Wabena Creek Falls
Many of my favourite trails into the North Fork American River canyon are closed right now (Mumford Bar, Beacroft, Sailor Canyon) due to the huge forest fire we had here last year. I wonder when these trails will be re-opened? The effects of the fire are very noticeable as you drive on Foresthill Divide Road from Sailor Canyon to Mumford Bar. It is huge and devastating; burnt trees as far as you can see. The fire came right up to Foresthill Road, but did not cross it. I wish it had crossed it, actually, because the forest on the other side of the road is completely overgrown. Fires are a good thing, they are part of the natural cycle of life that God created. Man often suppresses fire out of necessity, but that is not natural. It may look very ugly right now, but the forest will grow back again.
The forest fire did not affect Wabena Canyon. It is still incredibly beautiful. Stunningly beautiful. I just love the North Fork American River canyon. It is my favourite place on Earth; it is so amazing and pristine, it is so remote, and so difficult to get in to see it. The Wabena Trail is by far the most difficult access point in the entire canyon, and since so very few people hike this trail, it is completely overgrown with brush. It probably needs a fire to clean it out.
Halfway down the trail to the river, you come across Wabena Creek Falls. This is an exceptionally gorgeous waterfall, especially in the spring, and it is about 160 ft. high in total height. Only this top section of the falls can be easily seen, about 80 ft. high. Another huge section drops below this point, but the cliffs in this area are very steep, and the lower falls are not very visible. With more time and energy, I would like to see if I can find a good viewpoint of the lower falls, but it would require a lot of effort and scrambling. Maybe next time, I’ll come back just to Wabena Creek, and not continue on down to the river. By the way, four days after my hike, I am still stiff and sore.
This time around, I noticed quite a bit of poison oak growing even above Wabena Creek Falls. I am sure the oak was not as abundant when I was here 4 years ago, and there was none growing before you got down to Wabena Creek. I read somewhere that global warming is causing poison oak to grow at higher elevations and more abundantly. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know, but it sure seems to be the case in Wabena Canyon. It was completely impossible to avoid touching it on the hike down to the river, and I eventually gave up trying, and just went on through it. I most certainly had poison oak all over myself, and knowing that I will get a rash just by looking at the stuff (read my recent post from Hidden Falls), I was sure that I was in for what would most certainly be the worst poison oak rash I have yet experienced. But I prayed, “Lord, please keep me from getting a rash.” And believe it or not, I did not end up getting any rash at all this time. Sure, I rubbed myself from head to toe with Technu when I got home, but I’ve done that before and it often doesn’t make any difference for me. It must have been a miracle. At least, that’s what I think.