Diablo
Now that I am working again, Saturday is essentially the only day of the week that I can go out waterfallin. So … I really wanted to get out this Saturday even though it was supposed to be raining. I did not sleep well on Friday night, and I really did not want to wake up on Saturday morning. In fact, I turned my alarm off, thinking that I would not get up. But at 5AM, I was up to use the bathroom, and I just decided to get up and go anyway. Oh, but I think I should have gone back to bed.
It was raining as I drove down the freeway to the Bay area, and that makes driving on the freeway more difficult (especially when everyone else seems to be going so much faster than is safe for the conditions). But as I got to Danville, it was not raining, in fact, it looked like the sun would come out. But I knew that would not last, with more rain coming that morning. My first stop was Las Trampas Regional Park, where I was looking for a certain waterfall there. I had the right co-ordinates, and I found the trail leading up to the falls, but all I found was a small 10 foot high waterfall. I was very disappointed, as I was expecting and hoping for something at least 20 ft. high. A 10 footer is not even worthy to put on my website. Then it started raining again. I felt like just driving back home and not going on to my second destination. But I had driven all the way out here, I figured it would be dumb to not go to the other waterfall.
My second destination was in Mt. Diablo State Park. Sycamore Creek Falls. The unknown waterfall in Mt. Diablo State Park. I think most everyone knows of the falls on Donner Creek, but very few know of this other one. I had actually tried to find this particular waterfall earlier this season, but the creek was completely dry at that time. It is a very small little creek. But today I knew it would be flowing. I arrived at the entrance kiosk, and talked to the lady there a bit. I told her I was going to hike down to Sycamore Creek. She asked me what was down there. I told her a waterfall. She was shocked! A waterfall! Are you kidding me? It seems that not even the park employees know about this waterfall. I told her that if I found it, I will stop on my way out and show her my pictures. I did that, and she was very pleased, saying that it looked like a great waterfall, even nicer than the ones on Donner Creek (I’m not sure about that myself, but it is certainly a very nice little waterfall).
The hike down to the falls was pretty easy. It was raining the entire time down and back. Rain makes it hard to take photographs, but I managed. The hard part was actually getting to the falls. Once you get down there, you need to go off the main trail, a steep descent down to the creek. It would not be difficult if the ground was dry, but with the rain, it was slippery and muddy, and that made for a treacherous descent down to the creek. Then I had to rock hop across the creek (which was not easy either, considering that the creek was flowing strong), then work my way up on the other side of the creek to the falls, through some bushes (and poison oak), then climb up on a slippery rock to get a view looking down at the falls (which was also tricky). Was it all worth it? Yes, I do think so. Despite the rain and difficult conditions, it was a pretty waterfall, and although I was sure tired afterwards, I did feel like I had a great outing on this Saturday morning.
More info on Sycamore Creek Falls:
http://waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=550