Canyoneer Miracle Max Canyon Death Valley National Park, CA

Feb 26, 2020 — Miracle Max Canyon's four rappels meant a relatively short day of canyoneering, but we were a little nervous because Death Valley has a reputation for using somewhat sketchy anchors and no-bolting ethics. While I've made plenty of cairn anchors, I was concerned there would be more intense anchor-building required, but it ended up being pretty straightforward outing on our visit.

Getting to the trailhead required a drive on good dirt roads to an unmarked parking spot. A desert slog to reach the base of the Cottonwood Mountains. We followed a wash most of the way and then headed up a steep Class 2 ridge heading generally southwest. The ridge mellowed out eventually and although Miracle Max Canyon wasn't in sight yet, the views were getting to be quite nice. The ridge reached a high point before turning south and descending. We dropped off to the right to enter a sandy wash rather than follow the rocky ridgeline. The wash led into the head of Miracle Max Canyon, a couple of short down climbs serving as obstacles. Miracle Max Canyn narrowed up quickly and we encountered the first rappel before we expected to. Four rappels used cairn anchors that we rebuilt, all very close together. It's important to note that there's a chance a flash flood could wash away all significant boulders and creating a cairn anchor would be difficult, so maybe scout ahead to ensure there's ample building materials.

From the bottom of the last rappel, we looked back up and were able to see the last three of the four drops. They formed in such a way to create something that resembled a face when viewed from below. It was hard to see quite how big these drops were in photos, but in real life it was pretty staggering, and really cool. We wrapped around the hills and followed the wash back to the trailhead.