BLACK SATURDAY
I hurt my back again just before Thanksgiving (yes, I have been doing my back exercises every day). It was not too horrible, but the two difficult hikes I had planned for the weekend both got squelched. I did a lot of reading in bed. By Saturday I was going stir crazy and anxious to go on at least one easy hike, so that is what I did. Lower Battle Creek Falls was my destination.
It was Saturday afternoon of the long weekend (Black Saturday?), so I expected to see a few other people on the hike. Whenever I drive by here I usually see cars parked at the trailhead. There was no one at all. I would have this easy hike all to myself.
It’s a short hike on a logging road down to the bridge and then a short trail down to the falls. When I first came here some years ago it was just an obscure path, not a trail. Few people ever came here. It is a trail now. Not just a trail, it is a super highway. It feels like you are hiking on the PCT. No joke. I’m not sure I really like that. There is erosion on the trail now in some places due to all the traffic, especially the last steep part down to the creek.
There is a shrine along the trail for some guy who died here more than 20 years ago (I definitely have not seen it before – in fact, it does not seem old at all). I don’t know (obviously) but I was thinking he probably died jumping off the waterfall (which would be stupid). I imagine plenty of kids do this in the summer. It seems to be a very popular place now.
However, it’s much better to come in the winter when no one else is around. The creek flow is low but the waterfall is a straight plunge of 32 ft so it is beautiful even at low flows. It definitely seems much more than 30 ft. to my eye. Over 40 ft high for sure, I thought, but I measured it again and it was still just 32 ft. It did not grow 10 ft. since I was last here. Oh well. It is very gorgeous anyway.
The super highway trail continues a bit below the falls. I followed it for awhile but then it abruptly ends at a cliff. Does it go down the cliff? That would be nuts. It seemed like it did go down but I did not try it. I returned to my car and got back just after sunset. When I got back, I noticed some trash by the road. Was that there when I started the hike? I do not remember seeing it there. I picked it up. There was still ice in the drink cup! So that means while I was on this short hike, some loser drove by, stopped at the turn out, dumped their trash, and then continued on. That is so bloody annoying and irritating. Other than that it was a beautiful EASY hike in Lassen National Forest, and my back held up very well.