rcwild
10-15-2009, 11:13 AM
The East Inlet drains from high in Rocky Mountain National Park into Grand Lake. It contains the prettiest waterfalls in the park.
Rating: 3CR III
Time Required:
Longest Rappel:
Permit Information
None required
Camping/Lodging
Camping by permit in Rocky Mountain National Park. Campgrounds and lodging available in Grand Lake.
Preferred Season
Late summer
Water Concerns
Water flow is almost always high, thus the R rating. You can skirt the drops, and to this date nobody has descended every drop.
Special Challenges
Equipment Suggestions
60m rope, but bring extra. 50' of webbing. Quicklinks. Full wet suit.
Topographic Maps
USGS Shadow Mountain quad
Directions to Trailhead
The hike starts at the East Inlet trailhead. From the main street in downtown Grand Lake, keep heading east. At the end of the downtown area, the street becomes a dirt road, passing through a series of cabins and homes. Keep your eye out for signs to Adams Falls, and follow them to the East Inlet trailhead.
Or, if you've just turned off of Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) towards Grand Lake, take the business bypass (the left turn onto a paved road a few hundred feet from Highway 34. It's not marked, but is an obvious fork to the left). Follow this road to the end, which is the East Inlet trailhead.
Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate
Approach
Hike up the east inlet trail 3.3 miles. Along the way, stop at the Adams Falls overlook. This narrow section will undoubtedly challenge expert canyoners in the near future. After a long, steep uphill section -- along which you will hear the many waterfalls below -- the trail drops over glacial bedrock, along a very well maintained trail, to the river. Upstream from this point looks very calm, downstream there are several small drops.
Hike upstream a ways. Find a calm spot and swim across. Note, the current can be strong even in the calm sections, so be sure to cross well above the drops. Stay along the southern shore and hike, boulderhop, and occasionally wade along the southern bank of the stream to get below the cascades. Below you may see the dropoff for the first falls. Cross the river above the falls in a calm area - and be careful! You should now be back along the northern bank.
Note, it may be possible to avoid swimming across the river, by staying along the bedrock of the northern banks of the stream. If so, definitely go this way. You may need a rope as a handline, but it could save you some swimming, not to mention wading through dangerous current.
Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate
Description: Standard Route
To date, nobody has descended this canyon directly, due to high water. You can attempt it with a 60m rope and plenty of webbing. Do not try it unless you are very experienced in wet canyons, and only then if the water is low.
See the 'Variations' section below for a way to descend this beautiful canyon by skirting the most dangerous sections.
Description:
Variations: You can skirt all of the drops. If you choose to do the canyon this way, the rating drops to 2CR, and you will only need 75 feet of rope.
The first falls has two tiers. The upper is a raging torrent of whitewater, and the lower is a giant fan. Climb down the cliffs on the north side of the first tier - a handline around a tree will be helpful. Continue down the river, past the falls, following the shore. The river will follow a small S-curve, then the canyon will begin to narrow. At the end of the short narrow stretch is the second falls, but it can be tricky to get to.
On the north shore, below the cliff faces is a small ledge with a large pine tree. Place a handline to one of the trees above and climb down to this ledge. You must enter the river at this point, below the ledge, staying against the north side of the stream. If the water is running heavy, use the tree on the ledge to set up a lowering system. The person lowered will then anchor the rope, and a tyrolean can be set up (be sure to use a retrievable rope system - don't leave a fixed rope!).
You can bypass the traverse in the water by climbing on top of the cliffs on the north rim, and down onto the ledge system. Depending on your route, you may need a handline. Your goal is to make it back down to the river at the base of the second falls.
Once everyone is across, work along a ledge system to the base of the second falls. Continue down the river, following the northern shore. Soon the canyon narrows once again. The third falls is at the end of this stretch of narrows, but the white water will keep you from entering the narrows safely.
To skirt this dangerous section, leave the river. Climb the northern rim, up several benches and ledges, to a large bench with trees. The cliffs continue above, but this is as high as you need to go. Walk to the base of the cliffs, and follow the base. It will soon drop off, and a handline may be useful. There are plenty of trees to use as anchors.
Once down, make your way back to the river. The falls are not visible from this side of the river. Just downstream from where the narrows end, a large log is propped against the shore and a boulder in the middle of the stream. Carefully traverse this log (straddling it is safest) to the boulder. From the boulder, either climb across other logs, or boulder-hop to the southern shore. Hike upstream to the view the third falls.
Hike back downstream, following the southern shore. The canyon narrows again at the fourth falls. If you are belayed and don't mind getting soaked, you can step underneath the falls. Otherwise, downclimb the cliffs next to the falls, once again using a handline. Continue to hike down the stream. Follow the ìExitî directions.
Exit
After the last (4th) major drop you will reach some cascades. Shortly the cascades end, the river becomes placid, and it is easier to hike in the water rather than bashing through the bushes on the shore. Hike until the rapids begin again - about 10 minutes or so. Then turn north (left, looking up canyon) and hike cross-country until you reach the east inlet trail. Do not continue down the river, as you'll pass by several backcountry camp sites, and these folks should not be disturbed. Your hike back will likely include steep routefinding with fallen timber, so take your time and be careful. Take the trail back to your car.
Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate
Rating: 3CR III
Time Required:
Longest Rappel:
Permit Information
None required
Camping/Lodging
Camping by permit in Rocky Mountain National Park. Campgrounds and lodging available in Grand Lake.
Preferred Season
Late summer
Water Concerns
Water flow is almost always high, thus the R rating. You can skirt the drops, and to this date nobody has descended every drop.
Special Challenges
Equipment Suggestions
60m rope, but bring extra. 50' of webbing. Quicklinks. Full wet suit.
Topographic Maps
USGS Shadow Mountain quad
Directions to Trailhead
The hike starts at the East Inlet trailhead. From the main street in downtown Grand Lake, keep heading east. At the end of the downtown area, the street becomes a dirt road, passing through a series of cabins and homes. Keep your eye out for signs to Adams Falls, and follow them to the East Inlet trailhead.
Or, if you've just turned off of Highway 34 (Trail Ridge Road) towards Grand Lake, take the business bypass (the left turn onto a paved road a few hundred feet from Highway 34. It's not marked, but is an obvious fork to the left). Follow this road to the end, which is the East Inlet trailhead.
Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate
Approach
Hike up the east inlet trail 3.3 miles. Along the way, stop at the Adams Falls overlook. This narrow section will undoubtedly challenge expert canyoners in the near future. After a long, steep uphill section -- along which you will hear the many waterfalls below -- the trail drops over glacial bedrock, along a very well maintained trail, to the river. Upstream from this point looks very calm, downstream there are several small drops.
Hike upstream a ways. Find a calm spot and swim across. Note, the current can be strong even in the calm sections, so be sure to cross well above the drops. Stay along the southern shore and hike, boulderhop, and occasionally wade along the southern bank of the stream to get below the cascades. Below you may see the dropoff for the first falls. Cross the river above the falls in a calm area - and be careful! You should now be back along the northern bank.
Note, it may be possible to avoid swimming across the river, by staying along the bedrock of the northern banks of the stream. If so, definitely go this way. You may need a rope as a handline, but it could save you some swimming, not to mention wading through dangerous current.
Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate
Description: Standard Route
To date, nobody has descended this canyon directly, due to high water. You can attempt it with a 60m rope and plenty of webbing. Do not try it unless you are very experienced in wet canyons, and only then if the water is low.
See the 'Variations' section below for a way to descend this beautiful canyon by skirting the most dangerous sections.
Description:
Variations: You can skirt all of the drops. If you choose to do the canyon this way, the rating drops to 2CR, and you will only need 75 feet of rope.
The first falls has two tiers. The upper is a raging torrent of whitewater, and the lower is a giant fan. Climb down the cliffs on the north side of the first tier - a handline around a tree will be helpful. Continue down the river, past the falls, following the shore. The river will follow a small S-curve, then the canyon will begin to narrow. At the end of the short narrow stretch is the second falls, but it can be tricky to get to.
On the north shore, below the cliff faces is a small ledge with a large pine tree. Place a handline to one of the trees above and climb down to this ledge. You must enter the river at this point, below the ledge, staying against the north side of the stream. If the water is running heavy, use the tree on the ledge to set up a lowering system. The person lowered will then anchor the rope, and a tyrolean can be set up (be sure to use a retrievable rope system - don't leave a fixed rope!).
You can bypass the traverse in the water by climbing on top of the cliffs on the north rim, and down onto the ledge system. Depending on your route, you may need a handline. Your goal is to make it back down to the river at the base of the second falls.
Once everyone is across, work along a ledge system to the base of the second falls. Continue down the river, following the northern shore. Soon the canyon narrows once again. The third falls is at the end of this stretch of narrows, but the white water will keep you from entering the narrows safely.
To skirt this dangerous section, leave the river. Climb the northern rim, up several benches and ledges, to a large bench with trees. The cliffs continue above, but this is as high as you need to go. Walk to the base of the cliffs, and follow the base. It will soon drop off, and a handline may be useful. There are plenty of trees to use as anchors.
Once down, make your way back to the river. The falls are not visible from this side of the river. Just downstream from where the narrows end, a large log is propped against the shore and a boulder in the middle of the stream. Carefully traverse this log (straddling it is safest) to the boulder. From the boulder, either climb across other logs, or boulder-hop to the southern shore. Hike upstream to the view the third falls.
Hike back downstream, following the southern shore. The canyon narrows again at the fourth falls. If you are belayed and don't mind getting soaked, you can step underneath the falls. Otherwise, downclimb the cliffs next to the falls, once again using a handline. Continue to hike down the stream. Follow the ìExitî directions.
Exit
After the last (4th) major drop you will reach some cascades. Shortly the cascades end, the river becomes placid, and it is easier to hike in the water rather than bashing through the bushes on the shore. Hike until the rapids begin again - about 10 minutes or so. Then turn north (left, looking up canyon) and hike cross-country until you reach the east inlet trail. Do not continue down the river, as you'll pass by several backcountry camp sites, and these folks should not be disturbed. Your hike back will likely include steep routefinding with fallen timber, so take your time and be careful. Take the trail back to your car.
Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate