Emeralds, The - Upper Gorge, Upper Wall

BETA PHOTO: The floodgates leading out of Spaulding Lake.

Description 

This is located in the highest section of the gorge, and is quite a long and strenuous hike to get into from below. From the base of these routes, you will be about 100 feet below the large floodgates from Spaulding Lake.

One of the few places in the gorge where the routes and bolts seem to have survived the many rushes of water "unscathed". I say this only because I didn't see the rock proir to all the damage that scoured the wishing well routes. Most of the routes are on the south wall of the gorge.

You will find sport routes with bolts of extremely questionable durability here. The holds you will swear came straight out of a gym, and make the climbing quite unlike most ofther outdoor experiences. This section of the gorge is approximately 30 feet high.

WARNING! As the sign posted at the parking lot reminds you, this area is subject to sudden and severe flooding, especially in run off times (late spring and late fall). The walls of the upper wall of the gorge sit below several LARGE floodgates from Spaulding Lake. These gates may open at any time, and as the sign in the parking area states, there may or may not be warning. Being in the gorge when the gates open would probably mean death, if the gates opened while you were in the area of the upper wall and actually in the gorge, you would probably have about 10 seconds of reaction time to move, and there is no really fast exit out of this area, and no higher ground without climbing a route or going up to the floodgates themselves. Read all posted signs in the parking area, and also beware that these may not be updated.

Getting There 

Approach #1:

Approach time: 35 - 75 minutes.

From the parking lot head accross the bridge and up the gated entry road. Stay on the road for .6 miles until it ends un a gravel / logging area.

From here, stay in the valley and travel up the boulder outwash for quite a while (tough to judge distances due to the nature of the terrain) until you can see the large gorge on the right.

Go up to the mouth of the gorge, and instead of going inside, head up through the trees and rocks to the right following (sometimes!) a narrow deer trail.

This will continue to parallel the gorge, until you get up to the flood gates. The top anchors of the climbs are right on the edge 75 feet from the mouth of the gorge, and you can either rappell in, or continue up to the gates and walk back down to the routes.

Approach #2: Approach time: unknown, though if you've got a boat it will be faster and less strenuous than approach #1.

It also seems possible to approach this and other areas in the gorge from above, by taking a boat off of Spaulding Lake and heading over to the floodgates on the west end of the lake. I personally have not treid this approach, but from what I saw at the floodgate, it certainly seems possible.

To get to the Spaulding lanuch area from I-80, exit on the 20 headed towards Nevada City. About 1/2 a mile later, take a right on Lake Spaulding road towards Camp Spaulding. There is a boat launch 1/4 mile after the Camp.

Take your boat accross the lake to the west end, where you will find the flood gates. Exit your boat on the shore near the floodgate, and find your way to the other side of the gate. The climbing is located 150 feet downhill from the gates in the gorge itself.