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| Hiking | 13.80 Miles |
3,169 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.80 Miles | | | |
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| 3,169 ft AEG | | | |
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| no partners | | Hiked this with a buddy of mine, Dave, I hadn't hiked with since spring. Left the trail head just after 9:30am. The non-paved section of SR88 was in really rough shape due to the sustained rainfall, and my '99 Camry barely made it to the trail head (luckily it had been graded while we were hiking and felt like a superhighway by comparison on the way out). Our adventure had begun even before we started hiking, foreshadowing what was sure to be a spectacular day!
I discovered during the descent on the way in that the knee issue that had been plaguing Dave last time we had hiked was as yet unresolved--possibly due to bad karma I incurred celebrating what good time we were making up to that point. Needless to say, we hiked slowly the rest of the trip (especially during the outward ascent). Knee issue aside, making our way along (and across, and across, and across...) the creek required slow and cautious steps. Even taking extra care, we both slipped and stumbled a number of times, though luckily escaped unscathed, save for a few scratches I received slipping down a small rock slide near the waterfall, barrel rolling over a small boulder, landing on my back, and sliding another few feet before coming to a stop. Dave watched the whole thing and advised me to take a rest (we had just arrived at the falls). I agreed that was a fine idea, proceeded to descend further toward the pool at the foot of the falls, and promptly lost my footing again! I then rested.
This hike was phenomenal, and more than worth whatever small struggles we encountered getting in and out of there. I had been waiting for a prime opportunity to strike at this journey, and several days of rain was the perfect impetus to head for the falls. Obviously, the giant roaring waterfall was the highlight of the journey, but the views on the rest of the trek were quite impressive themselves.
On the way out, we lost the light on the final stretch of the falls trail ascent, but our trusty headlamps guided us to the main trail not long after. We were immediately able to triple our pace, reaching the car just before 7:30pm. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Nice colors along the creek, distinctly juxtaposed with the surrounding landscape. |
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