 foot rappel). They facilitate rappelling here or belaying people/oneself to the edge of the jump and make a certain sense to me, even though they are not necessary.

Clarity of Water: There is more stuff floating in the water now, but it still seemed pretty clear. I could see the rocks that I needed to see. I did not bring a mask, but the water looked pretty clear when I swam.

JMULTY

08-22-2010, 07:03 PM

I went down the LJT with 8 others Saturday leaving about 10 am. This was my first trip down and what a workout. We didn't get out until 10:30 pm which was a bit scary at times. Luckily we had a great guide that was able to safely lead us through the boulder garden and off the last few jumps. I strongly recommend headlamps and leaving early.

On a side note, our rope bag with 200' of 9mm static rope was taken under water below the jump under the 80' rappel - Big Kahuna. We were throwing down packs and the rope bag just got caught in the current and sunk....if found 559-824-9105 john....thanks

Bethamphetamine

08-23-2010, 11:39 PM

On a side note, our rope bag with 200' of 9mm static rope was taken under water below the jump under the 80' rappel - Big Kahuna. We were throwing down packs and the rope bag just got caught in the current and sunk....if found 559-824-9105 john....thanks

Wow! You're talking about the pool at the base of this picture, right? Or are you talking about the pool halfway down, where the person on rappel is? http://www.canyoneering.net/gallery/files/7161-p8070115.jpg

I dont know if you read the rest of the thread, but my group had a similar experience in that area...

Which guide service were you using?

JMULTY

08-24-2010, 07:43 AM

The pool is at the base, we jumped from the slippery, slippery edge and did not rappel. The rope was thrown down in a rope bag with a pack. The pack floated with the dry bag inside but the rope bag had less bouancy and the current took it down. We dove for it but it was very DARK and cold.

The group was made up of a few 1 st timers and the rest were veterans of the LJT so the trip was a blast. I am just a bit beat up from the experience. I have a good sized bruise on my thigh from the 55' jump at the start.

We had to put our headlamps on right after the rock water slides on top of the last big waterfall and proceeded to downclimbs into he boulder garden in the dark.

By far the, the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I will make it an annual trip for sure.

Joel Gat

08-26-2010, 09:36 PM

Hello JMULTY,

Man, too bad we didn't see your message before we ran down LJT on Sunday. 3 of us went (Hayduke, who posted above a few times, and another friend). We took a relaxed trip, jumping all the jumps, sometimes more than once, sliding the slides, and frolicking like little kids. Man I love canyons like that. Ooh, and holy lots of blackberries, often as sweet as natural jam. ZOMG! So gooood!

The slime level was a bit high compared to previous jaunts in the North Fork, so my crappy shoes (my various approach shoes had been thrashed and oops, not replaced on time) were too slippery - I switched to my Chaco Flip Pros (I'm a flipflop freak):
http://www.pmjc.org/photos/display_image_resize.php?i=11622&size=700

We piled into our shuttle car 10.5ish hours after leaving the car we had at the trailhead.

Anyway, second to last (optional) jump, one of our cameras went into the drink, snapping the stupid little attachment point, and sinking way beyond sight. Can't have that?!?! So the next day (Monday), we hiked up the canyon from the bottom (handline up the last jump), with our fins and snorkels and a homemade fake camera which we tossed in, hoping it would lead the way to the real camera. Success! in about 15 minutes of trying :) Camera had sunk 15 ft and not moved.

We then bailed, drove back up, parked at the side of the road above the slotting up of Upper Jumps, bushwacked (ugh, *solid* manzanita-whack including laying on our bellies to and scooching along animal use trails, and a couple 60-ft raps), and rapped into Upper Jumps right in time for the best of the canyon - the big waterfall with strong inversion, and used our thick (6+ mm) wetsuits to search for a camera that Hayduke's group dropped the week before (at the optional-rap / crawl-through cave). No success... 6 days in the drink, 2 hours of snorkling, we couldn't find the camera. We're pretty sure we know exactly which 10,000 pound boulder it's under, just too far to be seen with underwater flashlights and human-length arms!

So, if we'd known there was another gear rescue to do... dang, we would have (attempted to) save the rope!

I agree, this canyon is worth an annual visit :)

Joel

paul martzen

08-27-2010, 02:08 AM

Nice photo, Joel. What we call the Rainbow Room is at the base of the upper waterfall in your picture.

The second to the last jump that I can think of is off a boulder at the end of the Boulder Maze. We called it the Running Boulder cause for some reason we used to run down the side of it to jump out or something. Not sure it makes any sense, but it was fun. Seems like the pool there would not be too deep.

Some of those potholes are super deep. The pool at the base of the big waterfall is about 50 feet deep. Maybe deeper against the wall. I can't swim that deep, but I lowered a line with carabiners on the end till I could hear them clinking on the bottom. Put my ears in the water and could hear them perfectly.

A little ways above the big waterfall/rappel, there is a slide with a drop off into a pool. You have to stay right so you don't drop onto a rock rib. Friends dropped a camera there and said they could not get close to finding bottom. They estimated that tiny pothole at around 40 feet deep!

I dropped a rope at the 40 foot jump below Big Kahuna, years ago. Thankfully, I found it about 20 feet down, sitting on top of a monster boulder.

I applaud you guys for rescuing that gear.

Paul