Ravens Balcony Loop CCW - 12/30/23

Southwest view from Ravens Balcony

Ralph descends the Rabbithole

North Bowl appears from the Wash Hike

Twenty-One under the Sun

We had a New Year's bash out at the North Bowl of Fire with twenty-one hikers. The route, Ravens Balcony Loop took us up through the south entrance and down through the rabbithole on the north end. It was all very exciting and fun. We managed to get five HCVs to take us from Northshore Road MM 16 over to the junction of Callville Wash Road and the North Bowl wash. This reduced the hike distance from ~8 miles to ~6.5 miles since the normal route started and ended at MM 18. Callville Wash Road is in fairly good condition right now and we had no trouble using our trucks and Subarus. Ready to go, we made good time hiking up the sandy wash as we pointed out the junction where we would come back into the wash on the way back.

The first Scramble (Piece of Cake)

Nearing the North Bowl south side Entrance

North Bowl south side Entrance

Entrance Slot

We climbed up the wash scramble like we were a bunch of pros. Then we started into the entrance slot and up by the great wall. The hike was slower than a normal hike of ten hikers but we all had a great time. When we reached the large dryfall, we continued climbing up to a go around. The go around put us up higher, then we continued down and up and down and up to the North Bowl plateau. Without skipping a beat, we climbed up onto the first steep ten foot scramble one by one. Next, we entered the nearby slot to complete the scramble up to the balcony. Here, we had our break and waited for the ravens to come and serenade us! They never came. We were probably too many people.

Climbing to the Large Dryfall

Up and above the Large Dryfall

Fun Stuff

Starting the scramble to Ravens Balcony

After the break, we returned to the North Bowl plateau and decided to take the back alleys to find the rabbithole. This route has more daylight and more opportunities to find interesting things. At last, we found the small scramble down to a trail running above the rabbithole canyon. We found Snow White and finished the drop to the rabbithole area. I don't know if anything has changed recently but I thought there was a small tunnel before the rabbithole. As it turned out, everyone went over the top to dive feet first into the rabbithole, itself. Someone has stacked a fairly solid stack of rocks below the hole and we didn't have any problems as each person helped the one behind them.

Scramble slot to Ravens Balcony

Northeast view from Ravens Balcony

Descent from Ravens Balcony Scramble

Eye of the Landmark

Finally, all 21 of us made it through and we started down the Scramble Canyon. By following footsteps in the sand, we went back and forth down the narrow canyon to find the best way to descend. At the bottom of the canyon was the tour de force! Figuring out how to scramble over a huge boulder pile up was, in the end, logical. (Or, you could use the small trail on the north side of the boulders.) We poured out into the large high-walled wash that is the secondary North Bowl of Fire Wash. This wash and the wash in which we entered the bowl, come together to empty out the North Bowl during rainy weather. We hiked at a good pace while we crossed the low lying curves to shorten our journey.

Wandering around North Bowl

Descent to Rabbithole

The Rabbithole viewed from Bottom

The Descent wash Scramble

As always, it seemed like a long exit from the redstone beauty. But, we only regathered one time and that was at the main washes' junction. We did good! It was an adventurous day. Every once in a while, it is nice to bring together so many of our club members for a single hike! They are friendly, happy, patient and skilled. Until next year ....

Happy New Year!

Stats: 6.6 miles; 700' gain; 4.80 hours.

P.S. We noted car tracks in the washes and over the dirt fairly close to the North Bowl base. It is illegal to drive motorized vehicles out of Callville Wash Road. Please don't destroy what cannot be mended.

Negotiating a huge boulder in the Wash

Exiting the scramble Wash

Returning to the cars in the North Bowl Washes

The maps below begin the hike from Northshore Road MM 18. On the hike described in this entry, we drove in from MM 16 on Callville Wash Road in HCVs to the North Bowl Wash junction.