Little Falls Canyon
Class 3 · 2.0 mi · +784 ft
A fun canyon in the cool alpine forest of the Spring Mountains: often slippery and full of debris. With snowmelt (into summer after a big snow year) or after heavy summer rain it can run class C; the rest of the time it's class B, or even A. Best spring to fall; it can hold snow in winter.
Approach: follow the Cathedral Rock Trail until it flattens out on a saddle below the climb to the peak. Bear left on a wide trail that contours around the ridge to the left. Leave the trail and drop in to the right before you reach the stream bed itself (the track shows where). Soon after leaving the trail you'll see the bolt for the first drop on a flat rock.
Descent: after the first rappel (about 60 ft) comes a series of drops, most anchored off bolts and some off the many logs on the canyon floor. In low flow several of the anchored drops are easy downclimbs. You walk on logs for most of the canyon, and they're very slippery when wet. The 75 ft rappel is two-stage and goes around a corner; you can split it into about 20 ft and 45 ft by building an anchor on one of the dead logs in a hanging pothole. The rock is smooth and the pull doesn't seem to snag, though the pull side could drop into the hanging pothole and catch a branch.
Exit: an easy walk down canyon to the trail and back to your car.
Access
Parts of the range are the Mt. Charleston Wilderness, where motorized equipment isn't allowed: no power drills. Dogs must be leashed at trailheads. Campfires are banned year-round within a mile of homes in Kyle and Lee Canyons, and the Forest Service adds seasonal fire restrictions in summer, so check before you go.