Leon Turnbull Photography

I got up very early and hiked down the Blue Canyon trail. The trail in Blue Canyon is pretty much non-existent. It was discouraging. I had hoped it would be a good trail. It is all overgrown and on rocky terrain and is impossible to follow. Down near the middle falls the trail completely disappears in a wall of brush. There are cairns leading into the brush and then the trail just ends abruptly. Not even a semblance of one. I had wanted to explore further down the canyon but I did not want to bushwhack all the way down the canyon (and I did not have time for that either). I think it would have been just a short bushwhack but I did not know that. I crossed the creek above the middle falls and found a viewpoint of the waterfall.

Middle Blue Canyon Falls is a marvelous 67 ft. horsetail waterfall. There is a great viewpoint along the cliff edge from this side of the creek (after crossing). You would not be able to see it from the other side (trail side). It was also interesting there was a big wall of snow down here beside the creek (still from last winter) at about 9000 ft. elevation. It is October you realize.

I returned to camp and made my breakfast. This was going to be a killer tough day. I took a different route back up to the top of Mantle Pass thinking that it would be easier. It was not easier. It was actually much more difficult. I should have just gone back up the same way, but no that is not what the Madman does. The new route was still very rocky, but also much steeper. Dumb, Madman.

About 100 ft. below the pass is a little tarn. It is a very steep rocky section from the pass down to the tarn. Along the tarn is a wall of snow (still from last winter). It is very steep. Too steep to traverse for a human. I went below it. However, there were tracks along it. Bear tracks! I thought it was so strange that a bear had come up here and even traversed along this difficult snow patch. Did the bear go up over Mantle Pass? It seems too crazy.

It was 2:30pm when I finally made it back to the trail at Portal Lake. My goal was to hike as far back down the trail as possible. At 5:30pm I found a good spot along the river and called it quits for the day. I made a fire to keep the mosquitoes at bay while I ate my dinner. I do not usually make fires unless it is critically needed. It was critically needed.

My plan was to get up at 4am and hike in the dark to reach three more waterfalls first thing in the morning. I was about 4 miles from the first one.

I woke up to severe pain. I was pretty sure my pinky toe was broken. How did this happen? I am not sure. I think tightness in my boot caused it to start hurting on day one. Then the very difficult rock scrambling on the previous day and maybe I banged it extra hard against a rock or something. I was not sure and maybe it was not broken but it sure was painful. I could barely put my boot on. It was a sincere struggle to get it on. I started hiking back on the trail. I had a total of 16 miles to hike back to the car. (not even including the other 3 waterfalls). The first 3.5 miles took 3 hours. I was limping. Going very slowly. At this rate I would not be back to the car before dark. I decided I would skip the 3 waterfalls. They were all off-trail and there is no way in kingdom come that I could do anything off-trail. Not to mention that at this rate I would not even get to them before the sun was on them.

I ate my breakfast by the river. Loosened my boot. Took ibuprofen. This helped (probably both things but especially the drugs). I was now able to hike at a decent pace. Still slower than I usually hike but at least now I would get back to the car before dark. I had to go slowly on the rocky sections but thankfully the trail is good and smooth for the most part. I finished the hike at 3pm. (two hours later than I had planned – if my foot had been good). By the time I got to Pizza Factory my foot was killing me again. I limped into the restaurant. Took more ibuprofen. This helped again and I was able to drive all the way home without any pain. Drugs are good. It was a crazy 4 days in John Muir Wilderness and Kings Canyon National Park.

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