Wicked Canyon

This route is located in the McInnis Canyon National Recreation Area, which abuts the Colorado National Monument to the west. While some amazing rappels are located within Wicked canyon, everyone is less enthusiastic about the exit options. Options:

Drive up RimRock Drive through the western entrance to the Colorado National Monument. Just past the Upper Liberty Cap Trailhead, turn east on N 16 1/2 Rd at (39.05534,-108.74167). Take the next right onto Black Ridge Rd at (39.05483, -108.74462), which is a public use 4x4 road, which may or may not be in great condition. Turn right at Radio Tower Rd and park at (39.0650, -108.7563), just before the gate leading to the Black Ridge Lower Access Road, which is only seasonally from Aug15 - Feb15. It is easiest to just walk the Lower Access Road a short distance. Hike down the Lower Access Road. Head right and depart the road at (39.06755,-108.76070) onto an abandoned Jeep road down to 6500 feet and then head east into the drainage.

Original beta: There are no permanent anchors. Put your Fiddle Stick, Smooth Operator, CEM or releasable Bowlin skills to work and let's keep this one in it's pristine Leave No Trace state. Three rappels in the upper section: two 65-foot, 2-tier drops and a 75 foot rappel. Four rappels in the lower section: 75-feet, two 120-footers, one 60-foot. Adjust rope length, sharp edges. One of the 120-footers has small ledge, could be better done as 180-footer. Beta updated 2025: R1: 75' from a tree DCL including 10' for the fiddle for two stages 15' then 25'. The second stage can be downclimbed DCR or DCL. Walk a third of a mile in the stream bed with several small downclimbs. R2: 40' from a tree DCL including 10' for the fiddle for a 30' drop. Followed immediately by R3. R3: 75' fiddling a webbing anchor around a boulder for a clean line down the vertical drop. R4: 80' from a tree set back 40' for a 40' drop with an awkward lip. Avoid the awkward lip with a shorter rappel using trees DCR or DCL. R5: 185' fiddling a small tree DCL including 5' for the fiddle for the full length of the drop. It is reported there is webbing on a tree on a ledge 30' below to break this into two stages. Stem a short narrows after the canyon turns sharply to the right. R6: 70' from a slung chockstone at the end of the narrows. It's better to not extend this anchor. R7: 65' from a tree DCR or from webbing around a pinch in the center of the stream course. The tree DCR gives a better line to avoid mud below.