Big Mosquito
It is coming. Maybe. I hope. Perhaps. I’m talking about snow of course. We are still waiting for winter to start here in northern California. The last report I heard is that it is on its way. Mid January things will start to look up. I hope.
In the meantime, I ventured out to Foresthill looking for a new waterfall on Big Mosquito Creek. With an ominous name like this, I don’t think I would want to come here in the summer. I did not think it would be flowing greatly, but it was more of a scouting trip to return to in the spring (before mosquito season, hopefully). I found the waterfall pretty easily, the viewpoint is just off the main road. Getting down to it is another matter entirely. I did not try this time due to sore ankle and lack of water flow, but I think it is possible, and when I return back in the spring I will definitely give it a go. Another reason I must return is that I am not very happy with this photo. I did not get it in good focus for some reason. Was my I.S. switched on unawares? I did not think so. Ugh. Well, if we do get some snow, then this creek should have great flow in the spring, and the waterfall will be rockin.
Waterfalls, actually. Yes, there is almost certainly a second, much larger waterfall on this same creek downstream. Unfortunately, I think it might not be possible to get down to it. It is about 2 or 3 miles downstream from the upper falls, and after taking a gander at this upper falls, I ventured downstream seeing how close I could get to it. With my ankle still being sore, I did not really want to go too far. Indeed, I went further than I should have, but the going was actually pretty easy and the forest was pretty open, as I think there was a fire that went through here many many years ago. But further down it starts to get very cliffy and that is where I turned around, still a good two miles from the waterfall. From where I turned around, it would have still been possible to continue. But for how long, I do not know. On the way back up, I came to a strange open, flat area. It seemed there was a lot of old bear poop scattered throughout the area, and bear trails going off in different directions. Was this where all the bears in the area hung out? Or slept? Then I heard a strange sound, like a horse. (but obviously, it was not a horse). I do not know what it was, if anything. Maybe a bird. But maybe it was a bear turning over in its sleep. I did not see anything. But I sure did not want to wake up a sleeping bear, so I scooted back up the hill as fast as my sore ankle could take me.