Shaver Cut (Upper Stevenson Creek)

A short swift water canyon right next to the road. The canyon is only a hundred yards long or so if done as a loop, but it is challenging as it is a tricky V slot with very fast water. The flow is usually 5-7cfs. Online flow information is available. The creek has cut a V shaped sluice with several small waterfalls between the main dome and a steep granite slab on the left. Parts of the sluice can be bridged, but the sides are so slippery that it is impossible to stay out the water. When in the water it is very powerful and difficult to deal with. Flow information is available from Southern Cal Edison at: [1] Stevenson Creek Below Shaver Lake The canyon can optionally completed to the road below, making it probably the best fun for the effort in the area. Short, nearly level approach and exit bookend a really fun pothole slot section with really pushy water and a couple jumps and short low-angle slides later in the canyon, broken up by creek sections which are level, mostly open, completely lacking in poison oak (seriously, didn't see ANY), and feature blackberries at the right time of year.

Take Highway 168 from Fresno to Shaver Lake. Going around the lake, the road drops down to cross Stevenson Creek below Shaver Dam. There is a very large turnout parking area just before the road crosses the creek. An obvious granite dome rises above the creek. Short trails lead from the parking area to the dome. The left hand trail follows the creek then crosses at a small gauging weir. The trail leads to ledges at the base of the dome and climbing routes leading up from there. The creek has cut a V shaped sluice with several small waterfalls between the main dome and a steep granite slab on the left.

R1: 60', fast moving water be careful to not be swept off the edge of R2 R2: 70', rappel to a redirection and use the redirection to stay out of the waterfall. The flow can have the effect of pulling you in towards the crack, and making it difficult to escape if one were to get stuck in the crack. This crack has been the site of a canyoneering fatality in 2014, after the canyoneer failed to reach the newer redirect, swung into the crack, was forced upside down, and quickly drowned. There may have been a foot entrapment. It is almost impossible to see or hear what is going on from the top or bottom. Rescue is improbable. As of September 2016 a second bolt has been added to the redirect. This way the first party member down can set up a traverse for the rest of the group. This avoids an intimidating traversing rappel for the rest of the group members, and provides more rescue options if someone gets stuck in the crack. The rappel from here still puts you into the full force of the waterfall, and is quite intense, but gives you a better angle. Trying to avoid the waterflow altogether could result in a dangerous pendulum into the crack. The bent-open hook (held on by a rusted quick link) is still there as of September 2016, please consider bringing a wrench to remove the unsafe hardware. R3: 15’ down a boulder (or through a crack to the right of it). This could also be downclimbed. R4 (optional): approx. 100’. A final open waterfall could be rappelled to add a little to the canyon. Option: exit here for a loop back to your car, OR: Continue down canyon from here to a narrow slot section with several potholes in a short series and pushy water. A tree was rigged to drop halfway into it, which we completed on rope to above the last pothole. We slid the last pothole. Hydraulics were notable but all potholes were escapable in ~6.5 cfs. Below this there are a few good short slides, a couple jumps (check potholes!), and, if you're lucky, some tasty blackberries to get you through the longest creek walking section.

The canyon opens completely at the base of the dome. From this point, scramble and hike to the right (east) around the base of the dome and continue back up to the road. This is generally the preferred exit. An alternative option is to climb the backside of the dome, which involves very exposed terrain but offers an interesting route. From the top of the dome, downclimb the south side through a short tunnel and a series of sloping ramps.