2021-02-06, 11:09 PM
I'd recommend against doing Red Wall. The dry-fall comes up rather quickly, and from what I've read the bypass sounds a bit nasty.
Fall is nice before and after the impasse, but the bypass isn't the easiest (and the first part is a bit of a scramble, if I recall correctly).
The best slots in Moonlight are in the side canyon near Moonlight Bridge; otherwise the main canyon is a fairly wide open wash and the first few side slots aren't that spectacular, in my opinion. If you have time to get to the bridge, I'd highly recommend it, but if not then there might be better options.
Palmer Canyon (first major canyon north of Fall) is very nice, and a lot like Fall Canyon except without the dry-fall right away; I haven't been there for a while but I'd highly recommend it. I think there is a small boulder jam at some point but I'd need to double-check where exactly it is. I think it's easier to access from the main road than from Fall Canyon (plus you don't have to deal with what Steve Hall calls the Cauldron).
Rock Nettle Slots are also good; the bypass is loose but not too bad, relative to other dry-fall bypasses in the area.
Be mindful of mountain lions in this part of the Grapevines. The last few times we were in that area, which was admittedly a few years ago, we encountered a lot of bones, scat, and remains of a bighorn.
Fall is nice before and after the impasse, but the bypass isn't the easiest (and the first part is a bit of a scramble, if I recall correctly).
The best slots in Moonlight are in the side canyon near Moonlight Bridge; otherwise the main canyon is a fairly wide open wash and the first few side slots aren't that spectacular, in my opinion. If you have time to get to the bridge, I'd highly recommend it, but if not then there might be better options.
Palmer Canyon (first major canyon north of Fall) is very nice, and a lot like Fall Canyon except without the dry-fall right away; I haven't been there for a while but I'd highly recommend it. I think there is a small boulder jam at some point but I'd need to double-check where exactly it is. I think it's easier to access from the main road than from Fall Canyon (plus you don't have to deal with what Steve Hall calls the Cauldron).
Rock Nettle Slots are also good; the bypass is loose but not too bad, relative to other dry-fall bypasses in the area.
Be mindful of mountain lions in this part of the Grapevines. The last few times we were in that area, which was admittedly a few years ago, we encountered a lot of bones, scat, and remains of a bighorn.
Link to my DV trip reports, and map of named places in DV (official and unofficial): http://kaurijacobphotography.yolasite.com