NEED MORE OOMPH
It was kind of a lame weekend for me, no new waterfalls to report. You can’t win them all. The hike I really wanted to do was all snowed in. It was only about 5000 ft. in elevation, but the road had too much snow to continue. With this ridiculously warm month, I was surprised I could not drive up this road at least partially. Anyone want to buy me a snowmobile? I could have used one this weekend. I did not have a very great backup plan. I finally gave up all hope and went to Traverse Creek Falls.
I didn’t really have much desire to go back to Traverse Creek Falls again, but well I was in the area, and had nothing better to do. It is an easy hike, but there are some steep parts. Someone had cut the rope on the first descent. Fortunately, it is not the worst of the steep sections and a rope is not really needed (if you are careful, which of course I was). The second rope at the brink of the falls is still there. Good thing because it is much more treacherous there.
The waterfall was in Double Mode, but just barely. It is almost back to Single Mode after a month of no rain. I expected it to be in Double, but was hoping for a bit more oomph on that second segment. It looks like we may be getting some more of that much needed oomph in March. There is good news, rain is finally back in the forecast. El Nino may be making a comeback. Pray it is a big comeback. Anyhow, I think I got a somewhat different shot of the falls this time, and was standing in the middle of the cold creek to get it.
Whenever I am at Traverse Creek I always bring a garbage bag to pick up trash. In past years there has been a horrible problem here with idiots leaving behind their garbage, but the last couple times I have been here there has been very little to pick up. I was almost ready to declare Traverse Creek “problem” free. Not quite. This time around it seems we are back to square one. I picked up a whole bag of trash. Mostly beer cans, I guess, but a lot of other stuff as well, conveniently thrown into the bushes where all the poison oak is located. If I get poison oak from picking up trash … I will be very unhappy (to put it mildly). I also found a box for a mini cross bow, just left behind at the top of the falls. Really? If you are going to bring something like that on your hike, why wouldn’t you unpack it out of the box at your car? And leave the darn box at your car! If you don’t want to do that, then why can’t you take the box back with you? You packed it in, you can pack it out! Some people’s children. I did have a lovely morning.