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| Canyoneering | 4.63 Miles |
391 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 4.63 Miles | 3 Hrs 47 Mns | | 1.61 mph |
| 391 ft AEG | 54 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | First time to cibecue falls for me. It's something I've wanted to do for quite some time, so I'm happy to have been able to go. This is not a super great time to go, as it was rather hot. We got there as early as possible, but since permits are not available online, we had to go to go to the Sinclair gas station in Carrizo on the reservation to get permits ($45 per person). They open at 7a on Saturday. It took some time to get our permits, and we arrived at the trailhead and started hiking at 830a.
The tribal ranger checked our permits closely at the very start of the dirt road to the trailhead. We also passed another ranger coming the other direction on our way in. He mentioned that people were getting stuck in the creek when they crossed with the cars to get to the parking lot, and that we should use 4wd if we wanted to cross. We decided to park prior to the creek crossing. You are not allowed to park right before the crossing, but you can park a little ways before. The no parking signs are posted very clearly, and the second ranger mentioned it, as well. That being said, there were cars parked right next to the no parking signs when we were on our way out. After crossing the creek on foot, I think my grand Cherokee would have had no problem crossing in 4wd. Prior to the crossing, we saw 2 sedans parked, as well. I personally would not take a passenger car on that road. There were mainly trucks, jeeps, and a few awd suvs parked when we left.
The road itself is bumpy but not terrible. It's narrow in a lot of places which makes it not fun when two cars meet going in opposite directions on the steep sections. Quite a bit of the road is high above the canyon floor with a big drop off.
Hiking itself was beautiful, as expected.  The usual water hike, back and forth across the creek many times. Spectacular scenery. There were about 3 deep pools including the one at the foot of the falls, but you did not have to go through them. Swimming is not allowed (but is maybe allowed for tribal members?), though it is possible to keep cool coming in and out of the water while crossing. The trail guide mentioned having to go through one deep pool, but the water level is not super high right now. We were able to follow well-worn use paths on either side of the creek all the way to the falls without having to be in the creek for extended periods.
We were the first ones to the falls in the morning, much to our delight!! It was simply magical with the roaring of the falls. So much water!! The hanging garden off to the left is beautiful. Plus, some one was busy making several cairns in the shallow area of the creek right before the deep pool at the base of the falls. They were really neat to see when you turn the corner and get your first view of the falls.
We had the place to ourselves for about an hour. Then... The influx of people begun. 11 people, 2 families came, so we decided it was time to start back as it was getting hot anyway. Including the 11 people we saw at the falls, we counted 50 people on the trail in as we walked out. Yikes!! I am so glad we were able to see the falls in solitude.
The heat made for a not super great hike out, but that is what you get when you go in a non optimal season. I am still glad we went. Between the excessive crowds and the steep price of permits, I am not sure we will be back any time soon. Maybe on a Wednesday in season! 
Beautiful hike!  |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Unexpectedly saw a few wildflowers here and there. Given the heat, I didn't expect to see any! |
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