Chiquito Spring Canyon

Although the primary goal was establish this climb up route for a non-shuttle Salamander Canyon trip, this canyon is actually quite nice by itself. Since it's class 2 and directly off the San Juan Trail, it can be a fun, out and back, MTB and hike combination without rope or vertical gear. Bonus points if you find the bike rack in the picture (below).

Park at the San Juan Trailhead inside the Blue Jay campground area in Cleveland National Forest. Follow the the obvious path south on the left side of the bathroom building. At the first fork, staying right is slightly shorter. At the second fork, definitely stay right (NOTE: map shows going left), and you will soon reach a cross trail (actually the second fork cutting back across). Go straight through this cross trail intersection if on foot, or take the right if on MTB. After a steep downhill section (on foot) you reach another cross intersection, go straight through again. After the switchback trail (on MTB after the right) take another right at the cross intersection. Some distance further, the trail will skirt the left edge of a large clearing, and make and abrupt left. At this left bend in the trail, there is a faint trail going straight into the grassy clearing. Follow this trail to other end of the clearing, into the woods and locate the creek tributary on the left (South) side. Locate the old truck frame, and enter the creek bed there. Just a bit downstream this tributary joins the main creek. You can enter the creek anywhere you like, but this path from the truck frame is well marked and there is no poison oak growing along the creek bed at this drop-in location.

Once in the creek bed, follow it downstream with ease thanks to 6 hours of pruning to remove all limbs blocking the direct path. Some areas have significant poison oak on the banks, and overhanging in trees. It's advisable to take a small pair of hedge trimmers to cut back any poison oak that might brush you. There are a few spots where you have to duck under large limbs or fallen trees, or climb up on extremely clogged layer of branches. When in doubt the path is most likely at the rocky stream bed level. There are a few easy downclimbs in route, the most significant marked on the map. The only technical obstacle is the 30 foot waterfall about 2/3 way down. Downclimbing this directly looks too sketchy and high. However, LDC, you will find a path cut steeply uphill through a thicket of poison oak to rocky ridge, then steeply down a rocky slope, under an oak tree, then back right through another thicket of poison oak, and easily reaching the waterfall bottom. From there it's easy to follow the main creek rocky bed all the way to Hot Spring Canyon junction. Note that there is one gauntlet of poison oak that may need additional trimming.