Leon Turnbull Photography

I was not sure where I should go after visiting Evolution Creek Falls. Should I hike up Evolution Valley? Or should I hike up Goddard Canyon? I really wanted to do both, and I had planned for both. However, the previous day being far too difficult and not being able to get to where I wanted to, had ruined this initial plan. I had limited time (and limited energy), and I now could only do one of these two things. It was one or the other. I could see four smaller waterfalls in Goddard Canyon, or one big waterfall in Evolution Valley. Evolution would be more scenic but also have many more people. It was a huge dilemma. The entire hike up to Evolution Creek Falls I debated the issue. What to do, what to do. Even as I was photographing the falls, I still had not made a decision, and was still going back and forth in my mind. My brain was about to burst! I think the deciding factor was that I saw that the upper portion of Evolution Creek Falls was already in the sun. I had hoped to photograph it as well when I hiked up the valley, but now saw that I was too late for that. So the decision was made: I would hike up Goddard Canyon. The truth of God (dard) trumps the lies of Evolution once again. Seriously, either option would have been awesome, but I do think I made an excellent choice. Goddard Canyon is not as much visited, but there are four spectacular waterfalls here, all of them are a good size and all were flowing well (except for one, which had lower flow than I had hoped).

I arrived at the main waterfall (shown here) about noon. It was a pretty tough climb up the canyon, gaining about 1500 ft. in elevation. This is where I decided to camp, right near the top of the falls. It was a perfect spot, plenty of shade (which is good because it was a hot day), and no one else around. I had the entire canyon to myself! I set up camp, ate my lunch, and took a nap. Clouds rolled in the afternoon, which gave me an idea. I would take a day hike from here up to the two upper waterfalls, then come back and photograph the main falls in the evening, and get back to my camp before dark. For a bonus, I would not have to carry my heavy pack. It was a great idea, and it worked out perfectly. The clouds allowed me to photograph the upper waterfalls without having to wait until the sun was down, and it was a pretty easy hike after having a good rest and not having to carry my pack up there. I was happy, and my body was happy as well. What a great afternoon it was.

This middle falls is arguably the nicest of the four waterfalls (but it is an extremely close call); however, it is very difficult to find a good angle to photograph this one. The slope is quite steep and treacherous. I was afraid I was going to slide right off the cliff into the river below. That would have been fun (except for the landing). This was the best angle I could find without killing myself, although the upper section is a bit out of view. It is a beautiful and utterly spectacular 55 ft. drop, and I got to camp right near the top of it. It was an amazing day in Goddard Canyon.