Barnhardt Canyon

The descent includes many obstacles that some may wish to rappel based off skill level or current conditions. For a group of advanced downclimbers, the 80’ drop may be the only mandatory rappel in the canyon. Other groups may rig 6+ rappels. Be prepared with the skills and anchor material needed to assess each obstacle and construct an anchor if necessary. The first vertical obstacle is encountered at the confluence of the access drainage and Barnhardt Canyon. It is a moderately difficult downclimb. Some have opted to use a retrievable here. After a 15’ drop into a pool, a massive amount of rock fall will be encountered. Much of it is not quite settled, and anything can move under you. Traverse LDC on the high side to avoid most of it. More downclimbing will lead to the 80’ rappel which is currently anchored from a rock cairn high RDC. You'll want to make sure to extend the webbing/link over the lip to avoid pull issues. Pool at the bottom is shallow. Down canyon of this rappel are several more drops all under 30’. Most are 10-20’ and can be easily downclimbed in low flow but some will be more challenging and may become mandatory rappels in higher flow. Many of the obstacles end in waist depth pools, though some (when full) will require short swims.