Pinnacles - High Peaks

What are conditions/temps like in the Pinnacles High Peaks area this time of year? Thinking of doing Feather Canyon if temps are 40s or better. Good idea or bad? Any approach issues or closures to worry about?

PS: I'm not from the area - just visiting for a week.

Compared to Wisconsin at this time of the year you will find the conditions balmy. 

No closures to worry about until near the end of January.  Are you going with someone who has been to the start of "Feather Canyon" before?  If not, then expect to spend lots of time trying to figure out where the start is and how to get to it.  The poison oak along the 4th class section of the approach will not have leaves now to warn you.

Adding to what Mark said, I suggest starting from the East Side Condor Gulch trailhead.  If you start early this will give you more time to find the start.  If you have a pack (I would not bring one at all) stash it somewhere right after you cutoff from the Don Gennaro overlook. When you are done with the route all the hiking back to your pack and car is downhill.

• I have seen people in the West side parking who hiked all the way up to the High Peaks and then down hill to the overlook and then could not locate the start. They gave up because they burned too much time on an unnecessarily long approach.
• Also, if it has been raining the day before or there is a possibility of rain in the forecast I would stay away from this route.  The majority of the route follows a drainage system that even a light steady rain could be dangerous or fatal.

Have fun! It is an adventurous route!

i have done feather twice, both times starting from west side. had no trouble locating start.

it helps tremendously if you can find the start on google earth... i think there are coordinates out there somewhere.

its been raining a bunch, and is about to rain some more. i wouldnt imaging those chimneys drying out any time soon, but they are very easy. the crux 5.8 is aidable.... some other water chutes up higher might be a but slippery....

bird closures coming soon... good luck.

very good adventure route.

oh yeah... http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?board=1.0

that website is your new best friend. the five guys who still use it are very knowledgable and friendly.

it has all necessary info on closures. and other valyable pinns things.

let me know if you want to know more. i could talk about pinnacles all day

EDIT:i should point out that if you DO start from the west side, you end up descending a semi spooki fourth class area that would be heinous if wet. good luck

that website is your new best friend. the five guys who still use it are very knowledgable and friendly.

Ah come on, there are more than five of us on there......maybe 10.  

^^^

The amount of Pinnacles knowledge contained in those ten (maybe 12) brains is pretty incredible too.

And Zay, watch who you call "friendly," or I'll find time to hunt you down and.... Oh. Never mind.

I added a few photos to the route page which may help with finding the start.
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106583219/feather-canyon

P.S. I would not do it this week.  I would give it a week to dry out after the current rain stops.

Gokul, as Clint correctly noted, it is probably not best to do this route given the current rain.  However, if you are looking for a multi-pitch adventure climb in the Pinnacles, you should try "Meandrathal", which is not in the current guidebook, but is listed in the new routes in the site Zay posted.  It is not as hard as "Feather Canyon", but parallels it and will be more dry.  It is slightly easier to find the start and you will still have the challenge of finding out how to get out of the area when finished with the route.

This is all awesome info. And thanks for the warning about rain and wetness, Mark and Clint. Been flying today but I'm going to look into Meandrathal before bed.

Any of you folks feel like heading to the Pinnacles on the 24th and show a stranger some cruddy fun?

man, we just gotta get Cochrane and the Cooks in here, and we'll have the whole gang!

Gokul,

would love to come up but i got plans. what's your experience? pinnacles is a magical place, full of beauty and horror, many doors are to be opened.

i could perhaps reccomend some thiings.

better you get brad to comment though...

ok, just peeked at your ticks...

it looks like you generally like to do 5.8/5.9 routes... and the fact that youre asking about feather canyon indicates you like adventerous routes...

Machete Direct, or Son Of Dawn Wall might be worth a look...

Lava Falls would be another good candadite, as long as its dry...

If youre cool with leading some 5.10, Power Tools (with the Hand Tools variant firsy pitch) is also spectacular and very well protected (except for first pitch but runout is on easier ground).

You could also spend a full day at the flumes, cragging.

Zay, that's basically it. I definitely prefer longer adventure routes at an easy to moderate grade. And I'm okay with runouts at lower grades. Beauty and horror sounds like just the right mix!

Yeah, what Clint said!  Not much pro or retreat anchors on the upper pitches so it's best to go when conditions are optimum.

Hey Gokul,

Will be heading to Pinnacles with some crews from Santa Cruz  27th-30th for Westside and High Peaks. Should be decent weather. If anyone's interested, give a yell

~Nick

Thanks for the invite Nick! I'm actually hoping to head up to Shasta then (if conditions permit), but if that falls through, I'd definitely be down to join your crew.

Clint Cummins wrote:

I added a few photos to the route page which may help with finding the start.
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106583219/feather-canyon

P.S. I would not do it this week.  I would give it a week to dry out after the current rain stops.

clint, I remember when I accidentally took the canyon up to the right....not fun.