TRIP REPORT PHOTOS
Parking early in the morning at Salt Creek, which is the starting point for a hike to Trellis Canyon:
Crossing the flowing creek in order to hike through the hills on the other side:
View through the Salt Creek Hills of Trellis Canyon far in the distance. The red arrows show you the actual canyon, which cuts sharply to the south at the beginning:
Hiking up through a small drainage in the Salt Creek Hills. The ground was soft and progress was slow:
Eventually, the soft ground got harder and hiking was easier:
Steve at the high point of the Salt Creek Hills crossing, preparing to drop back down for a short time:
This perspective should give you an idea of how far it really is to the mouth of Trellis Canyon. This is not an easy hike:
Heading towards a telephone pole in the distance:
Reaching the telephone poles which stretch out in each direction:
We next aimed for the small rock outcropping in the middle right of the picture:
Phacelias and other flowers were in bloom during our March 2009 visit:
Once we reached the rock outcropping, we navigated around it to the left and were now getting very close to the canyon mouth:
A close-up of some yellow flowers that we passed by in full bloom:
Hiking up the wash as we approach the canyon mouth:
This rock outcropping marks the entrance to Trellis Canyon:
Globemallows were in bloom throughout the canyon:
Looking back down the fan toward the Salt Creek Hills and Funeral Mountains in the distance:
The early part of Trellis Canyon. It's a short walk until both walls come together and form the true canyon:
Once inside the canyon, fluted mud cliffs begin to appear at various places. Here, they are at the base of the mountainside:
A rock wall with cracks throughout rises out of the wash:
More wildflowers and fluted mud cliffs are visible:
Diagonal hillsides sloping down to the wash:
Notice the abundance of plants growing out of the wash:
Miniature slots cutting into the dirt hillside and formations:
This is the canyon split, about one mile into the canyon. The main canyon turns to the right, while the Trellis Main Side Canyon turns off to the left:
Continuing on into central Trellis Canyon:
This picture shows the vine-like trees and plants growing directly out of cracks in the vertical canyon wall. My personal feeling is that this unique characteristic is why this place was named Trellis Canyon. I only wish that I had taken more pictures of this interesting feature:
More large plants growing directly in the wash:
Looking up a nearby hillside at the red and orange colored rocks:
A short distance after the canyon split, the canyon begins to constrict:
The sun shining brightly on the canyon wall in the distance:
High up on the hillside, there were small pinnacles and rocks of varying sizes looking like they were ready to tumble over:
More mud formations (conglomerate rock) mixed in with the solid rock of the canyon wall in the next three pictures:
Getting ready to enter the 1st Narrows of Trellis Canyon:
This is a rare stretch of narrows which goes for a while without twisting and turning:
Steve resting on a rock in the middle of the canyon:
As you can see in this picture, the canyon is about to narrow down to an extreme degree:
The canyon walls closed in together with beautiful lighting in the background:
Steve in the 1st Narrows of Trellis Canyon:
More turns in the canyon. A right and then a quick left:
A close-up of the canyon wall revealing a layered texture:
Alternating regularly between shade and sun in the canyon:
On the upper left of this picture, you can see another one of the small trees growing out of the canyon wall at a strange angle, much like it would on a trellis in your backyard:
Sometimes there would only be 10 feet or less between the canyon walls:
Daria resting in the canyon. She did really well on this hike and continues to impress me with her hiking ability:
Once again, not much space between both sides of the canyon walls:
The 12 foot dry fall which proved to be our first real obstacle (other than the long distance):
Steve found some decent hand and foot holds to the right, so he climbed the 12 foot dry fall:
The 1st Narrows continued above the dry fall and remained fantastic:
There were some other minor polished dry falls which needed to be hiked up:
Exiting the 1st Narrows of Trellis Canyon and entering a wider area:
In the wider canyon, much of the terrain up on the surrounding hillsides was visible:
Looking ahead, it is evident that the canyon will be entering another gorge and set of narrows:
Around this bend, the 2nd Narrows of Trellis Canyon begin:
The 2nd Narrows were very similar to the 1st Narrows, meaning lots of quick turns and a very narrow canyon:
Lots of pretty colors on the canyon walls (you will see more of this in my pictures taken going back down canyon):
A very narrow passage between jagged canyon walls:
These huge boulders have fallen into the wash, but they are easy to walk around:
Other than the trellis-like canyon walls, this slickenside on the canyon wall is probably the most distinguishing feature:
The Trellis Slickenside is high up on the canyon walls and is almost like its own rock slab:
Continuing past the slickenside as the walls grow in height:
Every corner held great anticipation, since this canyon had never before been documented:
Climbing some small steps as the terrain briefly got steeper:
Walking directly under a massive overhanging rock:
Yet another basic dry fall to hike over and continue:
This canyon is a steep and rough area without a lot of spots where someone could climb out of the canyon to the ridge above:
Most of the wash had easy and smooth hiking on solid ground:
And finally, the hike ended here, in what I call the Trellis Room. In this room, you are enclosed by cliffs. There are three dry falls in here, which is a rarity in the park. In this picture, you can see a dry fall to the far left and far right:
This is the third dry fall of the Trellis Room, which is off to the right as you enter:
And this is the 15 foot dry fall which must be climbed in order to continue hiking up canyon. I was able to get most of the way up, but decided that the last move was too risky to try. Besides, I didn't want to keep Daria waiting as she was stranded back in the middle of the 1st Narrows:
Two pictures of Steve standing by the 15 foot dry fall which put an end to his great adventure:
And one more view of that dry fall. In the Trellis Room, there is no way to bypass this dry fall. However, I did not have a chance to carefully look farther back down canyon to see if there was a route. The nice thing about this is that it gives me a reason to return here someday:
Notice the brilliant colors of the narrows in the next two pictures taken while heading back:
One more look up at Trellis Slickenside:
Heading into some tight narrows up ahead:
About the exit the 2nd Narrows of Trellis Canyon:
Passing back through the wide open area:
View from the top of the 1st dry fall in the 1st Narrows. Since my hike of Trellis Canyon, some hikers have made it up this dry fall, while others have not. It all depends on your skill level:
A stunning section to walk through in the 1st Narrows:
Two more pictures as I met up with Daria and we hiked out of the 1st Narrows:
Back at the canyon mouth with plenty of daylight left for the hike back:
