HIGH ON EMOTION

I’ve been slow in sharing my Sonora Pass images on purpose. I have to make them last all summer. It is going to be three more months before we get rain (hopefully less though!), and I have not many photos left to share this summer. Ah well, do not worry, I will not make you wait three months before all of these Sonora Pass images are shared. In the meantime, I am getting excited for next season. I have been busy mapping out new hikes and searching out new waterfall possibilities, and I have some epic ones lined up to go find. I just pray God will oblige me this year. Or rather, that He will oblige ALL OF US. Another year of drought will be a nightmare for everyone in California.

Speaking of epic waterfalls, this is one I definitely hope to get back to next spring when it is flowing well. Even at low flow this was an awesome 120 ft. high falls. In fact, I think this might be my best waterfall find of the entire year. I thank my Flickr friend Philip for first alerting me quite a while ago to this waterfall on North Fork McKay Creek, right beside the popular Sardine Falls. If I had known how awesome the waterfall is, I would have made it out here much sooner. I wasn’t actually planning to come here this time either, as I figured the creek would be completely dry. However, the rain picked up all the streams in the area, and I thought I should try it. I am so glad I did.

After my Blue Canyon adventure, I drove up to the Sardine Falls trailhead. Someone had forgotten their car keys at the trailhead, and they were hanging on a post there. And you thought I was bad by forgetting my water on my hike at Blue Canyon! I just wonder how they drove their car away without their car keys? Hmm, well anyway, it is a simple little hike up to Sardine Falls. I could see it flowing decently well in the distance. When I got to North Fork McKay Creek, I found that there was flow in that smaller creek as well. I found a trail (or more like a path) on the far side of the creek and up I climbed. It is a 650 ft. climb in elevation from the trailhead. Nothing too difficult. Except for that darn elevation. The base of the waterfall is at 9400 ft. elevation, and it really killed me getting to it. It is probably twice as difficult to make a 650 ft. climb at 9400 ft., then say at 5400 ft. elevation. That is my highly unscientific analysis. But I am sure it is true.

Since it was taking quite a while to hike up the creek, I was wondering if it was such a good idea to continue. I wasn’t sure anymore if I had time to make it up there and back before dark. I also had to photograph Sardine Falls, and I was hoping to get to Leavitt Falls as well before dark. It seemed that I still had a long way to go up the canyon, and I wasn’t getting closer fast. Not to mention that I was dying from the elevation. But I persevered. Finally, I came around the last corner and let out a humungous WHOOP! Wow! North Fork McKay Creek Falls is an utterly spectacular 120 ft. fan shaped falls, and at this location you are up so close and personal. You can even get right up to the base of the falls if you desire. It is a tremendous beauty, and I definitely want to come back here again.

1 Comment

One Response to “HIGH ON EMOTION”

  1. Philip Says:

    Hiking to this falls was such a beautiful and exciting adventure for me …There were so many beautiful places along the creek…As beautiful and wispy as it is ,I don’t think this shot of yours really shows the scale of how high it is.I hope our winter brings a great snowpack …If so I will be heading back up there next Summer.

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