Little Santa Anita Canyon 3C

[rcwild]

NOTE: If you have corrections, additions or current conditions for this canyon, please post as a reply to this thread. If you have a trip report for this canyon, please post it in the Blogs section.

Rating: 3C III
Time Required: 7 hours
Longest Rappel: 40 feet

Preferred Season
summer

Water Concerns
none

Special Challenges
none

Directions to Trailhead

Trailhead UTM Grid Coordinate

Approach

Canyon Entry UTM Grid Coordinate

Exit

Canyon Exit UTM Grid Coordinate

[rcwild]

Reserved for accident reports from this canyon.

[kyuskoff]

There is a pothole at about the 10th rappel that should be noted in the Special Challenges section. During times of low water it may require a pot hole rescue kit as the lip to climb out is undercut.

[pitufo74]

Just a side note on Little Santa Anita, there really is no more water holes since the fire we had last year. Everything was filled in by debry and since the rains we have had some mud slides in the canyon also. It will be a few year before things get cleared out.
It is still a nice canyon, I took my little neice just a couple of weeks ago and its a good place to practice.

[Imthewalrus06]

I did this canyon a couple weeks ago with three other people and we had a blast. Brennan's report is pretty good, although there are some changes I would make to it.

http://www.dankat.com/advents/lanita.htm

First of all, the first option is NO LONGER a viable exit route. Two members of our party tried to scramble out and said it was possibly on of the scariest scrambles they've ever done. Because of fires and erosion, what was once a simple scramble turned into a dangerous climb full of crumbling talus and falling rocks. Other possible routes out involved many low class V moves.

We decided to continue out option two. After a couple more raps, we ended up at the dam, hopped a barbed wire fence and were home free. THIS is definitely the way to go.

The other change I would make to brennan's post is the number of rappels. On his site he lists 8 total raps. This is true for option I, but because option I is no longer viable, there are now 11 raps. Bring equipment to plan for this. The nice thing is that this is a relatively popular canyon, so we didn't have to replace any more than two or three anchors.

This is a fun little canyon with lots of water! Enjoy!

[amedina]

Agree it is a worthwhile canyon even though not like prefire days. In fact, when I was there last October or so, I ran into Chris Brennan taking his little niece down the canyon. Probably the most dangerous part of this canyon is hopping over the wire-topped fence at the exit. Honestly, be careful climbing over that thing.

[bigjonsp]

Went through today and just a warning but the last rappel station before the dam has had one of the bolts blow out and the other is bad. I had to meat anchor my friend and then have him help me with the awkward down climb. Other than that the canyon is still fun and a good half day option.

[bjp]

The chute rappel or the awkward ledge?

[bigjonsp]

The akward 2 tiered ledge after the chute. Its the last rappel/down climb possible before hiking out to the exit.

[bjp]

The recent rains have washed away a fair amount of sand making the pools perhaps 1-2 ft deeper on average, but except during and after rain this is still a class B canyon. The chute rappel after the emergency exit is currently a 6 ft deep swimmer; the only mandatory swim in the canyon. The bolts at the awkward rappel directly following the chute have been replaced, but one is externally threaded and was loose on my trip; use with caution, but fortunately that waterfall is only about 8 ft tall and can be downclimbed with low to moderate flow.

[Sierra Silence]

LSA still has a ways to go to get back to its former glory, a couple of more big storms and hopefully it will get flushed out of debris. Still a fun little 1/2 day.

[rcwild]

LSA still has a ways to go to get back to its former glory, a couple of more big storms and hopefully it will get flushed out of debris. Still a fun little 1/2 day.

You edited your post. Originally said "we" are replacing some bolts. If you are going to do it, please invest in some quality hardware and do a good job. There have been some crap bolts placed in the San Gabriels in the past. I will be happy to put you in touch with some locals who did a great job replacing the crap if you are unsure or need some help.

[rmgray]

Or better yet, just stop placing bolts in the san gabriels. 9 times out of 10 there are abundent natural anchors to be found right next to a set of bolts.

[Sierra Silence]

It was edited as i intended to reply to a different thread here that seemed a more appropriate place, (one that mentioned one of the bolts was loose) then I got sidetracked and forgot to post.

2 new bolts were placed at the final little 8' drop, a Petzl "Long Life 12mm expansion anchor" and an 8" all thread w/ Metolius hanger. (you are pulling 100% shear on this anchor) While this rap is possible to stem if you are tall enough, and various other methods are possible; some inexperienced people have had issues with this in the past, particularily during high water flow days.
Some unknown party has been removing/damaging the bolts on that last rap for years, on a fairly regular basis. Just a heads up if anyone is expecting those anchors to be there and be in good condition in the future.

[Sierra Silence]

Or better yet, just stop placing bolts in the san gabriels. 9 times out of 10 there are abundent natural anchors to be found right next to a set of bolts.

Is there a natural anchor available on the rap in question ?

[rmgray]

The rap in question does not have a convenient natural anchor, you are correct; though you mention a few great alternatives to bolts in your last post. My previous post was intended to point out that in the well traveled San Gabriel canyons, bolts are nearly always unnecessary. Not always, but nearly every time you find a bolt anchor another alternative exists...be it natural, down climb, meat anchor, dead man, etc...I'm not trying to start a philosophical debate on the appropriateness of bolting, I'm just pointing out that these canyons were all descended back in the old days before they were bolted into submission.