APRIL FOOL?
As of April 1, the snow pack in California is at 190% of average (north), 233% (central), and 298% (south). Precipitation is at 133% (north), 184% (central), and 213% (south). April 1 marks the end of the winter season so anything we get from now on is bonus precipitation. I’m sure you are all hoping we don’t get any bonus precipitation. Now that it is spring it does not bother me that people say or complain they are done with the rain. I just don’t like it when people say that in winter (especially in a drought). As for me, I say let’s get on with spring already!
As I hiked down the road, downhill, losing elevation, the snow was getting deeper and deeper. This is illogical. There was now about 3 feet of snow. I was only at 3000 ft. elevation. I suppose I should have known better but I was not expecting so much snow here. It was too late to go back to the car to get snowshoes. Snowshoes would be nice. Fortunately I was not sinking in too much, just about 6 inches (mostly). As I continued, now climbing back up in elevation, the snow was about 4 or 5 feet deep. I started sinking in a lot more. About 12 inches. Now it was very tough going. The second hike was canceled. At least I am getting the snow hike that I wanted.
I hoped to see two waterfalls on this creek. I decided to go to the upper one first. That one should be easier. To get down to it you have to get off the road and descend the mountain down to the creek. It was steep. It was treacherous in the snow. I had to be very careful, taking just one step at a time. Near the bottom it got very cliffy. One wrong step and I would be toast. I could see the waterfall but I could not get to it. I also could not find any place to take a photo of it. I will have to return someday when there is no snow. Maybe then I can get to it.
Back up at the road, now I was quite tired. It was a cloudy day though so I figured I should try the second waterfall. I did not have much hope. I was certain the lower falls would be much steeper and cliffier than the upper falls. Also brushier. Well, the snow was a lot softer. I was sinking in a lot more, making it quite difficult, but it was not cliffy. I made it all the way down to the creek and up to the waterfall fairly easily. Middle Cherokee Creek Falls is a very pretty little thing, 27 ft. high.
I retreated back up to the road and hiked back to the car…
Then it happened…
I was attacked by a wild boar…
Well that has never happened before…
Okay okay, I was not actually attacked. However, it was huffing at me and was running towards me. I thought it was going to attack me. Then it stopped. Thankfully! At first I thought it was a bear because it was big and brown and huffing. Then I saw it was a boar, not a bear. I have not seen a wild boar before. I am not actually certain it was wild because there was private property in the area, but if it was tame then why would it attack me? I think I will just say it was wild. It sounds a lot better. My wife did not believe me when I told her this. She thought it was an April Fools joke. It certainly would be a good joke but it was real, believe me. And I have video proof of it. When I post my video of the hike in a few weeks then you can see and believe as well. Ha ha!