Apr 16, 2018 — I initially wanted to just see the pretty grapevines within Grapevine Canyon, but this turned into a much more adventurous and exploratory mission. Early today, I hiked Spirit Mountain, and along the drive, I noticed some gorgeous rock pinnacles at a ridgeline in the distance. I wanted to see them up-close, but thought I would figure out some route that night. I ended up getting there sooner via this backcountry route.
From the Grapevine Canyon trailhead, walk along a sandy wash and check out some petroglyphs before entering the canyon to see its beautiful granite slabs and grapevines the canyon is named after. A social trail continues up Grapevine Canyon for a while, and incredible rock pinnacles appear in all directions, a totally unexpected experience. I still didn't know how far I would walk at this point, but I eventually decided to head up a side canyon out of Grapevine Canyon's main branch and followed it for a while as the boulders got more difficult to maneuver. Eventually after gaining a bit of elevation and hopping around boulders, I realized how late it was getting and decided to commit to getting to the ridgeline to see the pinnacles up-close. Looking at a topo map, Sacatone Wash to the north seemed to be a nice canyon that would make this adventure into a loop, rather than return on the rough boulders I had ascended. I didn't know how the opposite side of the pinnacle-filled ridge would turn out, nor if Sacatone Wash had any technical drops, but I was inspired and committed. So that was that.
After finally making it to the ridge after some really fun boulder-hopping, I took in the views of Spirit Mountain and the granite pinnacles surrounding me, and found a resonable way down the opposite side of the ridge, encountering a few Class 3 moves and lots of confusing obstacles. Definitely fun stuff, with great scenery. Eventually I made it down and located the head of Sacatone Wash, which I followed with only a few Class 2 obstacles on more beautiful slick granite toward the end. I also passed a massive boulder on a pedestal that seemed impossible to be still standing (see photo below). The route was a success!
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