Pinyon Canyon (CNM)

Pinyon Canyon is one drainage beyond Highland and has the same Entrada (R1 & R2) and Wingate (R3 & R4) sandstone layers to work through. Pinyon offers several downclimbs around a few mandatory rappels. While the hiking distance is greater than the technical distance, Pinyon was a nice half day in the Monument.

Leave a shuttle vehicle at the Upper Monument Canyon Trailhead. Drive to the Highland Viewpoint and hike on a social trail at the edge of the parking area. Trend downhill to the southwest past the Highland drainage, contouring below the next ridge to the Pinyon drainage. Hike around to the Southeast corner of the Pinyon drainage.

R1: 60' from a large, solid dead pinyon pine at the top of the drop. Or bypass DCR. R2: 100' from a tree DCL or downclimb the slot. A shallow pothole can be avoided by stemming wide. Hike 0.2 miles to the top of the final headwall. R3: 40' from a juniper DCL R4: 135' from a small tree DCL over an awkward sharp edge to the ground. Once the free hang is complete around ~90'? the last few sections could be downclimbed. Downclimb a 0.2 mile series of boulder downclimbs from the last rappel to the wash below.