CNF: Bear Canyon - Bluewater - N. Tenaja Loop

[Hikin_Jim]

I completed this past weekend an approximately 20 mile two day backpacking loop trip in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest. Marked up Caltopo link: https://caltopo.com/m/PJDGG

I've been wanting to do this trip for some time, but I actually wouldn't do it again this time of year; it's just too hot. I think March - April is the ideal time for this trip.

Alternative Routes: Instead of taking the N Tenaja Trail as the route back, one could take the the Tenaja Falls Trail to the Stewart Ranch/Potrero de la Cienega area, connect with the Morgan Trail, and take the Morgan Trail back to the Bear Canyon Trail. Taking the Tenaja Falls-Morgan Trail route instead of the N. Tenaja Trail would add about four miles but is in general less steep -- and one gets to see Tenaja Falls. Tenaja Falls isn't much right now, but right after a rain storm can be quite beautiful. The down side of the Tenaja Falls route is the approximately 2.2 mile bypass around the Potrero de la Cienega. The bypass is not original trail but is a hastily built, poorly-constructed route around the original route which went through Potrero de la Cienega. Apparently the private land holders objected to the foot traffic and the Forest Service caved and built this bypass which is out in the sun and gains 500+ unnecessary feet. The private land holders are allowed an exception to the Wilderness Act that allows them to cross federal land with motor vehicles, but we hikers are not so similarly reciprocated. I hate this useless, unpleasant bypass if you can't already tell. Overall though, despite the bypass, going via Tenaja Falls/Potrero de la Cienega might be better than the steep, constantly exposed, waterless N. Tenaja Trail. Water is generally available in the little pool atop Tenaja Falls. There is a little seep between Tenaja Falls and Potrero de la Cienega but I'm not sure I would count on water there. If there were water at the little seep, I might want a bandana to pre-filter out gunk, maybe a sponge with which to soak up water (if there is any), and a Sierra cup to scoop up water if there were actually any water over and above just muddy ground.

Here's a link to my Reddit write up; Tapatalk does a good job of linking in the photos, so I won't replicate all of those here.


I will however add something that might be of interest: A marked up satellite view of what I consider to be the most reliable water source in the vicinity of the confluence of Bluewater and San Mateo Canyons. About 0.3 miles upstream of the Bluewater-San Mateo trail junction, the main trail starts climbing away from the creek to bypass a rocky section. At this point, there is a side trail leading down to the creek. At the creek, just upstream from where the little side trail enters, there is a rocky pool (actually several). The creek flows over bedrock here, and water is forced to the surface. In my experience, there will be recoverable water here even if many of the water holes nearby are dry. One has to be on the lookout for the little side trail. It's fairly visible if you're looking for it, but you might go right by it if you weren't looking for it. If you're going downstream, the little side trail is about 0.4 miles downstream of the junction with the N. Tenaja Trail; the main trail here is descending back toward the creek but is still some ways above the creek bed.

Hopefully there will be plenty of water when you next venture into this area, but I've been there in late season when water sources were few and far between. This water source might be a handy one to hold in the back of one's mind. There is/are a camp site(s) nearby on the south side of San Mateo Creek.

HJ

[Sean]

Thanks for the report. I drink a lot of water these days too. I think I'll go when it's cooler and I don't have to hunt for infested puddles. Besides ticks, did you see any wildlife?

[Hikin_Jim]

Thanks for the report. I drink a lot of water these days too. I think I'll go when it's cooler and I don't have to hunt for infested puddles. Besides ticks, did you see any wildlife?

Yeah, the fresh, cool, clear, running water of March was so nice compared to the tepid, algae laden, still water of June. It was a bit of a come down. Still, it was reasonably pleasant in the canyon bottom, and I'm glad to have done the trip. I'd just do it earlier in the year were I to do it again. The best season is March - April and possibly even early May, depending on the forecast. It's also good Nov - Feb, but the days are short. It often freezes at night, but only into the upper 20's and there's no snow, so it's good winter camping if one is desirous of such. One certainly has the place to oneself in January!

We really didn't see much in the way of wildlife other than a few birds and some tiny frogs down by the creek. I think they, wiser than we, were staying out of the heat. The exception was a lot of gnats, which were quite annoying, and a lot of bees around Pigeon "Spring."

HJ

P.S.: Lest it seem that this trip has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, I added a couple of additional photos to the original post in this thread. It's actually quite nice down in the bottom of San Mateo Canyon (although, yes, even nicer in March - April).

[Girl Hiker]

Hey Hiking Jim, I enjoyed reading your report. During Covid I hiked to a few peaks and waterfalls in the Cleveland National Forest because I wanted to explore a new area. It's very pretty.
Also, nice to see you posting on the Forum. We missed you.

[Hikin_Jim]

Hey Hiking Jim, I enjoyed reading your report. During Covid I hiked to a few peaks and waterfalls in the Cleveland National Forest because I wanted to explore a new area. It's very pretty.
Also, nice to see you posting on the Forum. We missed you.

Hi, Ms. C. ?

Glad to see this forum is still active and glad to see you (and others I recognize!) are still on it.

Thanks for reading the TR. I think there are some worthwhile areas in the CNF, even though the CNF don't get not respect. Of course, the ANF it is not, but I can get to much of the CNF in 30 to 45 minutes whereas it's over an hour now just to get to the start of Angeles Crest. I didn't know how good I had it living 25+ years within 10 minutes of ACH.

Nice thing about the CNF though is that inasmuch as it is lower elevation, there are some nice winter and early season options. I've taken my daughter out for a couple of winter trips, and it's cold at night (high 20's), but it's relatively mild. The attached photos are from a trip this past winter to the same spot where I camped this past weekend. Notice how much bigger the pond was in January!

HJ

[tekewin]

Great report, HJ. It's my backyard, too, and I've made many trips into San Mateo and Bluewater. Got most of my good cougar vids in Bluewater, not far from the first switchback going uphill.

I've seen that bypass trail to Tenaja Falls a dozen times and sort of wondered why it was there. Never been on it and I guess no reason to hike it.

Good to know about the year round pools in San Mateo. I tend to avoid it in summer due to the oppressive heat.

I'd be up for a trip to very end of the public land in San Mateo after it cools off in the fall.

[Hikin_Jim]

Great report, HJ. It's my backyard, too, and I've made many trips into San Mateo and Bluewater. Got most of my good cougar vids in Bluewater, not far from the first switchback going uphill.

I know! I've read some of your seriously hard core TR's. Thanks for posting by the way. Good stuff.

I've seen that bypass trail to Tenaja Falls a dozen times and sort of wondered why it was there. Never been on it and I guess no reason to hike it.

Yeah, it's pretty much a pointless waste. The only reason to do it might be if one wanted to do a loop from The Bear Canyon or Morgan Trailheads, but otherwise, there's nothing to commend it.

Good to know about the year round pools in San Mateo. I tend to avoid it in summer due to the oppressive heat.

Yeah, that heat is just that, oppressive. The freaking chaparral absorbs the sun and radiates back the heat. Even when I've been down there in March sometimes it's been overly hot -- although not as bad as this past weekend. I can't imagine what it would be like on a day in the 90's. Deadly most like.

However, in terms of knowing about those pools, the value is in the fall and early winter before any rains come. Water is not necessarily easy to find or conveniently located before the rains come.

HJ

[San Mateo trip planning discussion has been moved here. --Admin]