Leon Turnbull Photography

If the new falls on the North Fork American River was my number one destination to get to this spring, then this one was my number two: the Middle Fork American River. I suppose you didn’t know there was any waterfall on the Middle Fork American River, who did? But yes, not one waterfall but two waterfalls!

I actually tried to get to this one a couple weeks ago when I went to Picayune Valley Falls, but I failed and failed miserably. I bonked big time. It is only a mile up the canyon but a gain of 1000 feet in elevation, and terrible terrible brush. It is absolute madness to try to get up there. I was at first trying to get to Picayune Valley Falls (which is 4 1/2 miles), in time to get good lighting conditions, but I had a late start, so I was hoofing it the whole four and a half miles as fast as I could, and by the time I got there I was not a little bit tired. After that I tried to go up the Middle Fork Canyon, and I only got halfway, mostly because I went up the wrong side of the river which was just far too brushy and far too tiring.  Even after taking a rest and lunch, I could not take another step upwards. But no matter, I can always try again another day. And so I did.  And this time I would not bonk.

But that does not mean it was not ridiculous. I tried the other side of the river this time, and it started out much better, but as I ascended the 1000 feet it became more and more brushy. And when I say brushy, I mean crazy brush. Eventually I had to cross the river again back to the bad side. That’s how bad it was. It is perhaps a good thing we have a drought right now because otherwise this river would be raging and I could forget about crossing it. I do not mean that of course, the drought is just plain awful. It took me a full one and a half hours to hike the 1 mile up the canyon, but finally I got to the waterfall. It is a dandy one too, a lovely cascade 49 feet high. The sun was just starting to hit the falls when I got there, but I took some quick pictures before it was too late. I had no time to explore any further, because I had to get back to Auburn in time for my nephew’s birthday party. And as it was, I was late to that but it was worth it, I finally got to the Middle Fork American Falls. There is a smaller lower Falls on the river as well, and I took pictures of that and will post it soon. It was a great day in the Sierra, full of madness.