TRIP REPORT PHOTOS
Jordan (left), Tom (middle), and Steve (right) as we started out from Warm Springs Rd:
We had a gorgeous view of the snow-topped Telescope Peak ridgeline:
Because this was the second time I've hiked this portion of Wingate Wash, I'm not sharing many pictures of the first 7 1/2 miles of the route. (See our report on Wingate Wash for those pictures.) This picture shows the turn into Wingate Wash when the canyon starts to take shape for the first time:
Stopping by the 478 Mine (Wingate Wash Mine) about 5 1/2 miles from the parking area:
When we reached the junction with the major canyon to the south we were turning off into (after 7 1/2 miles), we spotted this mining dugout shelter:
Notice that the shelter has been tunneled into a small hillside:
Looking inside the wooden door and door frame of the shelter:
The shelter is a long rectangle with a little bit of extra space at the back:
A miner likely lived inside of this shelter for some time:
My backpack, satellite messenger, and extra gallon of water at the junction between Wingate Wash and the southern canyon we turned off into:
We had to backpack up this wide canyon for an additional 1 1/2 miles in order to reach our Day 1 camp spot:
As the canyon gained elevation, we had some excellent views of the front face of Sugarloaf Peak, a hike that I had done four years earlier:
The most impressive view was of the Panamint Mountains stretching from Porter Peak (far left peak) to Rogers Peak (far right peak):
This is a desolate area seldom visited by hikers or backpackers. It would be very challenging to come this far just for a day hike:
In the main canyon, the right side canyon walls would sometimes take shape with different rock types and colors:
Very interesting rock shapes with some reddish colors on this hillside:
Another nice main canyon wall to break up the wide open scenery through this area:
This was the spot we set up camp for Day 1, about 9 miles from the parking area. To the right of me is the wide main canyon and to the left of me was our objective for the rest of the day:
This is the mouth of Never-Ending Ever-Changing Canyon, referred to in shortened form as NEEC Canyon for the rest of this report:
The full NEEC Canyon loop is about 6 1/2 miles in length. Add to that the 18 miles round-trip just to get to the canyon mouth and you can see why this is nearly impossible to do as a day hike:
A little over 1 mile into NEEC Canyon, this view of the first set of narrows ahead can be seen:
Telescope Peak is some 29 air miles away. We had fantastic views of it when looking back:
Zooming in on the snow-capped summit of Telescope Peak with afternoon shadows:
About 1.4 miles into NEEC Canyon, the first interesting area is reached:
The hillsides begin to take shape and form high canyon walls:
And a wide array of colors are on display:
The canyon changes so quickly and dramatically that you are kind of caught off guard:
This area is reminiscent in some ways of nearby Kaleidoscope Canyon in the next mountain range over:
A triangular ridge rising high above the canyon:
There are so many colors to behold with orange, red, black, gray, white, and tan rocks:
I really like this wall with the vertical drops and neat blend of colors:
Looking back toward the narrow gateway we had passed through:
It is amazing how many colors can be mixed together on one fairly smooth wall panel:
The hillsides had some height to them through this area:
In lower NEEC Canyon, interesting areas are divided by brief more open sections of canyon:
"Ever-Changing" is an appropriate part of the canyon name because notice how quickly the canyon transitions into a different rock type:
Some nice narrows to pass through in the lower canyon:
If you look closely at the rock, you can see various shades of pastel colors:
There is so much to see even in this one single photograph. All the shades of colors, the unique shape of the narrows, and the gentle wash which passes through:
The canyon walls would change abruptly into colorful patterns such as this:
I chose this picture as one of the sample pictures to represent NEEC Canyon simply to showcase the variety of colors that was always changing:
This small peak rising above the canyon caught my attention due to its unique shape so different from the surrounding landscape:
More contrasting colors on both sides of the canyon, with red on the left and blue rising above on the right:
The colors came all the way down to the bottom of the wash when solid rock would cover the canyon floor:
NEEC Canyon would truly be a wonderland for photographers if it wasn't so hard to get to. It's amazing how well hidden this canyon has been for so many years:
The shapes above the canyon through this area were very unique:
The afternoon sunshine was making some of the colors even more vivid:
NEEC Canyon is definitely one of the best canyons in the Owlshead Mountains. And it is very different from the five officially named canyons on the eastern side of the range:
A dramatic shift in colors from yellow to orange to purple in a short span of rock:
The colorful rock in the canyon wash stands out through here:
More unique rock layers on the canyon wall:
The scenery dramatically shifted once again as we approached an area of white narrows:
These white narrows look like nothing else in the canyon and are similar to the rock found on nearby White Ring Hill (our name):
The white narrows have shallow walls and the rock is very prone to erosion and breaking off:
The white narrows (perhaps some type of volcanic ash deposit) really stand out against the backdrop of the black wash flowing down the middle:
Some of the white rock does have a reddish tint to it at higher areas, as seen in the next two pictures:
Standing on top of the white narrows and looking back down canyon:
This is the major junction in the canyon, with the eastern fork (left) and western fork (right) visible up ahead. We looped the two by first turning left. For those without good bypass skills, turn right here and stick with the west fork only:
After turning left and entering the eastern fork, these nice narrows began a short time later:
Slightly different angle showing how the narrows quickly become enclosed:
Looking back at the long flat wall which stretches back toward the golden cliffs:
A minor junction is reached in the eastern fork. The canyon splits three ways. This major dry fall blocks passage in one direction:
The main canyon stays to the right and passes by this triangular rock outcropping:
The narrows become totally enclosed while elevation is gained quickly:
A neat bend in the canyon with a very narrow wash passing through:
It was thrilling to explore these narrows firsthand after wanting to visit this canyon for over six years:
Tom standing at the top of a 10-foot dry fall that we climbed:
Looking back down the canyon at colorful walls and greenery from trees growing in the narrows:
Passing through a fun enclosed area where the rock walls extend down and solid rock covers the canyon floor:
If the dark boulder seen on the left side breaks loose and rolls into the canyon wash, it would create an obstacle to get around:
The upper canyon never stays straight for very long, always teasing hikers with something to see around every bend:
A really neat spot where the canyon wall on the right bends over and creates a dizzy feeling:
Looking back the other way after climbing the small chute and ducking down to avoid hitting the overhanging section:
The wash continues to curve back and forth as it climbs deep into the Owlsheads:
Notice how quickly the rock in the narrows transitions from one color to the next in the next two pictures:
The reds in the previous picture changed to tan and dark gray:
A series of minor dry falls made up of breccia rock:
Reaching the first major obstacle in the upper eastern fork narrows. This is a dry fall which cannot be safely climbed and must be bypassed:
We had to climb up above the canyon on the left side in order to bypass the major dry fall. This was the first of four bypasses that we had to do in the east fork:
Back in the canyon wash after a bypass of about 15 minutes. More impressive narrows were passed through once again:
It was late afternoon but we were still getting some sunshine in the canyon:
The narrows varied from shallow walls to higher walls, with sometimes a mixture of the two as seen here:
Encountering another dry fall in the eastern fork:
I love the shapes and different angles seen in this section of narrows:
When bypassing the four major obstacles heading up canyon, our pattern was left, right, right, right. (Referring to which side of the canyon to bypass on):
Jordan and Tom progressing up the canyon past the four major obstacles:
Up ahead was the final section of narrows in the eastern fork:
After that, the east fork opens up wide as it nears the top of the range:
Just after finishing the last section of narrows, we turned right and headed up to the saddle seen not too far above us:
Standing on the saddle dividing the eastern and western forks while looking down into the upper west fork:
The crossover didn't take long at all and soon we were hiking down the west fork, immediately heading into narrows:
As the light began fading, it became more challenging to photograph the west fork narrows:
Reaching a series of polished solid rock cascades which contained breccia rock:
Check out some of the colors, shapes, and sizes of the breccia rock walls:
Jordan and Tom were both very impressed with the upper west fork narrows:
Check out this fantastically beautiful breccia rock chute and canyon wall:
Taking the time to study the canyon walls which had such a great mixture of rocks:
These are truly beautiful narrows made up of rock that is seldom seen in the Owlsheads:
Notice how a small side chute has formed on the right side here:
Heading down the west fork narrows to see what else was in store for us:
Part of the canyon wall has broken away on the right side revealing softer layers underneath:
Impressive towering rock narrows rising high above the western fork:
Check out how high this reddish canyon wall reaches:
Walking down more gentle rock chutes with a large fallen boulder up ahead:
Erosion has shaped a very rugged-looking section of canyon:
A massive boulder jam in the middle of the canyon wash:
The upper western fork narrows are quite lengthy and seem to go on continuously:
Note the overhang cave up ahead at the bottom of a large canyon wall:
Tom and Jordan pictured standing in the overhang cave at a dramatic bend in the canyon:
Looking back up canyon from under the overhang cave:
And looking down canyon from the same spot, which shows how large the overhang is as it passes overhead:
There was so much variety of rock on display all around us:
Another missing section of canyon wall which must have broken off and fallen into the canyon:
The height of the canyon walls continued to be quite high throughout the narrows:
A pretty section of narrows with a mixture of colors and a sharp curve in the wash:
These walls had a very rough surface with lots of bulging rocks emerging from the conglomerate:
The setting sun was barely having an impact on the canyon walls above:
Up ahead, the west fork narrows came to an end and the canyon opened up once again:
One final look back into the lower beginning of the west fork narrows, which we had just emerged from. NEEC Canyon had delivered some tremendous scenery:
