Leon Turnbull Photography

I decided to return to Antelope Creek to attempt to get up to the main waterfall. I only got to the small lower falls the previous week and was a bit disappointed. Now I knew what I had to do. Back into the poison oak. Back into the horrible brush. This time I was determined for redemption.

I only managed to start 30 minutes earlier than before. I wanted to have more time than that but it should be ok since I now knew where I was going. It took a full hour to just get up to the lower falls. So much brush. So much oak. And today, so many bugs! It has been much warmer than it should be this week. It is supposed to be winter, for Pete’s sake. Also, there were many ladybugs along the trail. It was hard not to step on them as they were all along and over the trail.

At the lower falls I climbed up above it and then crossed the creek and continued up the mountain. The old trail also continued. What is this old trail anyway? I do not think it is a trail just to go to the waterfall. I can’t imagine anyone at all has been on this trail in many years. Maybe decades. Perhaps it is an old miner’s trail. It is the only thing that makes sense to me. On this side of the creek it seemed the trail was more difficult and there was more poison oak. Perhaps it was just my imagination. I was battling through the brush and it was now a lot steeper going up the mountain. After another 30 minutes I finally reached my destination. Waterfall!

This is the true Antelope Creek Falls. 39 ft. high. It is slightly smaller than I thought and for some reason I thought it would be more spectacular. (only because it was so hard to get to – I am aware that is illogical, ha ha). Anyway it is still a fantastic waterfall, although a bit hard to photograph. I had to climb down a steep section to get to the bottom of the falls and then cross into the middle of the creek to get a good angle. It was definitely worth the effort but oh my was it a doozie to reach. I returned to the car at 5PM and ate my dinner sandwich before driving home. It was a killer tough day at Antelope Creek.