Little Al Capone Canyon
Introduction:
Priest lake is well known for it beauty, snowmobiling and climbing. But now it can be known for its canyoning. Perched at the top of the state is an unusual drainage, one of which is a great escape from the hot summer sun. Little Al Capone Canyon. A great place to try some swift water stemming, rigging and problem solving. You’ll find this canyon is a sweet blend of Apparition falls from Ollalie Creek and the bed rock features seen in the North Fork of Trapper Creek. So snag a teeshirt, some knee pads and a rope, it is time to cool off.
Stats:
Rating: 3 B/C1 III*** PG (V3A2**)
Time needed: 3 - 5 hours
Number of rappels: 5 - 12+
Longest rappel: 135 feet
Distance round trip: 2.34 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 893 feet
Significant hydraulics: strainers and siphons
Special recommendations: none
Season: August - October
Getting there:
From the town of Coeur d'Alene:
Get on I-90 W in Coeur d'Alene from NF-1535, Fernan Lk Rd and E Fernan Lake Rd and follow for 14.1 miles.
Then head northwest on NF-1535 toward E Forest Service Rd 1562A for 3.2 miles.
Slowly turn right onto Fernan Lk Rd/N Forest Service Rd 268/Lost Mines Rd for a lovely 5.4 mi and continue onto E Fernan Lake Rd for an another 5.3 mi
Turn right onto E Sherman Ave then quickly turn right to merge onto I-90 W toward Post Fls/Spokane for a very short 0.2 mi.
Continue on I-90 W and then onto Drive from ID-41 N for 60ish miles until you reach Dickensheet road on your right. Take this to Coolin, ID.
From Coolin, take a right onto Cavanaugh Bay Road and follow it until it turns into East Shore RD.
Continue on East Shore RD for 20 miles until you reach Lion Creek Campground. The road will become dirt at some point.
At Lion Creek Campground take a right onto an unnamed dirt road. Follow the road for a half mile until it splits at a bridge and take a left. Stay left until you reach the old logging road on the left side of the unnamed road at 48.75496, -116.75185. This is the start of the canyon’s approach which is approxemently 3/4 of a mile short of the natural waterslides parking lot.
The approach:
From the start of the logging road follow the old trail up the road 1.5 miles, you will pass the end of the upper canyon on your way up. This is a good place to check flow.
Once complete you will be at the 3rd switchback. Do not continue. Instead, at the end of the switch back there is a small rock Carin to your right. This indicates the ridge you should take down to the start of the technical section of the canyon. The ridge will terminate at the first rappel, so no need to drop into the creek early unless you like bush whacking.
Follow until the ridge meets the creek. The creek will fall into a thin crack, this is rappel 1 and a great place to suit up! (Approx. 48.75863, -116.75403)
The fun part:
From the suit up spot, drop into the creek on your left. There is a small down climb into a fallen tree. Duck under and you will see the first anchor being a slung tree DCR.
Rappel 1 (30 feet from a tree DCR): Slide over a wedged stone and into the flow. The canyon walls narrow to about 2 feet wide. You will need to pseudo-stem this rappel to avoid foot entrapment. Smaller people (5’4" or less) and children should take GREAT care in this rappel for a rock at the bottom can become a siphon in even low flow. Stemming easily bi-passes this obstacle.
Snag your rope, and walk down canyon about 20 feet. The canyon narrows even more and a wedge log creates a dangerous strainer. It can be stemmed over and down into the pothole below, but beware the log is rotten! Additionally, anyone under 5’7” will need to make a dynamic move to get to the log. This is what gives the canyon a PG rating.
Once, past the log. Jump out of the crack and onto the rock embankment to your right. This is rappel 2.
Rappel 2 (40 feet from a tree DCR): Rappel down into the watercourse while avoiding foot entrapment. As of 2024 there is a log that is wedged over the watercourse. Be mindful of it. Weighting the log with the rope may cause it to fall into the watercourse and onto of you!
Pull your rope and look at the next drop. You may rig your own anchor here to add an additional 20 foot rappel or down climb DCR next to the watercourse to a large exposed tree. This is the anchor for rappel 3.
Rappel 3 (70 feet from a tree DCR): Rappel down the watercourse. The bedrock will flatten out for about 30 feet. Cross the water course while still on rope DCL. The next anchor is under the tree limbs and brush on the embankment DCL.
Rappel 4 (70 feet - 130 feet from a tree DCL): In low flow, this next rappel can be done in as little as 70 feet into a flat chute and then climbing out onto the bank DCR. If there is larger flows, it is unlikely that a safe disconnect can happen without the risk of being pulled down the next slab. Regardless, rappel over the pour over and down onto the interesting bed rock slabs. Escape onto an embankment at your own accord.
The rest of this canyon has been GHOSTED. But fear not. There is nothing mandatory left. The rest of the canyon is about 400 feet of bedrock slabs ranging between 10 - 35 degrees. Choose what you want to rappel using the trees on either side of the embankments and walk around what you don’t.
Notes about the final possible rappels: The very end of the upper canyon is indicated by it dropping onto the road. When you reach this point, there is two vertical fall’s that go into the road. The first drop is about 8 feet into a deep undercut pool. In high flow this could be a serious danger. The second drop is about 10 feet and really fun. Link the two together and land onto the road!
The exit:
Once you rappel onto the road (or walk around and down). Follow it down hill back to your vehicle! It is the same way you came up.
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