This trip was canceled due to weather conditions.
The Upper Salome trip will be an exploratory trip, and we don't know what we'll find, so the group size should be more limited than usual, and probably only experienced canyoneers should go.
Note that this is NOT the Salome trip we do almost every May. That trip is to the Jug and will be May 10 or 11 this year.
-----Original Message----
From: Watts, Allan
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003
To: Kathy Sharp, Rogil Schroeter, Michael Watts, Rich Kocher
Subject: Salome from the top
I'd like to go into the top of Salome Canyon this spring and was wondering if you would be interested in joining me.
Below is a link to a map of where I am planning to start. We would come in from the North on the road that is just East of Indian Camp Canyon, and park at Cataract Canyon, just downstream from the confluence with Indian Camp. We would go downstream from there to Salome, with the ultimate goal being the confluence with Workman Creek, three miles (as the crow flies) to the South.
Last year I did the first mile, or may be a little more. It was just starting to get interesting when I ran out of time. I did not reach any obstacles that required swimming or ropes in that distance, but would expect to encounter both before reaching Workman Creek. I have also hiked into the confluence of Salome and Workman via trail 284 and Workman Creek. The area at the confluence is a spectacular granite canyon with a series of pools and water falls. I climbed around some pools, swam one pool, climbed a waterfall, swam another pool, and was blocked by another water fall when I went up Salome from Workman. There was a possibility of a class 5 climb around.
My plan for this year is to drive up one day and camp where we park. Then hike on the second day and return to town late that evening. My preference would be a Friday and Saturday, so we can rest on Sunday, but another option would be Saturday and Sunday. Assuming it stays fairly dry, I think late April or early May would be the best time to do it. We would take some ropes and prusiks and go downstream, and see how far we can get, leaving any ropes in place as we go. We would return by the same route by prusiking up the ropes. If we are able to reach Workman Creek, on a future trip I would like to pull the ropes as we go and hike out either at Workman or at the Jug.
If you are interested and available, please let me know which weekends during that time frame would work for you. You are welcome to send this e-mail to other canyoneers, or we can set a date and then invite them.
Allan Watts
http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.917818259036&lon=-111.03435788835381& s=50&symshow=n
-----Original Message---
Subject: RE: Salome from the top
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003
From: "Watts, Allan"
It looks like the consensus is Saturday April 19. We will drive up on the 18th (Friday) and camp at the trail head. I need to get there before dark to make sure I can find it, but if others need to leave later that day, I can leave some signs.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Upper Salome 4/19/2003
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:39:50 -0700
From: "Watts, Allan"
[snip] It is an exploratory trip and we don't know what we will find. I plan to bring several ropes of different sizes and be prepared to rappel, prusik, and swim. We will return by the same route, so no one has to do anything they don't want to do. If we have a lot of people and the opportunity to use the ropes, we will have to be careful not to create any traffic jams going back, and yet not leave just a few people to carry all the ropes.
4wd is needed to get there. [snip]