PICKING UP THE TRASH
Clearly … going to North Fork Falls was not my plan for this weekend. I have been to this waterfall many times before and have multiple good shots of it. I did not want to or plan to come back here … However …
My planned hike, which was in the same general area, did not exactly pan out. It started out well enough, following an old logging road down into the canyon. But before too long, the road ended, and all that followed after it was brush, thick, thick, manzanita brush. Darn I hate that stuff. I could see no way through it or around it, and believe you me, I tried hard enough. Dang! I was certain that I was going to be able to get down to this other waterfall. No such luck. This was my first big strikeout of the season. I’m sure it will not be my last, but I will be back to try this one again, sometime. All I accomplished on the hike was picking up some trash that someone left behind. Actually, it was an old helium balloon that landed here via some kid that let it go probably a hundred miles from here. I sure hate finding these things out in the wilderness.
Anyway, back at the car, I realized it was still pretty early. Perhaps I should go to North Fork Falls. That way, at least, it would not be a complete wasted morning, and I would have more accomplishments than just picking up trash. I did not think the falls would still be in shade, but nonetheless it is a very easy hike, and so I carried my camera down there anyway. When I arrived, I saw that amazingly, it was indeed still in shade, so I quickly (but very carefully) scampered down the cliff onto my usual photo-taking ledge. No snow or crazy treacherousness was encountered today, as I have had in the past. The ground was solid and dry. I quickly setup and took a photo. That one photo is all I had time for as it turned out, because the sun came out immediately afterwards. Well at least I got something this morning. Nothing new or spectacular, but something. It was a good day.