Watertank Canyon

Skip this one. Google Earth looked promising and the scenery from the trail is pretty, but the pay to play is very much in the wrong direction. Skip this adventure. The canyon never slots up or presents obstacles that require rappelling.

Hike 5 miles from Andrews Lake to Crater Lake along Colorado Trail #623, ascend the short saddle East of Crater Lake and descend into WaterTank Canyon

Work your way through brush and rocks in the creek bottom. All but one cascade could be bypassed or downclimbed. One 20ft drop was protected with a rope.

A novel exit: walk 1 mile downstream along the Animas to the Needleton stop on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Pay the conductor ~$35 USD when the train stops to pick up backpackers, who use this access point to get to Chicago Basin. Return the 12 miles to Silverton via train. (Routes are available to Durango as well, check train times at http://www.durangosilvertonrailroad.com/durango-train/schedules-and-fares)