This photo was taken a bit after sunrise. There was not any great sunrise color on this day, but the rainbow over the canyon really made this shot I think (a double rainbow, even better). What you are looking at is the North Fork American River canyon. The mountain is majestic Snow Mountain rising 8074 ft. above sea level (on the right, poking up in the distance is Devils Peak). In the spring, the second highest waterfall in California (2200 ft. high) tumbles vigorously down the slope of Snow Mountain, and if you look closely you can see the path it takes in this image. Of course in late August, it is all dried up, but I think this spot would be a fantastic viewpoint of the waterfall in the spring, especially at sunrise or sunset (that is, if you could get to this spot in the spring, which is not likely, but that is a different story).
The story for this day was not to shoot sunrise from this location, but instead to find a new and quick way down to Heath Falls on the North Fork American River. It was going to be epic! But alas, it was not to be. It was not the cliffs that did me in here, it was the manzanita brush. On Google Earth, the brush did not look bad at all, and even from the cliffs here looking down, the brush did not look bad, but once I started going down, it eventually just became too thick and un-manageable. I was forced to turn back. I was bummed!
For a brief minute or two, I thought I was going to make it. There was actually an old trail here leading down to the bottom, something totally unexpected. It must have been an old miner’s trail, and from the look of it, it had not been traversed since the mining days. Nonetheless it was there and it started out very good, however once it hit the thick brush, it disappeared very quickly. With all the fires and lightning strikes happening in the Sierra this week, I kept thinking how nice it would be if one happened here to clear out all this brush, but it seems that is not going to happen this year either. I tried many different routes to try to get through the brush, and I just could not do it. In the end, I thought maybe from the other side of the ravine might be a possibility, which is down to the left of this view, and I want to return here again to give it another go, but that will not happen this year.
Some of you may know the “normal” way to get to Heath Falls is a long, difficult hike about 6.5 miles one way, impossible to get there in good lighting conditions on a day hike, and it also involves a sketchy crossing of private property to reach it. I was hoping to find a better and quicker route, and that involved driving from Soda Springs down through the Cedars and across the North Fork American River. The road from Soda Springs down to the river is absolutely awful. Indeed I would say it is almost as bad as the Bowman Lake road. If you are familiar with that road you know this one must be quite bad if I make this comparison. It is just extremely rocky and bumpy. Your jaw will be rattling for days afterward. For about 2 miles on each side of the river, and stretching apparently all the way down to Heath Falls, a group called the Cedars owns the land, and they do not want anyone else sniffing on the land either. You would think they would keep their road in better condition at least.
After trying Heath Falls, I was still in an exploring mood so I went further up Soda Springs Road in search of a trail down to Palisade Falls. I knew there was a trail down to it on this side of the river, but I did not know where it was, so I took a wild guess on my map. It was not exactly where I thought it might be, but I eventually did find it. I did not go down because I had already spent too much time trying to get down to Heath Falls and it was too late in the morning, but this is one I would really like to return to, perhaps even this year (though I am not anxious to brave driving this road again anytime soon). I think also that it will be of epic steepness comparable to the Wabena Falls trail. Sounds like fun. Maybe.
