Re: Tenaya Canyon Danger?

I was looking at a Yosemite map recently and saw this "Hiking in Tenaya Canyon is dangerous and strongly discouraged". I also saw a post on another site which refers to Tenaya Canyon as the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite. My daughter and I camp in the valley each summer and do the basic day hikes (4 mile, Panorama, Mist, Muir) but we would like to try to go to Hidden Falls this year. I don't want to put us in a potentially sketchy situation so if anyone has any advice I would sure appreciate it.

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shaunsmomo
I was looking at a Yosemite map recently and saw this "Hiking in Tenaya Canyon is dangerous and strongly discouraged". I also saw a post on another site which refers to Tenaya Canyon as the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite. My daughter and I camp in the valley each summer and do the basic day hikes (4 mile, Panorama, Mist, Muir) but we would like to try to go to Hidden Falls this year. I don't want to put us in a potentially sketchy situation so if anyone has any advice I would sure appreciate it.

Let the master, Bob Burd, be your guide....

http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/tenaya_canyon_1.html

http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/tenaya_canyon_2.html

Thanks, I had actually seen this report which gave me more cause for concern. My understanding is that Hidden Falls is not that far from Mirror Lake so we weren't planning on venturing too far into the canyon.

Look here:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,63648,63648#msg-63648

Haven't been there myself... but parklova loves this places... so I
will bet dollars to donuts that from what she has said in the past there
is little danger.
Inner Gorge of Tenaya is mainly what the map is referring to.

If you search on this site you can also find trip reports and also a
wonderful little SAR incident which occurred in the canyon last yr.

Have fun

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Hard to believe that chick-on hasn't been there.

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yosemitejim
Hard to believe that chick-on hasn't been there.

Lots and lots of places haven't been...

Seen that baby from Snow Creek Trail many times now...
and have had plans to go check it out... but when did traverse
of Tenaya Canyon... it's anything but trivial to get to from the
"trail" on the NORTH side of the river. Lots of poison oak too...
Last year when explored trail to Snow Creek Falls... well...
let's just say there was no way I was trying to get across Snow Creek then.
Now that I know it's somewhat easy from the SOUTH side...
I'll be taking the wife there in Mid March.

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It is not bad to get to Hidden Falls. It has been awhile since I have been up there so I don't know how the trail is but it was starting to get overgrown along the creek the last time we were there and there were places we had to go around some prickly bushes and there was still debris from the 1997 flood. To get to the falls you do have to go up on scree so watch for rocks rolling down. I suggest not going if it is going to rain or is raining. The last time we went it started to rain hard and the water poured down the scree area and the rocks starting moving and the granite that you cross to get to the falls was extremely slippery. My son was about 6 or 7 the first time we took him and since he is like a monkey, he had no trouble scrambling over things. I did make him stand close to me when we went over the slippery granite and also when we were near the falls.

Thanks for the advice! We will make sure we heed it.

Getting up to HIdden Falls isn't bad at all. Very little danger if you only go that far.

Past that tho gets very sketchy very quickly.

The risk up there is very deserved and the warning on the map isn't kidding.

Here's some pictures going part way up and into the 'narrows'.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2013 07:52AM by qumqats.

Beautiful pics, thanks!

We've done the hike up well past Hidden Falls, but we did it late in the fall, when the water flows were minimal. During the spring run-off, it's another story entirely. Use common sense, and you won't have any problems. The area is beautiful, but there are stories of park rangers having to be rescued from that area...!

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2013 10:27AM by balzaccom.

Thanks everyone! I think we will give it a go. Keeping my fingers crossed that we actually find it. And, avoid any poison oak.

Went there with wifie and took some vids:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,64500,64530#msg-64530

Some comments:
No poison oak on south side where you will be.
The north side, if you go there... the trail... that was
maintained... and went to the base of Snow Creek Falls, no further.
It's ok. Beyond Snow Creek it's a use trail.. with plenty of poison oak.

Have fun

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I hadn't heard of the Hidden Falls hike but now I am curious to go check it out. So is it only a half mile cross-country beyond the Tenaya Creek footbridge? And are there any safety issues related to hiking to the base of the falls in the Spring?

What's the difference and location difference between Tenaya Falls and Hidden Falls?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2013 11:57AM by SteveHall.

Just came across this website - Sierra Mountain Center out of Bishop - For $175, they will traverse Tenaya Canyon - One day trip - they provide all equipment, food and supplies - 1 guide to 4 hikers

This looks like a pretty good deal - Anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.sierramountaincenter.com/Hiking_Tenaya_Canyon.htm

Interesting tours they are running. Not a bad deal. One of their pictures shows a spot with a lot of exposure. It sounds like they provide handlines for those who need them at those spots.

Question. Here is a picture taken from the Snow Creek Falls trail. Does this show Hidden Falls or Tenaya Falls?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vAqRGOQ17I8/S9YIHkacOcI/AAAAAAAAKEw/X7MrTNS2-JQ/s1600/100_7278.JPG

It is Hidden Falls, aka Tenaya Creek Falls.

Here's one took a couple years ago.



Bigger Picture:



and zoomed in a bit with the couple of routes to the bottom and top



You can scramble all the way up from the bottom but we didn't.
Route is like this:


Depending on your skill level, shoe selection, water level, scrambling to the top will oblivously vary.
Even the traverse across the granite section above will vary.

Be safe. Have fun

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Thanks, chick-on. Those route maps are perfect and help out a lot for planning a hike out there.