Leon Turnbull Photography

I think this will be my new saying whenever I find something new and awesome: Sweet Baby Yoda!

Sometimes I feel really bummed when I strike out on hikes (such as what happened last week) , and cannot get to where I wanted.  I feel like I should have done better.

Then sometimes I feel as if I killed it out of the park, such as what happened this week. This was one of my top hikes of 2019. Perhaps Lower West Cherry was more awesome, but this was probably the best day hike of 2019 for sure.

After striking out last week, I did not want another strike out this week. I was perhaps 80 to 90 percent sure I could make it up to this waterfall on Murphy Creek. Those are pretty good odds.

The flow was about perfect. If it is too high, you cannot even get to the lower falls. There is an extremely dangerous stream crossing just before the lower falls. It was all right today, but the rocks were wet and slick, so you need to be very careful. If you slip, you will go over a big waterfall and probably be dead. Needless to say, I was careful.

I had lots of time, so I took plenty of photos of the lower falls before beginning the big climb up to the upper falls. I climbed up high and then back down to the creek, eventually reaching the same point I got to last time. Last time I was here, I ran out of daylight and did not have time to get to the waterfall. Today I had plenty of time. I needed to cross the creek. It was almost but not quite rock hoppable, so I put on my water shoes to cross. I probably actually could have rock hopped it. Anyhow, better safe than sorry. Once on the other side, you just need to climb up the bank. There was oak here, but I think (I hope) I avoided touching it. Finally, I came into full view of the magnificent waterfall. I let out a huge whoop and holler. No one heard me. I could not believe I actually made it here. It seems so difficult and impossible from down at the highway. As far as I know, I am the first to make it here, and the first to document its discovery. It is another waterfall madman first encounter.

I measured the waterfall to be 113 ft. high (the lower falls is 67 ft. high). It is absolutely stunning, and you can get right up to it and touch it if you like. It is also difficult to photograph because of the spray. I took plenty of photos anyway, and spent a lot of time here enjoying the moment.By the time I got back to the car, it was noon. The sun was out. Time to eat lunch and drive home. It was a most awesome day in Plumas National Forest.

We had a very late start to the winter this season, definitely the latest start that I can ever remember. I suppose that does not bode well for the snow pack this year, but wait. Last year we also had a very late start, and look what happened that year: our snow pack was about 164% of average at the end of the season. With only one big storm under our belts this year, the numbers for Dec. 1 are now in: rainfall is 50% of average (northern CA), 68% (central Sierra), and 75% (southern Sierra). Snow pack is 76% (north), 94% (central), and 107% (south). So we still have a ways to go to catch up, but hope is not all lost yet. More storms are on the way.

Usually, every Black Friday I go out hiking. It is my thing. It is my favorite day of the year to hike. So I had big plans to hike on Friday, to a couple different places. But … I slept awful on Thursday night and turned my alarm off. I spent the day with family, and figured I would hike on Saturday instead. But … I slept awful on Friday night as well. I almost turned my alarm off again! However, this time I forced myself to get up and out of bed.

I drove up to Oroville and once more back to Bear Ranch Creek. I was really wanting to get up to the upper falls this time, and more than that. I know of only a couple other people that have been up to this upper falls. I have tried before, but it is extremely brushy and difficult. After the Camp Fire decimated this area last year, I thought it would be a lot easier now. Looking at Google Earth, I could see the fire hit this area, and it did not look very brushy anymore. I wanted to try to climb the ridge, instead of going up from the lower falls (which is what you are supposed to do – but that route is very brushy and poison oak as well). The ridge looked like a better option to me. Two problems: One, there was snow! I was not expecting this at all, since this is low elevation (1500 ft.). I was not prepared for snow whatsoever. There would be a huge, steep, and possibly dangerous descent down to the creek. With snow on the ground, it would be very treacherous (I imagined). I figured there was a 90 percent chance I would not make it because of the snow, so this kinda bummed me out since I drove all the way out here to attempt this waterfall, and I had no alternative options. Two, it was too brushy! Indeed, it did not look like there had been a fire at all. It was still just as brushy as before, and there was absolutely no getting through it. It makes no sense because Google Earth clearly shows the fire scorched this area.

I went back down to the trail, and decided to try the other way: Climb up from the lower falls. I have tried this way before, and found it too brushy as well. Well, I will try it again today. It was not very long, and then it dawned on me that I was up much higher than I had made it previously, and I was still going strong. I made it all the way up, and got over to the other side where you need to drop back down to the creek. It was not bad at all, and not dangerous, even in the snow. I made it all the way down, and could see the upper falls before me. It looked amazing! I can’t believe I actually made it all the way this time. I was stoked!

It is really a very gorgeous waterfall, and it is bigger than it looks in photos. I measured the main drop to be 30 ft. high exactly. It is an incredible place. Technically, this should be called the middle falls, not the upper falls. There is definitely another drop above this one. Someday I will get to it. But not today.

It was very tough getting here and took a long time. I was very cold, very wet, and very tired. I still had to climb back up the mountain and down the other side. I made it back down to the car about noon.

But it is not a madman adventure until you have some sort of casualty, and today I had two casualties: I managed to somehow lose my backpack raincover, and I broke my hiking pole. In other words, it was a fantastic day in Plumas National Forest.

This would be the eighth time I have been to Feather Falls in 17 years. It won’t be the last.

In actuality, I was not planning to go to the overlook this time. My plan was to go to the bottom of Feather Falls, on a new route, one that did not involve steep cliffs and abundant poison oak. You may wonder how I would do that. Impossible! Well, I cannot say. Yet. I had a good route mapped out on Google Earth, and I thought it would be golden. However, the route was a washout. There was just too much brush to hack through (surprise surprise). The good thing is there was not much poison oak, but that brush was killer. I tried another way. It too was blocked. Then I tried a third way, and this time I think I found something. However, by now it was too late. There is no possible way I could make it down in time before the waterfall would be in sun, and I did not want to go all the way down and not be able to take photos. So I backtracked, and went to the overlook instead. By the time I got there, the top of the falls was already in sun, but I think I got a pretty good photo nonetheless. I will definitely be back to try my new route. I’m just not sure when that will be.

You will be happy to know that the lower loop of the Feather Falls trail is now completely trash free (for now, anyway). I picked up a ton of garbage on the way back, including a disgusting dirty diaper I found by Frey Creek. I did not want to leave it there, but I had nothing to pick it up with either, so I dumped my lunch into my backpack and then used my lunch bag to store the diaper (picking it up with gloves on). I really think that if you are so lame that you cannot pack out your own trash, you should not be allowed to hike in the wilderness. Am I right? The worst is when people throw their trash off the cliff at the Feather Falls overlook. It is impossible to get down and pick it up. It really irks me to no end. At least leave your stupid trash along the trail so someone else can pack it out for you.

I had thought there might be an upper falls on French Creek, but I had not planned to try to get down to it. The terrain looked far too cliffy and it seemed out of the realm of possibility, but mostly I was not even sure there was another waterfall there.

However, as I hiked back up the road from the lower falls, I looked down and I could see there was another waterfall down there. It did look very steep and cliffy, but I decided to try it. If I could do it, it would be so awesome. I descended the mountain for the second time. Down down down, I went. It looked like I was going to get cliffed out, but hey maybe not. I continued down, and soon enough, I was at the creek level, below the waterfall. From there, I was able to just work my way up beside the creek bed to get up close to the falls. And hey, there was no poison oak down at the upper falls. Bonus!

This upper falls is slightly bigger than the lower one, 54 ft. high. It was thundering over the cliff and down the canyon. It was utterly spectacular. Again, it was very difficult to photograph because of all the mist, in fact, the mist was far more intense at the upper falls.

Once again, I ascended back up the mountain to the road. Now I was very tired. But back on the road, it was an easy hike back to the car. I picked up a ton of garbage along the road and also some down in the canyon. My pack was way heavy because of it. Too bad I have a bad back, people! Thank you so much! But no worry, I picked up all your trash that you left (if you are reading this), and now French Canyon is once again pristine (until you go back in the summer).

As I drove back on the dirt road, I passed a truck that was parked just off the road. I saw it on my way in, and I found it curious that there would be anyone parked down here. Camping in the middle of nowhere? As I was wondering this, an old crazy looking lady came running out at me, flagging me down. Oh boy, what is this? Well it seems their truck battery died and they needed a jump. She and her husband were stranded there all night long, and then all morning until I came by. Geez, what if no one came by all week? It is winter, not many people go down here this time of year. Anyway, they were nice folks. Glad to be of service.

Last weekend was a bust. I put my back out bending down to feed the darn cats. Ugh! It bugs me because I have been doing my back exercises regularly. I rested all week, and was ready to hike the next weekend.

Spring has not started yet. I am very happy about that, though most people around here are not. After a brief respite from the monster February, the rain has started up again in California, and looks to continue for another couple weeks at least. Hoo yah! It was a rainy Saturday morning (again), and I was out hiking in it. I was hoping to go on three different hikes, but I over estimated how hard the first one would be. It was hard! But it was awesome.

I drove down this dirt road for 8 miles. I was surprised the road was in very good condition and I could drive this far on it. I expected a lot of mud, perhaps a washout or slide or tree down. Well, there was a washout on the road, actually, but it was at the 8 mile mark. From that point, it was only another two miles down to the waterfall. It should be an easy hike, right? Ha!

It was easy hiking down the road, but the last part involves a huge descent off trail, through the brush, through the poison oak, and down the steep mountain to the creek and waterfall. It was steep and it was cliffy, and once I got down close to the falls, it became very brushy, and there was a lot more poison oak. I could see the falls through the trees, but I could not see any way down to it. I was about to give up. I decided I would try one more route. This one was golden. I was able to get through the brush, and down to the creek level, right near the bottom of the falls. This is called French Creek Falls, 50 ft. high, and it was roaring! I could not believe how much water was flowing in the creek. It is not a very big creek (normally), but it sure was big today. It was spectacular, but very difficult to photograph because of all the mist from the falls. I am sure I touched some of that poison oak, but I have hope I do not get the itch.

What goes down must go back up. It was a tough climb back up to the road. Then an easy hike back to the car? But wait … I was not quite done yet ….