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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2011 - 09:14am PT
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Started this thread two years ago..now we're actually going into Cherry Creek drainage this weekend.
Talk about a long preparation. Thinking of either just hiking in and backpacking down the creek, OR maybe hiking straight into the drainage from Shingle Springs, making a two night camp and dayhiking Cherry Creek while staying IN the drainage...Cherry Bomb Gorge with a wetsuit?
Either way should be fun. The rolling granite looks incredible. Climbing galore.
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Sep 27, 2011 - 10:21am PT
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just did it 10 days ago-easily one of the best sierra trips. incredible scenery, no people, no trash or footprints, no trails. we took 3 days, cill pace, not too difficult. i'd recommend a pair of climbing shoes only, there's some killer toulumne style bouldering.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2011 - 11:57am PT
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David,
Cool! Did you stay in the drainage or skirt well around?
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Sep 27, 2011 - 11:58am PT
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I walked up Cherry Creek to it's source and over Brown Bear Pass to Kennedy Meadows about 35 years ago. The most memorable moment was almost stepping on a coiled rattle snake! If you go over Brown Bear Pass check out Lost Lake [just off trail] for some great eastside views.
Have Fun
lars
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Sep 27, 2011 - 12:43pm PT
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inner city, we stayed in the drainage, skirted up and around the steepest sections, and then dropped back to the pools. It was all good walking on sweet granite slabs...
we exited the canyon at about mile 16 of the creek, contoured up and over a finger of red rock, down a bit, then slab stepped and bushwhacked up to the 5900 mark on the road. Pretty straightforward, not as nasty and brushy as we feared.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Sep 27, 2011 - 12:59pm PT
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there was a huge fire up there that sterilized the soil,
so maybe not as pretty as it used to be,
looks like moonscape,
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 4, 2011 - 02:30pm PT
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Had a great trip down Cherry Canyon this weekend. The Cherry Bomb Gorge section (narrow!) was a spectacular canyoneering section. Flowing water, jumping into pools, amazing.
The climbing in there looks incredible if you are willing to hump all your stuff in there...Clint's database upthread details some of these backcountry dome gems.
That canyon is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 13, 2013 - 05:32pm PT
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Yeah, Leor really gets around!
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used to be hard
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Aug 13, 2013 - 02:43am PT
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Bumping a dusty thread.
Cherry Creek is indeed a paradise. I hiked in and climbed and drank and drilled and got very frightened many times with Todd, Norman, Pat, and others who put up routes there. I remember going in with Doug R. once too. Lots of fun.. Somewhere there is a binder with route descriptions and topos. Maybe I can track it down. I have a lot slides from those trips too. An amazing corner of the world.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 13, 2013 - 05:32am PT
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Check my post on the second page of this thread:
Mar 1, 2011 - 10:52pm PT
The topos and trail map are now scanned on my page:
http://www.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/cherryck/index.htm
It should have the topos you are thinking of.
If you've got corrections or more routes/topos, please send me copies or scan and I'll add them to that online collection.
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used to be hard
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Aug 15, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
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Hah, yes those are at least some of the topos from Todd Vogel's binder. What a blast from the past. May I ask how you came across them?
I'm pretty sure there are more routes than these. At the very least there was whole "sport climbing" area we put up near the creek, upstream from the camp site. I forget what we called it. By "sport climbing" I mean mostly bolts, drilled by hand, ground up. That was the year Doug Robinson came in with us. Maybe he remembers more about the routes (Doubtful... <grin>).
Next time I see Todd I"ll ask him if he knows the whereabouts of the binder.
Man, I loved that place. We used to hike in with ridiculous pigs so we could set up luxury camps with lawn chairs, martinis, boom-boxes, etc. Good times.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 15, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
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Was in Upper Cherry drainage on a canyoneering adventure last month. An absolutely spectacular landscape to say the least.
I think it is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. That was my second time through and I hope there will be more visits.
Some incredible pictures of the drainage are available here:
http://pantilat.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/cherry-creek-canyon/
This guy is an ultra runner who runs 40 plus miles in the backcountry like its nothing and takes incredible pictures!
There looked to be a ton of interesting routes out there. The swimming and narrow section (Cherry Bomb Gorge) were big highlights.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 15, 2013 - 06:40pm PT
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Hah, yes those are at least some of the topos from Todd Vogel's binder. What a blast from the past. May I ask how you came across them?
I got them from Tom Addison.
It looks like a fun place, but I'm a weak hiker and haven't made it in there yet.
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used to be hard
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Aug 15, 2013 - 09:01pm PT
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At least back when we were going there regularly (mid '80's) the hike really wasn't that bad. (I swear I'm not sand-bagging). We used to hike upstream from the reservoir, on the east side, which, while longer, was easier than parking above and hiking down and across the canyon.
I don't know if things have changed now from fires, logging, etc.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 15, 2013 - 09:56pm PT
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I think you are describing hiking north from the east side of Cherry Lake reservoir, i.e. purple line below?
Yeah, it does not gain much elevation, and avoids crossing the creek.
It looks like 4-5 miles in.
When describing myself as a "weak hiker", I guess it's true that in recent years I have hiked into Snake Dike (carrying nothing), and Starr King. But I avoided Cathedral Peak and Third Pillar for years, and doubt I will ever go in to Mathes Crest or Mt. Conness.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 16, 2013 - 01:40am PT
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Clint,
With all the experience and strength you have, it is hard to imagine that you would be put off by some modest approach hikes. This must be the real sandbag here. You could do the hike in to Cathedral easily I'm guessing. Matthes too. Maybe these routes are just too easy to warrant the effort?
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Luke
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