Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon Loop Question...

Moderator: Jim_b

Post Reply
User avatar
92260desertrat
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:28 am
anti-spam detector: No
The middle number please (4): 4
Location: San Diego / Palm Desert
Contact:

Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon Loop Question...

Post by 92260desertrat »

I've done the Ladder Canyon hike a few times, but I always seem to get confused at the top as to the best route to return back to the parking area.

First question - Is it best to go up to the left or continue straight at that little fork you come to after the first set of ladders? I've done both, and am wondering what the general consensus is...

Once at the top, what's the best way to return back? I have tried heading to the left of the big cairn at the top, and ended up at the sheer edge of a cliff looking down into the canyon unable to return, and almost getting stuck just to return back to the cairn and going down the way I just came... I have also tried going the opposite direction - right - at the cairn towards the satellite towers but same result - hiking until I came to a dead end and then having to return back to where I came from. I never saw a place to drop down into the Canyon, which I know must exist since I keep hearing about it.

If anyone is willing to give me some very basic and dumbed-down directions on the best route to do the Ladder Canyon/Painted Canyon loop I'd very much appreciate it. "Explain it to me like I'm in kindergarten" haha I always enjoy the cool scenery, I'm just kind of tired of going up and down the same way each time I go, especially when I know that there's another option I'm not getting.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out!
:?:
User avatar
Guz
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:32 pm
anti-spam detector: No
The middle number please (4): 4
Location: On a sand dune
Contact:

Re: Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon Loop Question...

Post by Guz »

We usually just come back down the ladders. We have another area we go north of there a few miles, You'd be welcome to join us.
User avatar
TradClimber
Posts: 587
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:58 pm
anti-spam detector: No
The middle number please (4): 4
Location: A Remote Area

Re: Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon Loop Question...

Post by TradClimber »

Welcome to the forum, Desertrat.

On 5/26/01, I went straight at “that little fork” and continued up the trail until I was near point N33,37.818 W115,59.544. I then left the trail and went cross country to that point.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx ... eacc0b3912

There is a geocache hidden there called “Painted Canyon -Ladder Trail”. I then headed north/easterly
and after a little route finding and third class scrambling I dropped into the bottom of Painted Canyon. I don't recall it as being difficult.

Whenever reasonably possible on hiking trips I like to do a loop instead of just back-tracking to the trail head. It's more fun and interesting that way.

Don't worry about hitting dead ends and having to back-track when going cross country and route finding.

It sometimes happens to the best of those that wander in the wilderness.

The link below has more info.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... e16f312b20

TradClimber

PS: "Not all those who wander are lost"
J.R.R. Tolkien
dzrtgrl
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 5:23 pm
anti-spam detector: No
The middle number please (4): 4

Re: Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon Loop Question...

Post by dzrtgrl »

I've only done this hike once so I am far from an expert. When I did it I took the left fork up, then followed the trail north until it dropped down into a larger wash, which I followed back down. You can see my route below. Sorry it's so small, I can't find the original file. You can see the portion of the trail that connects the two washes clearly on satellite. This hike is so much fun it's worth the crowds you encounter.

http://dzrtgrls.com/chutes_ladders_mecc ... hills.html

Image
Post Reply