La Cañada Slot Canyons Part 2 of 2: the Middle Canyon, the 2nd Slot, and the Hidden Valley

Hikers pick their way through jumbled boulders along the base of the Second Slot. This is the most dramatic slot canyon on the route, with soaring walls on either side. Part 1 of this two-part series covered the approach to La Cañada Canyon, the First Slot, and part of the Middle Canyon. In Part 2, we'll continue through the Middle Canyon to the Second Slot and the Hidden Valley.

La Cañada Canyon is a fairly easy route to hike, although it does involve occasional boulder-scrambling. The grade is almost level and most of the trail is clear and easily walkable. Some stretches do get washed out by flash floods each year, but alternate paths are easily found. Getting lost is unlikely, because the whole route remains within the same canyon and side trails are few. When you have gone as far as you want, you just retrace your steps.

Our hiking group included two of the furry, four-footed variety. From the left are Gary, with Maddy the dog just behind him. Maddy's owner Chuck stands in the back row to the rear of Gary. To the right of Chuck are Jerry, Phil, and John. Luna the dog is in front. To the right of Luna are Jim and Carl. I, of course, am behind the camera lens. The group stands at the entrance of the Second Slot.

This party is fairly typical of the expat hikers in the Lake Chapala area. We were a mixture of Canadians and Americans, ranging in age from the late 60s to late 70s. When this hike occurred in 2015, all of these guys were in good shape and capable of some rugged hikes. Since then, unfortunately, some of them have suffered injuries or illnesses that have forced them to drop out. However, the pool is constantly refreshed by new arrivals from north of the border, as well as local Mexican hikers. 

The Middle Canyon

The sheer wall of a cliff rises from the bottom of the Middle Canyon's arroyo. In other parts of the Middle Canyon, the walls are further back from the arroyo (stream bed). In those places, the scree slope climbs gradually up 50 or 100 feet to the base of a wall, which then rises vertically to the top of the cliff.

John takes a break on a natural swing. This vine was quite stout and capable of taking the weight of a full grown man. It was always a popular spot for photographs. When I came through this area some years later, someone had cut the vine. This was disappointing since it had become quite a landmark. 

The tangled roots of an amate tree reach down the cliff face in search of water. You can clearly see the different layers of rock that make up this part of the cliff. The wall's lower rock face appears to be basalt. It is probably volcanic in origin since the whole area around Lake Chapala is filled with extinct volcanos. The upper section is sandstone, probably from an ancient seabed. 

Gary and Jim follow a faint trail through the rock-strewn arroyo. Parts of the stream bed are full of boulders and fallen trees that have been washed down in storms. It often requires a sharp eye to follow the trail as it twists and turns among all this debris.

The wider part of the Middle Canyon has brush-covered scree slopes topped by high cliffs. The Middle Canyon is heavily wooded, with lots of underbrush. We didn't see any animals, but this is the area where they are most likely to be found.

Salvia, also called sage. This plant is a member of the mint family, which contains at least 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annual. Salvia likes hot, dry climates. My friend and plant expert Ron Parsons made this identification for me. He has a website called Wildflowers and Plnats of Central Mexico.

Chuck, with Maddy just behind. I have hiked with this pair many times over the last decade or so. Chuck is one of those whose health has gotten in the way of his love of hiking. He bravely soldiered on, even when it became obviously difficult. In recent years, he has had to forgo these adventures. Maddy still loves to hike and is overjoyed when Chuck lets one of his friends bring her along. She is a great pooch and her friendliness earned her the nickname "the Gangster of Love".

Yet another rocky, lichen-covered cliff glows in the morning sun. At this point we were deep in the canyon and the base of the arroyo was still in deep shade. The dramatic cliffs captured our attention and we had to be careful lest we trip while gazing upwards.

The 2nd Slot Canyon

Hikers head into the mouth of the Second Slot. The passage quickly becomes quite narrow. The arroyo's base is filled with large rocks, which are often concealed by heaps of leaves. A good hiking stick to probe the leaves is useful when you are looking for pitfalls that could result in a twisted ankle, or worse.

In the middle of la angostura. Chuck and Maddy bring up the rear as the group passes between the soaring walls of the Second Slot. The Mexicans call slot canyons la angostura (the narrows).

The west wall of the Second Slot is composed of conglomerate. There are various types of conglomerates, formed in a number of different ways. This one may have been formed from debris laid down by a glacier. Other types form on the seabed or as alluvial fans extending out from the mouth of arroyos. Conglomerate is made up of small irregular rocks called clasts. These are held together by a natural mortar made up of clay and minerals.

Jerry and Chuck break out snacks during a mid-hike pause. After emerging from the Second Slot, we soon arrived at a flat area often used as a rest stop or a camping area. Stumps and downed trees formed natural seats. Once settled, we dug into the goodies we had brought. These included sandwiches, fruit, and mixes of nuts and dried berries, according to each person's taste. 

The Hidden Valley

Jim and Gary follow the leaf-strewn trail into the Hidden Valley. Often the trail disappears under a layer of large oak leaves. Only with a bit of experience can you follow the slight indentation in the leaves that indicates a trail lies underneath.

Vegetation of the Hidden Valley. The trees are scattered in the valley, with very little underbrush. A couple of spiky maguey plants can be seen in the middle distance. Just beyond the farther maguey, the cliff face rises up from the flat ground.

Phil and Jerry on the Hidden Valley's trail. Phil is a part-timer from Canada who spends about half the year in a house he owns in Ajijic. Jerry is a full-timer from the US who is one of the friendliest human beings on the planet. About two weeks after he had first arrived in Ajijic, he knew more people by name that I did.   

Hikers navigate fallen trees and boulders. In the left foreground, Carl ducks under a low branch. A few years ago on this trail, another hiker knocked himself cold by running head first into a large log which had fallen across the arroyo. When he came to, someone asked how he could possibly have missed seeing the enormous log. As it turned out, he had been watching his feet to avoid tripping over the many rocks underfoot. Sometimes, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

The openness of the Hidden Valley gives it a park-like feel. The change is welcome after traveling through the long narrow canyon. A group of hikers tends to spread out in the Hidden Valley, because the openness doesn't require close attention to the trail. The valley continues for some distance, with occasional trail branches heading up the ridges on either side. After an enjoyable stroll through the area, we decided it was time to head back.

The Return

Our hiking party passes a corn field as it emerges from the mouth of the canyon. The corn was ripe and ready to harvest. Next to the field, barbed wire is strung along a row of rough-cut tree branches. The fence is typical of the rough and ready Mexican back country. 

This wispy vine is Clematis. Although it was hanging down from a branch, it clearly was not part of the tree. There are about 300 species within the genus Clematis, and Ron could not be more specific. While this Clematis is clearly wild, these vines have become very popular as decorative plants. The name comes from the ancient Greek and means "climbing plant".

Traffic jam at the trailhead. When we returned to the trailhead, we discovered that our way out was temporarily blocked by a huge piece of farm machinery. Actually, it would be fair to say that we were blocking it. The farm workers had been trying to move the machinery into the adjacent corn field but our poorly parked cars had stopped them. Being rural Mexicans, they were very laid back and sociable. They probably welcomed the work break while they awaited the return of the cars' owners. We learned our lesson and now always park well off the road when we hike the canyon.

Like the proverbial 800 lb gorilla, we gave this vehicle all the room it needed. I nicknamed it "The Beast" because of the enormous "teeth" projecting from the front end. As it turned out, the teeth are removable, which is what the worker in the photo was doing. We headed home soon after he was finished, with another great hike to remember.

This completes Part 2 of La Cañada Slot Canyons. I hope you have enjoyed this jaunt into the mountains. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below, or email me directly. If you leave a question in the Comments, please remember to also leave your email address so that I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim