charlybldr
10-02-2007, 04:41 PM
Disclaimer: I do not guarantee that this beta is accurate or complete. Canyons change. Use this information at your own risk.
Photographs of this canyon are available at:
http://coloradocanyons.org/gallery/index.php
Pine Creek (of Ouray) route on Oak Creek
Overview
As Pine Creek is to Zion, Oak is to Ouray – short approach (ok, not as short as Pine Creek in Zion, but still easy), some spectacular rappels, and aside from Ivan's Tale, the most straight forward descent in the area (though it is not a beginner's canyon). Also, strangely, we found no oak trees in the watercourse - you pass many on the approach. All but one of our anchors was off of pine trees or pine logs.
Rating
3C R III. The R is due to exposure during the traverse to the anchor for the big drop. A belayed fall will keep one from going over the edge, but could still hurt.
Equipment Needed
Enough rope for a 170' rappel. 60+ feet of webbing. 6 quicklinks minimum, extra recommended. Map: Ouray quad.
Season
Mid to late summer. Gauging water flow where Oak Creek crosses South Pinecrest Drive may not be accurate as (I think) water is diverted upstream, making the flow lower than what is in the canyon. You may not get a good chance to gauge water levels until you reach the stream, one mile from the upper trailhead. Don't enter if it looks like more than 5-10cfs of water is running at the entry point.
Approach
There are two places to park for this canyon. The lower trailhead is where you will come out. It is also a place to park if you do not have a high clearance 4wd vehicle to reach the upper trailhead. The trailheads are a half-mile apart so a car shuttle is convenient but not necessary.
Go to Oak Street, which parallels Main Street on the west side of the Uncompahgre River. 3rd or 7th Avenues will take you across the river. From 3rd and Oak Street, drive north a block or so to Queen Street, which heads west. Take Queen Street one block to the intersection with South Pinecrest Drive. This is the lower trailhead and where you will
exit via the Old Twin Peaks Trail. There is limited parking here, otherwise park along Oak Street. If you are not aware of the exit from the canyon, scout it out now (see NOTE below). For the upper trailhead, turn left onto South Pinecrest Drive and head up the hill. This road becomes very rough and a high clearance 4WD is required. Follow the road past switchbacks until it ends, after approx one half mile. There is limited parking at the end of the road by the trailhead sign. Don't block the gate at the end of the road.
If you parked at the lower trailhead, hike up South Pinecrest Drive to reach the upper trailhead and the start of the Oak Creek Trail.
From the upper trailhead, take the trail for one mile until you reach the Oak Creek Trail/Twin Peaks Trail junction. Take the right fork (Twin Peaks trail). It leads quickly down to and eventually crosses the stream. This is where you enter.
NOTE: Oak Creek crosses private land below the technical section. You MUST exit before the private land by finding the Old Twin Peaks Trail. This trail leads to the lower trailhead. If you have any doubt about finding the exit from the canyon, scout it from the lower trailhead first. Hike up the Old Twin Peaks trail from the lower trailhead (the trail starts as an extension of Queen Street, and has a sign that says "no cars, hikers only") for one half mile until you reach the overlook (there is a sign for the overlook). Continue on the trail for one minute until you reach a dirt slope that you can take to reach the creek. This is the exit. Remember it well so that you can find it when you descend the canyon. It is not obvious from the canyon floor and is not marked in any way.
Descent
Note that the rocks in this canyon are extremely slimy and slippery. You will normally find 6 rappels, but some of the downclimbs may be rappelled for safety; take extra quicklinks and webbing. Head downstream over several DC's. Within 5-10 minutes you will reach a 3 stage waterfall. Rappel off of logs or trees. Though the three stages drop only 50' or so vertically, the horizontal distance requires a 90' rappel. Below are more downclimbs skirting waterfalls until the big waterfall is reached. Rappel off of a tree CR. Reaching the anchor requires an exposed traverse. Belays advised. The stance for the anchor is steep dirt and is unpleasant. Try to prevent erosion to keep the tree strong. The rappel is around 170'. Below this are some downclimbs in water, and shortly another rappel off of a tree CL with slight exposure to reach. More downclimbing leads to a rappel off of a deciduous tree in the middle of the watercourse. The canyon opens up here and you have many downclimbs over large boulders and cascades. The canyon narrows again into a section of pools that are rappelled off of trees or boulders (trees on CL require significant exposure with somewhat difficult and dirty 5th class climbing to reach. Anchors can likely be found CR and are easier to access, though rope pull may be an issue). These pools may be downclimbable but I have not tried this. Immediately after this the stream goes under a large boulder. Rappel on CL of the boulder off of a log for 30 feet.
Exit
The canyon opens again. Continue with downclimbs and boulder hopping for 5-10 minutes. Keep a sharp eye on CL for the Old Twin Peaks trail. It is hard to spot. The telltale signs include looking up a dirt and rubble slope for 40 feet to see a log placed horizontally along the base of a cliff. The log is held by metal posts and is the trail. You may also notice the trail on a shelf downcanyon from here. We saw this exit spot at an area with a large fallen log propped atop a small cascade that, if it wasn't exposed, would make an easy way to walk off the small cascade to avoid downclimbing it. This exit spot is at UTM 13 264760E 4211490N. If you see houses you have gone too far and must backtrack and find the exit. DO NOT CONTINUE DOWN CANYON AND CROSS PRIVATE LAND! Climb up the dirt slope to reach the trail. Take the trail east for a minute to the overlook, and continue down the trail for one half mile to the lower trailhead. If you did not leave a vehicle at the lower trailhead, hike up South Pinecrest Drive until you reach the upper trailhead.
History
Ice Climbers visit the big falls, but I am not aware of any canyoning here. John Hart, Charly Oliver and Mike Dallin descended it in summer, 2007.
Photographs of this canyon are available at:
http://coloradocanyons.org/gallery/index.php
Pine Creek (of Ouray) route on Oak Creek
Overview
As Pine Creek is to Zion, Oak is to Ouray – short approach (ok, not as short as Pine Creek in Zion, but still easy), some spectacular rappels, and aside from Ivan's Tale, the most straight forward descent in the area (though it is not a beginner's canyon). Also, strangely, we found no oak trees in the watercourse - you pass many on the approach. All but one of our anchors was off of pine trees or pine logs.
Rating
3C R III. The R is due to exposure during the traverse to the anchor for the big drop. A belayed fall will keep one from going over the edge, but could still hurt.
Equipment Needed
Enough rope for a 170' rappel. 60+ feet of webbing. 6 quicklinks minimum, extra recommended. Map: Ouray quad.
Season
Mid to late summer. Gauging water flow where Oak Creek crosses South Pinecrest Drive may not be accurate as (I think) water is diverted upstream, making the flow lower than what is in the canyon. You may not get a good chance to gauge water levels until you reach the stream, one mile from the upper trailhead. Don't enter if it looks like more than 5-10cfs of water is running at the entry point.
Approach
There are two places to park for this canyon. The lower trailhead is where you will come out. It is also a place to park if you do not have a high clearance 4wd vehicle to reach the upper trailhead. The trailheads are a half-mile apart so a car shuttle is convenient but not necessary.
Go to Oak Street, which parallels Main Street on the west side of the Uncompahgre River. 3rd or 7th Avenues will take you across the river. From 3rd and Oak Street, drive north a block or so to Queen Street, which heads west. Take Queen Street one block to the intersection with South Pinecrest Drive. This is the lower trailhead and where you will
exit via the Old Twin Peaks Trail. There is limited parking here, otherwise park along Oak Street. If you are not aware of the exit from the canyon, scout it out now (see NOTE below). For the upper trailhead, turn left onto South Pinecrest Drive and head up the hill. This road becomes very rough and a high clearance 4WD is required. Follow the road past switchbacks until it ends, after approx one half mile. There is limited parking at the end of the road by the trailhead sign. Don't block the gate at the end of the road.
If you parked at the lower trailhead, hike up South Pinecrest Drive to reach the upper trailhead and the start of the Oak Creek Trail.
From the upper trailhead, take the trail for one mile until you reach the Oak Creek Trail/Twin Peaks Trail junction. Take the right fork (Twin Peaks trail). It leads quickly down to and eventually crosses the stream. This is where you enter.
NOTE: Oak Creek crosses private land below the technical section. You MUST exit before the private land by finding the Old Twin Peaks Trail. This trail leads to the lower trailhead. If you have any doubt about finding the exit from the canyon, scout it from the lower trailhead first. Hike up the Old Twin Peaks trail from the lower trailhead (the trail starts as an extension of Queen Street, and has a sign that says "no cars, hikers only") for one half mile until you reach the overlook (there is a sign for the overlook). Continue on the trail for one minute until you reach a dirt slope that you can take to reach the creek. This is the exit. Remember it well so that you can find it when you descend the canyon. It is not obvious from the canyon floor and is not marked in any way.
Descent
Note that the rocks in this canyon are extremely slimy and slippery. You will normally find 6 rappels, but some of the downclimbs may be rappelled for safety; take extra quicklinks and webbing. Head downstream over several DC's. Within 5-10 minutes you will reach a 3 stage waterfall. Rappel off of logs or trees. Though the three stages drop only 50' or so vertically, the horizontal distance requires a 90' rappel. Below are more downclimbs skirting waterfalls until the big waterfall is reached. Rappel off of a tree CR. Reaching the anchor requires an exposed traverse. Belays advised. The stance for the anchor is steep dirt and is unpleasant. Try to prevent erosion to keep the tree strong. The rappel is around 170'. Below this are some downclimbs in water, and shortly another rappel off of a tree CL with slight exposure to reach. More downclimbing leads to a rappel off of a deciduous tree in the middle of the watercourse. The canyon opens up here and you have many downclimbs over large boulders and cascades. The canyon narrows again into a section of pools that are rappelled off of trees or boulders (trees on CL require significant exposure with somewhat difficult and dirty 5th class climbing to reach. Anchors can likely be found CR and are easier to access, though rope pull may be an issue). These pools may be downclimbable but I have not tried this. Immediately after this the stream goes under a large boulder. Rappel on CL of the boulder off of a log for 30 feet.
Exit
The canyon opens again. Continue with downclimbs and boulder hopping for 5-10 minutes. Keep a sharp eye on CL for the Old Twin Peaks trail. It is hard to spot. The telltale signs include looking up a dirt and rubble slope for 40 feet to see a log placed horizontally along the base of a cliff. The log is held by metal posts and is the trail. You may also notice the trail on a shelf downcanyon from here. We saw this exit spot at an area with a large fallen log propped atop a small cascade that, if it wasn't exposed, would make an easy way to walk off the small cascade to avoid downclimbing it. This exit spot is at UTM 13 264760E 4211490N. If you see houses you have gone too far and must backtrack and find the exit. DO NOT CONTINUE DOWN CANYON AND CROSS PRIVATE LAND! Climb up the dirt slope to reach the trail. Take the trail east for a minute to the overlook, and continue down the trail for one half mile to the lower trailhead. If you did not leave a vehicle at the lower trailhead, hike up South Pinecrest Drive until you reach the upper trailhead.
History
Ice Climbers visit the big falls, but I am not aware of any canyoning here. John Hart, Charly Oliver and Mike Dallin descended it in summer, 2007.