Portland Canyon (Ivan's Tail), Ouray, CO

Portland Canyon is a very short canyon right inside the town of Ouray, Colorado. Short but a lot of fun for being so close to the road. We encountered two rappels in the water — the first right in the water and under the road, the second a small drop with boulders where rappelling worked best. This is a great place for beginner canyoneers getting into C class. August appears to be around the best time to go in Ouray.

Check the bolts and approach the anchor carefully — it can be slippery. I believe this canyon can get done in a half hour but we took around an hour. A great second canyon if you are looking for more waterfall fun. We also ended up finding a lot of mushrooms for a fantastic dinner up in the mountains.