Date: December 20 2023
Place: Surprise Canyon Wilderness, Inyo County
Coordinates: 36.115455, -117.142173
Length: 3.5 miles
Level: extreme
It rained for a few hours during our second night up Surprise Canyon. By midnight the rain had stopped, but the wind continued intermittently throughout the night. My sleep was also intermittent and disturbed with new worries about possible flooding. Where we camped was high enough from the creek and it was safe, but I worried about the possibility of getting stuck up the canyon if the water level rose too much because of the rain.
When I woke up for the final time in the morning, there were leftover clouds in the sky, and a lovely rainbow over the ridge on the east. The weather was cool and the air still - the wind had died down too. It was a beautiful morning.
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| Rainbow |
The canyon below us looked as calm and serene as it was on the morning the day before. I listened carefully to the nearby creek trying to pick up if it sounded stronger than yesterday. It might have been louder, or perhaps it was my imagination.
We had breakfast and broke camp without needless lingering. We both were in agreement that it would be best to get down the canyon right away, knowing already that the downhill path wasn't an easy one and would take time. We also had a long drive ahead of us after being done with the hike. We packed everything, and after a short discussion, decided to stay wearing our hiking shoes rather than change right away to the muck boots with which we ascended the canyon on our first day.
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| Our hike as captured by my GPS |
When we crossed the creek to the north side I tried to assess the flow. It did seem slightly stronger, but not by much. As far as I was concerned, we were good to go on. I had my half a liter thermal cup full with freshly brewed tea and A.S. had a single drinking bottle full. Neither of us bothered to fill the rest of our water containers. The creek was flowing all the way down from where we camped, there wpuld be no problem getting more water if we needed too.
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| Surprise Creek |
The sky was slowly clearing up from the few clouds left of last night's storm. Inside the canyon it was still pretty dark though. Surprise Canyon is oriented east to west and we'd have to wait until the sun cleared the south ridge to get directly illuminated. So far we have not yet felt direct sun and I was hoping for that to happen.
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| Surprise Canyon, view downhill |
The first part of our descend was easy. We walked briskly along the narrow gravel trail on the north side of the canyon. I was in the lead and I paused briefly here and there to take a few photos, but hardly as many as I did on the way up.
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We made a steady progress down the canyon. Meanwhile the peaks of the north ridge above us lit up with direct sunlight. There were hardly any clouds above us now.
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| Surprise Canyon, sunlight on the north ridge |
Fairly quickly we reached the part of the hike where we had to get through water. Too quickly, I thought. I didn't remember having to walk through much water above the Limekiln Spring on our way up the canyons two days ago. I guess the creek flow was higher this morning. A.S.'s shoes were waterproof and the flow wasn't too high, so he stepped confidently in the water. My shoes which started their hiking career as waterproof, were too warn out to keep the water out. I didn't feel like switching to my muck boots though. I sighed and followed A.S., trying to be more careful where I stepped.
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| Surprise Creek |
Naturally, we walked slower now. A.S. said that he was hopeful we'll get back to Chris Wicht Camp where we were parked by noon. My latest estimated time to finish the hike was at 2:00 pm. I didn't pause as much to take photos now, since we had come this way on our way up. Still, there were some sights that lured me too powerfully.
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| Death Valley Penstemon, Penstemon fruticiformis |
We reached Limekiln Spring and this time stayed away from the tentacles of the grapevine trap. We also weren't in any need of more water. I was alarmed to find out that my camera top display window had a crack. The lens filter also looked scratched. I wonder when did this happen because I though I was careful enough protecting my camera.
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| Limekiln Spring |
The trail was certainly more flooded below Limekiln Spring. It occurred to me that last night's rain was only in our campsite elevation and that higher, in the Panamint City altitude where the night temperatures were sub-freezing, it had snowed. As the day warmed up that snow would melt and keep on feeding the creek throughout the day. By then my shoes were already wet and although I did try to avoid wading it was clear that there would be no point for me to change to the muck boots when we'd reach the waterfalls section.
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| Trampled horsetail over the flooded trail |
Past Limekiln Spring we needed to cross again to the south side of the canyon. Neither of us kept a clear memory of how did the trail go on our way up - there were too many dead ends and false pathways. Between us though, we figured it out much quicker this time. We still had to do quite a bit of bushwhacking, but at least we saved ourselves doing it back and forth along false paths.
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| Surprise Canyon |
The crossing point was pretty muddy and looked considerably deeper than it was when we passed this way on the way up. I took a while to recognize the creek crossing place, A.S. had to reassure me that he certainly remembers it to be the right place.
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| Surprise Creek |
He was right, too. We crossed to the south side of the canyon and found the place (or a similar point) where we could climb the gravel canyon side and join the narrow, cairn-marked trail there.
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| Emory's Rock Daisy, Perityle emoryi |
I checked the stream again from above. When comparing with my photo of the same little water drop that i took two days ago, it does look like the flow was somewhat stronger. It was hard to estimate by how much though, because there were other channels of water flow in that segment of canyon besides the main one of the creek.
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| Surprise Creek |
I don't usually get nervous about difficult trails. This one however, had a few points of challenge that had me concerned. The first of which was coming right up and that was the steep slope of loose dirt and gravel on which we were to descend back down into the canyon. For most hikers that would hardly be a challenge but after abusing my knees for years doing all sorts of sports, and after taking several damaging spills on exactly this sort of path, I was feeling apprehensive. There was no better way downhill though so I steadied my legs and walked slowly down the trail, testing each foothold before placing my weight on it. Soon I was down without any problems, having to use the butt-sliding technique only in a couple of iffy places. A.S. waited patiently until I was at the bottom then he followed me downhill.
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| Surprise Canyon, view downstream from the high trail point |
Now we were walking in the difficult section of the canyon between the Limekiln Spring and the top of the waterfalls. This section is difficult because of having to identify the correct path and then bushwhack our way through. Relying on our memories from the way up helped making it easier, but we were walking there at about half the pace we were walking on the higher part of the canyon.
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| Wading and Bushwhacking |
As the canyon walls closed in on us and the numerous channels of water flow merged with one another it became obvious that the water level was higher now than it was two days ago. The night's rain and snow enhanced the creek very nicely. I thought about how it might affect descending down the waterfalls and cascades and came to the conclusion that it will probably be ok but with much higher probability of getting wet. I looked at the crack of my camera's display window and told A.S. that I would be packing my camera inside my backpack for the waterfalls section and asked him to take photos (he used his phone for that) and for permission to use them here.
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| Wading and Bushwhacking |
That was still to come though. We still had to traverse a good chunk of overgrown thicket of riparian canyon vegetation to get there. It was nice to see the line of sunlight getting closer as we progressed.
In one of the places where we had to bypass the vegetation by climbing the soft lower layer of the canyon wall I spotted a ripe coyote melon and pointed it out to A.S. He was ready to cut the fruit open and enjoy it right then and there but his enthusiasm subsided when I told him this fruit would make him sick. This beauty was for the eyes only, not a human food.
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| Coyote Melon, Cucurbita palmata |
We were enjoying a bit of easy walk on a dry part of the trail when we finally met with the direct sunlight. It was finally warm enough to remove my jacket. At last I could properly enjoy the gorgeous autumn colors of the canyon trees and bushes.
Most times of the year direct sunlight isn't a desired thing in the Panamint area, but after the cold wintery days we'd had, basking in the sun was a welcomed change. We took a short water break, but I wanted to wait until we've reached the top of the high waterfall before taking a more serious break.
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| California Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), and Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) |
Our easy walk above the creek was over and we descended back into the bush. The line of trees leading to the waterfall section of the canyon looked much more bare now that it was two days ago. Last night's wind had done its part giving he canyon a more wintery look.
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| Riparian Vegetation |
I was in the lead again when I spotted the old deserted pickup truck. I suppose some future flash flood would drop it down the canyon where it might block it. Would the BLM or the park's authorities clear it if this happens? Or would they simply let Nature take its course and eliminate the human evidence in its own good time?
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| Old Truck Junk |
On the rocky ledge at the top of the higher waterfall we sat down to rest and eat an early lunch. It was somewhat past 11 am and I was less optimistic about finishing the hike before noon, but there was no reason to be in a hurry - we were far from being pressed for time. I told A.S. of my decision to remain wearing my hiking shoes, which were already wet from al the up canyon wading. I didn't mind that because I had dry sneakers and a new pair of socks waiting for me in the car. A.S. decided to continue with his hiking shoes as well - better traction and maneuverability this way.
This time I remembered to go to the water and take some photos. Most of the higher waterfall was hidden from view behind a thick wall of horsetails but I had a nice view of the water funneling int the waterfall rock chute. One of these photos heads this blogpost.
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| Top of the higher waterfall |
After the break I took the lead. I snapped one last photo looking down the chute that was plugged with vegetation on the north side. Then I wrapped my camera well inside my jacket, stuffed it inside my backpack, and started descending carefully between the vegetation and the smooth rock of the canyon's north wall.
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| Top of the higher waterfall |
A.S. caught me on camera as I was making my way to the rock ledge, where I eventually sat down, tossed my hiking poles ahead of me, and butt-slid my way to the bottom of the waterfall.
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| Going down alongside the higher waterfall |
When he reached the bottom A.S. took a phot looking up. The bottom part looked like a mild cascade but up the chute it is pretty steep and the flow was fast and strong. I was glad we didn't have to climb this one inside the water.
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| Bottom of the higher waterfall |
A couple of cascade stretches later we reached the top of the middle and most formidable waterfall. When I looked down I saw four hikers looking at us curiously, as if wondering how we'll get down from there. In fact, I was asking myself the same question - this waterfall, now running faster than it did two days ago, was the second challenge point for me. I wasn't very trusting of my balance and I already mentally resigned to having to butt-slide this one down. A.S. saved my grace again by going first, testing the best route down the waterfall. I followed suit, and made it down on my two feet all the way. We both got soaked to the knees in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, but what of it. It felt nice.
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| Middle Waterfall |
We passed a few minutes chit-chatting with the four hikers we've met at the bottom of the waterfall. One of them, I assume she was relatively local, said this was the highest flow she'd ever seen in Surprise Canyon. they were day hikers and didn't plan to go to Panamint City. Later we saw that they didn't continue any higher than where we've seen them. I retrieved my camera from my backpack and snapped a few dark shots before realizing it was in the wrong settings.
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| Surprise Canyon |
Soon we were back in the realm of pathfinding and also some more (albeit lighter) bushwhacking. Somehow we ended up walking along the south side of the canyon when we passed the bottom waterfall, and I missed taking photos of that one.
I did get notice a dry rock chute that looked like once it was a running waterfall, but the stream got diverted to the north side of the canyon.
Below that we had some more wading and bushwhacking to do but we were getting close to the end now. Not much longer we would end the hike.
One big surprise I had n my Surprise Canyon hike of 2016 was sighting an American dipper bird there, very far away from the nearest dipper habitat. I wondered how it found this stream in the first place, and I learned that apparently, this individual was known to the local birders. I was hoping to see it again on this hike but I didn't. I don't know what is the lifespan of a dipper. It likely had passed away without sharing the location secret with any of his kin. My romantic hear however, told me that it was just hiding somewhere in the bush, waiting for the noisy humans to go away. No dipper then, but lots of lovely fall colors at the bottom of the canyon.
Attempting to find an easier path through the cattail and cottonwood I led us to the north side of the canyon where I found a faint trail above the stream.
We walked easily on that trail for a while, watching the four hikers we've met earlier struggling a gravel slope on the south side. When it was time to cross the creek again to reunite with the main trail however, we found that it was impossible. The stream hud cut a deep furrow in the creek bed, the sides f which were muddy and crumbling, and very unsafe. Should we go back and try crossing higher?
Eventually I decided it would be better to continue on the north side to the facility ruins at the Chris Wicht Camp and cross there. I hoped it would be easier there.
From the facility ruins we had a clear view of the camp site and of my car, still waiting there, undisturbed. Now we needed to get down to the creek and across it to the other side. A.S. captured a photo of me descending a short flight of stairs that ended in a slipperry gravel slope and a high ledge. There was and old, rusty cable there and I used it to balance myself down the gravel slope. Then I sat on the ledge and cvarefully lowered myself down to the bottom. A.S. followed suit.
Crossing the creek below the ruins was a non issue. We then found a path up the south side to the main trail and all of a sudden, we were done with our hike. I took a goodbye photo of Surprise Creek fall colors and went to the car.
We were relieved to take off our backpacks. It was 1:00 pm - right between A.S.'s estimation of our arrival time, and mine. We took a few more minutes at the Christ Wicht Camp to rest and snack. I changed my pants, socks and shews. A.S., who didn't have spare shoes changed only his socks. We then faced the third point of concern - driving out on a really bad dirt road that may have been even more damaged by last night's storm.
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| Trail's End |
Thankfully the car was up to the challenge. There was n significant creek flow we had to cross and the car went up the scary step with only minor protests. It took me an hour of slow and calculated driving to get us out to the ghost town of Ballarat at Panamint Valley, and from there an easy 20 minutes drive to Trona, where we stopped to eat a late lunch and have the pleasure of using a real toilet and to wash our hands and faces in a real sink. In Trona I yielded the wheel to A.S. and I was grateful that he was willing to drive all the long way back to the Bay Area.
A few times that day I asked A.S. how did he like this trip, it being his first backpacking experience. This trip was immensely challenging to me, and I'm experienced. This was hardly a suitable trip to initiate a novice on. A.S. told me different things at different times on the trip. It was hard on him too - he said he had certainly pushed his limits on this one. He said that he was close to a breaking point a few times on this trip but he was glad to have stuck on and pushed through, and that all and all, he mostly enjoyed the trip and that he was glad that he came along. With light cynicism he added that it was god for the trip to have been this hard because from now on all the other trips he'll go on would seem a piece of cake in comparison. He also admitted that next time I'll invite him on a backpacking trip he'd take care t interrogate me better for the details ... I contemplated that and answered in truth that I didn't know what I could have done to be better prepared fr this trip. I have talked with the park ranger, and I've read other hikers' accounts, trying to find the most recent ones. We were well prepared for the cold - more so than we needed, since we didn't reach the heights of Panamint City, and we were prepared for wading in the water ,and for treading up and down the waterfalls. We weren't prepared for the amount of bushwhacking we needed to do - none of my information sources indicated more than 'light bushwhacking here and there', nor for the deteriorated state or the nonexistence of a real trail for a large part of the hike. Considering how much work was going up from where we had camped to Panamint City, I don't think we would have made it there in one day no matter how early we would have started, certainly not on a short December day. Come to think of it, we made the best decision to camp where we did rather than to try and push it farther up the canyon. The bottom line was that I didn't think I could have prepared any better for this trip. I didn't hide any information from A.S., all the surprising challenges were just as surprising to me.
I told as much to A.S. It might not have been fair on my side to invite him on a trip that I knew would be challenging (although I did not know just how challenging it would be), but I was glad that he had joined me. It is very possible that had I've been there on my own I might not have reached Panamint City.
A.S. had seen enough of this trail. I however, was left again with the taste of missing out. My original plan was to spend some time exploring the Panamint City area. I was glad that we did get there and saw some of it, but I felt it was too short and not satisfying. I don't really know if I'd go up there again - I want to, but I'd have to be better prepared and plan for a longer trip with shorter daily hikes that would suit my physical abilities. I probably won't bother with muck boots - they're too heavy for their worth. A second, old pair of light hiking shoes would be a much better choice for the wading in the water section. And I would definitely bring a machete next time around, and a tube of cortisone ointment. But who knows? Maybe by next time Surprise Canyon will prepare other surprises for me. That's how desert hikes go.
Many thanks for A.S. for the photos he allowed me to use on this blog, and for joining me on this trip and being a great company!
