Scouting locations and logistics for an upcoming field trip provided a good excuse to check out some new-to-me locations in the Salton Trough. To start things off we drove to the Painted Canyon roadend trailhead, unsurprisingly quite busy with hikers. We hiked up Painted Canyon past Ladder Canyon to confirm what I thought- there was a drop in the next canyon past that would prevent a loop. We walked just a little further to check out some of the neat metamorphic rocks exposed then returned to the car.
We drove a short 0.5 miles back down the road to park at the entrance for the east fork slot canyon network that I have never explored. We packed a small daypack with a bit of water; in hindsight I probably should have packed a bit more water and some snacks. We passed through colorful metamorphic rocks to end up back in the Painted Canyon Formation sediments. In the south branch we explored a slot with a rockfall bridge overhead and then onward to three progressively sketchier ladders up dryfalls. Returning back to the start of the slot we then went 100ft up a very dark slot to where it ended at an unclimbable dryfall.
Retracing steps to enter a separate branch of the network, we checked out two more small tributary slots, the first skinny and dusty, the second short and less interesting. We now went up the main west branch hoping that we would be able to do a clockwise loop returning down the main east branch. This slot was the best yet. It was long and sustained and had some interesting swooping corners and nice layers. A few sections were particularly dark with great chockstone overhead.
At a rope handline we passed the subtle junction with the middle fork that could not be upclimbed, then had a series of interesting ladders to climb. Someone placed sketchy bolts in the soft rock to help brace the ladders, but fortunately the ladders themselves were in good shape. The slot canyon section between the ladders here was probably the best we saw this day.
After the final sequence of three ladders the west fork related into more open wash and we clambered up onto the ridgeline nearby and gained a trail continuing around the formidable middle fork. This section had some neat badlands as we followed a prominent fault just above the starts of the canyons. Overlooking the east fork I was really unclear how we would get down! I skidded my way down directly only to find a large dryfall; obviously we would have to find some other way downstream. A very short distance further we came to the gully right on the yellow-red fault. This looked like a horrible way down but sure enough closer inspection revealed a narrow mountain goat-like trail leading to some ladders and then mysterious horizonlines. Step-by-step and rung-by-rung we slowly made it down. One ladder was particularly tall and exposed but otherwise straightforward. Finally we reached the floor of the east fork, at least for now.
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| Bottom of the fault gully |
A short distance further was the most daunting ladder yet: a tall one that needed to be a little taller, requiring awkwardly bearhugging a large rock to get into position. After much deliberation we found an alternative downclimbing option for Heather, which she much preferred. This canyon then cut down to its basement, exposing some particularly folded metamorphic rocks that made for an interesting contrast. Then some red and green layers made me think of Christmas. Both forks of the canyon were quite different in what they offered. Near the bottom there was one short slot section, then we were back where the canyons joined and a short jaunt back to the car in the main Painted Canyon.
We pulled out the snacks and drove on. I was inspired to spend at least another day or two exploring the remaining canyons in the area sometime soon. We drove a half hour south and east of the Salton Sea to check out Dos Palmas Preserve, an interesting palm tree oasis right on the San Andreas Fault. We went for the short loop hike through the northern part of the grove. It was neat but clearly had seen better days with presumably less groundwater at present than in the recent past.
We then checked out Travertine Point on the northwest side of the Salton Sea where ancient peoples built scooped out depressions on the rocky ancient shores of Lake Cahuilla to trap fish. It was a weird site with roadside parking, a trashed field and a walk skirting a semi-abandoned orchard. We got lucky meeting a very friendly guy who grew up right on this spot and showed us right to the fish traps. Roughly 40 of these engineered depressions remain along three strand lines, all below the obvious full pool level. I had been curious about this site for ages so it was great to finally get to visit it.
Lastly I scouted an access point to view the Martinez Mountain Landslide. Despite no entry signs it seemed to be used by local walkers and served my purpose well. We ended the day with tasty food in Palm Springs. The original plan was to drive on to Joshua Tree to camp and go for a hike in the morning, but after a filling meal, finding all the park's campsites reserved, and realizing it was equal distance to home and to dusty dry lake camping, the call of shower and bed won out.
