TRIP REPORT PHOTOS
Parking along the Titus Canyon Road (3,750 feet in elevation) at the spot where the road connects with Lower Titus Canyon:
Heading up a small wash from the parking area:
This volcano shaped peak stood in front of us right from the start:
We stayed to the left as the wash soon split into several different directions:
Fairly easy walking for the first two miles:
Hiking through a polished rock floor in the wash:
Very colorful peaks off to the right:
As we headed towards the divide, we ascended the ridge above the wash:
Looking back down at the side canyon we had been following up:
The next two pictures show more of the fantastic colors which can be found in this area:
Arriving at the saddle and looking back towards Red Pass far in the distance:
Looking over the other side towards the high walls of Fall Canyon:
Steve standing on the Fall-Titus Divide (4,750 feet in elevation and 2 miles from the start) overlooking Fall Canyon. There is also a nice view of Mount Palmer from this spot, we just forgot to take a picture of it. I guess you'll have to come here yourself to see it:
We immediately dropped into a small wash which began descending to the left:
There were a few small obstacles in the upper part of the wash, such as this rock shelf we had to go around:
The first of a series of easy to medium difficulty dry falls we would come across:
The red rocks of the side canyon perfectly frame the wall of Fall Canyon in the distance:
We would be hitting some narrows with light pink rock. Notice the small dry fall topped by a chockstone:
Dropping in elevation quickly as the side canyon continues in the next two pictures:
A very pretty polished dry fall in the midst of the side canyon narrows:
The falls were no harder than medium difficulty and fun to down climb:
Beautiful rock sitting in the wash with an interesting shape and design to it:
Looking back up as we continued through this narrow section:
Lots of rocks through here had pretty patterns like this one:
The Fall Canyon wall continues to get larger which means we must be getting closer. This side canyon actually went on for 1 1/2 miles:
More narrows featuring colors of pink, red, and orange in the next two pictures:
This is the first of two major dry falls in the side canyon connecting the Fall-Titus Divide and Fall Canyon:
Backtracking briefly and heading up a bypass route that we tried out:
Looking over the other side. It looks like we can make it back down to the wash from here:
Steve pausing along the bypass route to review the next portion:
After we dropped into the wash, we retraced our steps back up to the major dry fall:
More dry falls and narrows in the next four pictures. This was a fun but challenging area for sure:
And then we arrived on the edge of a second major dry fall in the side canyon. This one would need to be bypassed as well:
Hiking up the bypass, where we got our first view of Lower Fall Canyon:
This was taken looking back into the final portion of the side canyon that we came down. Notice how steep and intimidating it looks:
A little clearer view into Lower Fall Canyon:
A panoramic from our bypass ridge showing the junction we arrived at in Fall Canyon (click to enlarge):
On the way back, we made our bypass route a little bit easier by climbing up the polished stone slabs you see:
On the floor of Fall Canyon finally. A great start to the upper canyon:
A small colorful corridor to walk through:
Upper Fall Canyon has some serious height to it, with walls towering 1,000+ feet above you:
The next five pictures show some of the scenery between our junction and the 2nd dry fall of Fall Canyon, which was our targeted destination:
This view actually shows the bypass route to get around the 2nd dry fall of Fall Canyon:
The canyon starts narrowing down significantly:
And we finally arrived at the 2nd dry fall of Fall Canyon. This spot was a little bit under 5 miles from where our hike first started:
The top of the 2nd dry fall with more of the upper canyon in the distance:
Steve spots a potential climbing route to the left of the 2nd dry fall and tries to pull himself up. (Note: there is a way to bypass this fall on the right side of the canyon just before reaching the dry fall):
Using a lot of arm strength, he makes it up the first portion and looks back:
A short time later, Steve is standing at the top of the 2nd dry fall of Fall Canyon. It was one of those rare times when I was able to make it up a major dry fall without having to use a bypass:
Looking back down from the top of the 2nd dry fall. Keep in mind that this is the 2nd dry fall, because the 1st dry fall is further down the canyon (and we didn't pass it today):
An alternate angle of the 2nd dry fall and its polished rim:
Up ahead was the much harder 3rd dry fall of Fall Canyon. Back to back falls makes this place really cool:
Taking a closer look at the left, middle, and right routes up the 3rd dry fall, which is more like a boulder blockade:
This is the left option, which is for advanced climbers only:
This is the middle option, which is for those with medium climbing skills:
And this is the right option, which is for hikers not afraid of somewhat exposed bypasses with loose rock. It might be best to turn around at this spot if you don't have a climber that can go up the middle or right options and then drop a safety line to you:
This shows the view from underneath the left option. It's doubtful that even an advanced climber would attempt this one:
Being a climber with medium skills, Tobin chose to work his way up the middle option:
I decided to follow him up the middle option. The difficult part was finding a way to get up the last part shown here. Tobin ended up giving me a hand and pulling me up:
View looking down from the top of the middle option of the 3rd dry fall:
This is looking up the small gully leading to the top of the right option. Height above the canyon is the biggest concern for that option:
And this is the view looking down from the top of the left option, which is the one for advanced climbers only:
View showing both the 2nd and 3rd major dry falls of Fall Canyon in a single picture:
Time to head farther into Upper Fall Canyon now:
As you can see, more beautiful narrows await above the 3rd dry fall:
The walls of Upper Fall Canyon remain polished and beautiful even this far up the canyon:
Scenery reminiscent of the lower canyon with towering walls high above:
Once we had this amazing view of Wahguyhe Peak, we decided to turn around for the day:
Tobin took this picture of Steve working his way back down the right option of the 3rd dry fall. As you can see, there are a series of ledges which zigzag down with very crumbly and loose rock. It would be easy to take a tumble here:
On the way back up the side canyon, I snapped this picture of the colorful narrows. I couldn't take this picture earlier because the sun had been shining in here:
I found this wind blown rock in the wash which dropped back down from the Fall-Titus Divide and headed for Upper Titus Canyon:
