TR – The Ultra Right Fork/Stevenson

— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “tom” wrote: > 3 more rappels and we were into the “Right Fork > Direct” route. > Day 2 starts with immediate narrows and casual pothole problems. Most> of the holes were nearly dry, except for a couple o’ short swimmers.

Congrats on finally getting to Stevenson Canyon. Been on the list way too long and although sounds not destined for classic status, sounds nice and I shall go see its charms sometime soon. Noting the pictures and the report about dry conditions in the Rt. Fork Direct, I am compelled to warn folks that this section of canyon holds lots of water and while not terribly deep, it took this long an extended dry period for it not to be the VERY wet romp it almost always is. Always go prepared with thermal protection or it will step up and bite you. ;-)

Our goal was to find a route to the head > of Stevenson Canyon which drains back into the Right Fork near our > intended campsite: “The Great Alcove”.
After a long slog in the sun back up 800′ we find a way onto a steep> ramp, then through a saddle, and down through a large forest of> Manzanita – ouch. Stevenson presented itself with a large series of> rappels to gain the canyon floor.

Ouch indeed.I once donned a wetsuit to the waist in 95 degrees in the midst of a manzanita forest. Those orange branches slice like paper cuts!

and began another sequence > of rappels and downclimbs, including one particularly nice rappel > through a bore-hole into a pool followed by a long hallway. We dropped > into the RF just 250 yards from the alcove.

Always wondered what was up that final iron watered dryfall. Thanx for the view. ;-)

> A major disaster was barely averted when I took a scary fall while > hiking a narrow section of trail around the last waterfall. I stepped > on the outer part of the trail which gave way without warning. I > immediately flipped over backwards, slid 8 feet down a 45 degree > slope, then flipped again and fell…… through 15-18′ of air, > landing on my backpack and left shoulder on another 45 degree slope. > Although scratched, bruised, and with pretty significant pain in my > shoulder I am miraculously intact. My sunglasses and my hat seem to > have perished in the tumble.

I assume this was above Double Falls, canyon left LDC? Several sections have eroded away here, not to mention much poison ivy. Glad your OK. Ahhhh, youth! R