Canyons near Black Point and other options

[Daymoth]

So trying to find options for this winter break considering the closures.

I think we will finally give Surprise Canyon a go assuming the road is passable ( the BLM folks think it is). And will climb artist peak.

Im also looking at the canyons near black point assuming Towne will be open. Im curious about the weird rocks and strech pebbles in those canyons. But as allways, we are just mediocre scramblers and the dryfalls may be an issue. Any guidance or recommendations on wich of those canyons will give us fun exploring without imediately hitting a difficult dryfall? 

Thanks!

[MojaveGeek]

Check out Kauri's TRs; she's done them all! From her advice we went up "Black Point Canyon" - the one immediately downhill from Black Point itself. I think that's the one that has the old dump. I wonder if it changed in the flood, though, because IIRC you start hiking at a spot where the road crosses low across the wash of that canyon, and I think I saw a photo of a half buried car there in the carnage? Anyway, that canyon (if it is the one I am thinking of) goes way up, and then there's a fork, and you can continue either branch.

There's another she calls "Cairn Canyon" which is also good but I don't have GPS tracks and my memory is a bit weak to nail it down precisely.

The one Digonnet calls Stretched Pebble has some cool stretched pebbles, but there is a fall which was too much for us. Still worth a visit I think, you can get far enough.

There's some interesting slots that have been explored by one of our members, sorry can't remember who, way further up near Towne Pass (also on the south side of 190).

Have you been up Grotto? It is pretty nice too, and following Kauri's footsteps we enjoyed a trip up the first side canyon. There are clearly visible paths as workarounds from the obstacles. I gather there was a lot of gravel that came down and the road my be trashed. Without a good vehicle you used to be able to get up to the canyon mouth, where there is / was a big drop of a couple of feet.

Little Bridge? Haven't been up there in decadess, but saw some sheep when I did.

[MojaveGeek]

Oh, and which peak is the one you call "artist peak"?

Like you, I'm watching the road updates, but don't plan to be out till March so hoping much is resolved by then.

[Kauri]

Geek, I certainly have not done all of those canyons, and there are still quite a few more I'd like to do

Anything between Black Point and Mosaic Canyon is probably going to have a lot of dry-fall's.

The canyon at the absolute northernmost tip of Black Point, what I've been calling "Sculptured Canyon," is quite nice if you're willing to do the bypass I've noted in my TRs.

Black Point North is nice, I recall a couple small dry-falls but nothing too challenging, but it was a long time ago that I hiked it.

I didn't think Black Point South was as nice, but others might differ.

Cairn Canyon is good, a little scrambling like Black Point North but nothing major.

The major canyon between Cairn Canyon and Telephone Canyon's Northern Side Canyon I haven't hiked but Steve Hall did, and there's an old car quite a ways up in that canyon (as well as in Black Point North if I recall correctly).

There are a bunch of minor canyons/drainages interspersed between these canyons, that I'm hoping to check out someday. Pretty much the further south you go the less likely you'll encounter dry-fall's, based on the topography of the area.

[MojaveGeek]

Since I got most of my ideas in this area from Kauri, take what she says as truth and what I said as random ramblings.

[Kauri]

Since I got most of my ideas in this area from Kauri, take what she says as truth and what I said as random ramblings.

...with the caveat that Geek's memory at this point may be much better than my (exhausted and overworked) brain's memory   especially when it comes to the location of stretched pebbles. I did remember after I posted the above reply that you had spotted some nice stretched pebbles in Cairn Canyon which we had missed.

[Daymoth]

Thanks both!

I think grotto is closed and my understanding is that it required serious scrambling. Ill check about the bypasses in case it reopens.

Easy dryfalls like the ones in the artist palette slots we love. Harder ones will defeat us lol.

[MojaveGeek]

Grotto main canyon bottom is serious enough scrambling to be out of my reach, but if you look carefully there are bypasses and the first big side canyon is great (again, thank you Kaiuri). If the road is closed, perhaps just walk up it, and you'll have to place to yourselves. I may do that in March... but hoping more roads are open before then.

[Beardilocks]

I will confirm the Diggonets “Stretched Pebble” canyon has a number of tougher dryfalls. And while most have a workaround, they tend to be steep and loose.

On the reverse I found Grotto rather fun and just the right level of challenging. Maybe I had the wrong thing for breakfast on the day I did Stretched Pebble. Who knows.

[Daymoth]

So we did a quick visit during thanksgiving, ill post a report once I get to it. The road to Surprise Canyon was in top notch condition and we went back to Borax Benchmark after a failed attempt to go up Artist palette peak.

Now thinking about christmas:

Wanted to see Cyti and Bell extension but Keane wonder road is still closed. Bleh.

Seems like Marble canyon is now open again. Im a bit concerned about the sand on that road. We tried last winter in an AWD SUV and wimped out concerned we would get stuck....

Ive never been to the Mojave preserve, any thoughts? The road to the cinder cone and lava tubes is closed though.