Raven's Balcony Loop - 1/8/22

View from Raven's Balcony (Large Peak left, Scramble Canyon Wash below)

Fork Entrance

Exiting the Scramble Canyon

Overland Hike from Trailhead

Two years ago, the club began hiking to Raven's Balcony as an out and back using the North Bowl wash as the access corridor. This route eliminates having to climb up through the difficult rabbit hole at the top of the rocky scramble canyon. It also helps to reduce the wear and tear on the desert and its crytobiotic soil since that route crosses the desert while coming in from the Northshore Summit Trailhead on Northshore Road MM 20.5. Today, we were feeling a little nostalgic about that rabbit hole and decided to make a loop from Raven's Balcony down through the rabbit hole and back to the entrance wash from the bottom of the rocky scramble canyon. Since we had never descended this section, the day promised to be an exploratory!

The North Bowl Wash

Small Hiccup in the Entrance Wash

Approaching the Red Rock

Scrambling into the North Bowl of Fire

We parked at MM 18 and crossed the desert for almost a mile heading straight for the wash that bottoms out just to the right of the last red embankment in the distance. (See fourth photo above.) This is easy hiking and it went by fast. Next, we entered that wash and began slogging up wash for 0.8 mile to the first major fork. As a rule for the day, we took every shortcut trail available that shortened the curves in the wash. This first fork was where our exit wash would come out later on. We took the left fork and continued up for another 1.1 miles to reach the second fork. Bright red colors rose from the earth to the right and ahead. Our right fork took us into a small canyon with several scrambles. The recent rainwater had dried up in the large regular puddles.

Circling below the Great Wall

Climbing to the Ledge leading to the Saddle

Reaching the Small Saddle

Reaching the Plateau

We followed this wash toward a giant red wall and curved around to the right. Reaching another wall containing a dry pourover, we found a place to climb up and walk along a ledge to a high small saddle. From there, the route took us down along the base of the red peaks to our right. When we junctioned with the wash below, we found a trail that led us to the base of a hill where the trail continued upward to the right. At the top of the hill, we came out onto a plateau area. Continuing straightish, we ran into a small wall with a cairn on top of it. Scramble up this, turn to the right and drop into a slot canyon. Climb up through the slot and come right out onto Raven's Balcony. It was a clear day and the balcony views were stupendous! From the second fork to the balcony was 1 mile.

Christa climbs the Wall

The Slot before the Balcony (lower right rock was fabricated due to sun overexposure)

Southwest view from Raven's Balcony

Fit Five on Raven's Balcony

We took our break and group photo and went back down through the slot and small wall. Okay. It had been years since we had done Chuck H.'s route between the rabbit hole and the balcony and, now, we had to reverse it. Hmm. Anyway, we ended up swinging out wide to the west then making a correction toward the northeast. The route we devised turned out to be slightly longer but easier than the original route. In the end, we found the rabbit hole easily and tackled the descent. It spit us out into the rocky scramble canyon. Again, the route through the canyon is probably more obvious on the ascent but we made our way having a lot of fun, brains working hard for 0.4 mile. 

Rita peers through Windows in the Slot

Losing the Trail among Scattered Rocks

Ralyn & Christa descend through the Rabbit Hole

Starting down the Scramble Canyon

Near the bottom of the canyon, we bulled our way down over very large boulders! (See fourth photo below.) Finally, we were in the red wash made by the rocky scramble canyon. In the beginning, the wash was deep. After we passed the old trail that climbs out of the canyon on the left side, the wash opened out. Staying in the wash, we began shortcutting across the curves again. At one point, the wash slithered through a large open field that we were obliged to cross in a straight line. From the bottom of the rocky canyon to the junction with the main wash was 1.2 miles. Our wash pace all day averaged around 3 mph. (Chuck H., you taught us well!) 

Scrambling Down

Scramble Canyon

Almost down to the Wash

Last big Scramble

After joining the main North Bowl Wash, we kept our pace as we hiked out that 0.8 mile. We crossed Calville Road and put the landmark ridge in our sites. The sun was shining on the white part of the trail just to its left. We managed a much straighter track on the way back to the trail and the cars. At the trailhead, we noted that the cars at the popular trailhead had parked diagonally, thereby enabling more cars to use the space. Good idea! Whew! What a day! Lots of fun and beauty!

Stats: 8 miles; 825' gain; 4.75 hours

Heading into the Exit Wash

Taking all the Shortcuts to get out of the Sand

Homeward Bound