KILLER BEES
On Saturday evening I dragged Jadon and Nekoda out to see Bassi Falls before it stopped flowing. I could not drag my wife. She gave multiple excuses like, it’s too hot, I’m too tired, I have to get up early and bike in the morning. None of these excuses I thought was very worthy, but what could I do? I cannot pick her up and plop her in the car, like I can with the kids (p.s. I’m just joking people!). Along for the ride I invited the Vicar from our church, and he brought his two year old, Heidi, who is the cutest thing ever. Well … at least the cutest thing since Nekoda was two. Our kids had fun playing with her on the drive. She would grab Nekoda’s toes and say, “daddy! I have toes!”
I was concerned as we passed on the bridge over Bassi Creek. I was here last weekend and it seemed to me there was plenty of snow on the mountains and plenty of water in the creek. I figured Bassi Falls would be flowing well for a few more weeks at least. Now, however, it seemed the snow on the mountains was almost gone, and the water level in the creek was significantly depleted. In only one week? I fretted in my head about this on the last part of the drive, not saying anything to Vicar, who had never been to Bassi Falls before. When I show off my waterfalls, I like them to be looking their best. You know, clean and shaved, their shirts tucked in, etc. It has been two years since I have been to Bassi Falls. Last time I was here, the road was a mess. It had been getting worse and worse every year, the potholes getting huger and huger, the ruts were starting to rival the Grand Canyon. Indeed on the very last section of road, I could barely make it up to the trailhead in my 4 wheel drive, and once I had to park before the end and walk. I wondered how much worse it would be now, two years later. Well glory be, the road is now fixed! Amazingness of amazingness. It is now a very easy drive, there were even regular cars up at the trailhead when we arrived. Well one concern was taken care of. There was one concern left (the flow in the falls), and as it turned out, one new one as well.
Bees! In all my years coming here, I have never seen bees at Bassi Falls. But there were hundreds of bumblebees when we arrived at the waterfall, and they were swarming us, they would not leave us alone the entire time we were there. At first, I thought they were after the ham sandwiches in our packs. Can bees smell through backpacks? But even after we removed said obstruction from their path (ie. ate them), they still would not leave us alone. They were everywhere. It is really a miracle that none of our group got stung. The funny thing is, when we arrived there was a group of oriental people there, and they asked Vicar, what are these things? Are they poisonous? Umm, they are bees he said. You don’t know what bees are? They will kill you if they sting you. Do not, I repeat, do not look into their eyes. (umm, ok maybe he did not exactly respond like that – I don’t want him to get in trouble with our Pastor for lying – though I think I got most of it right). Anyway, I did not like these bees around one bit, and it kinda ruined the experience there, but we still stayed until the end anyway so I could get my sunset photos.
As for the water flow, well it was just as I feared. Bassi Falls was much reduced in power. There was probably a third of the normal flow in the waterfall for this time of year. Indeed I would not have been able to stand where I was standing when I took this photo (under normal flows). But for the Vicar and Heidi, who had never seen the waterfall before, they were happy campers. Heidi, in particular, was ecstatic, yelling out repeatedly “wow” when we first arrived. It is indeed a magnificent waterfall. Even at a third of the roar.