I said I would return here to the scene of the crime with weapons in hand. Mission accomplished. It was raining on Saturday. No hiking. On Sunday, I did not have much time to hike after church in the morning and Journey was with her mom, so it seemed like a perfect time to return to Lower American Canyon Creek Falls.
There was quite a bit less water in the creek. I thought there would be more because it had rained on Saturday. Not enough, I guess. I quickly made it down to the lower falls and continued on to Maine Bar. I wanted to go further but that is all I had time for. I returned to the lower falls and prepared for my descent down into the poison oak. My new strategy for combating the oak this year? I put on my rain pants before I get down into it and once back on the trail I carefully take them off. It worked. I did not get any itch and I did not even have to scrub down when I got back home. Next time I think I may also wear my rain jacket in case I rub against the stuff with my arms.
I did get a better photo of the lower falls, I think. It was a bit dicey to go any further down to the creek so I did not, though I probably could have if I really wanted to. I hiked back up to the car in the dusk, constantly thinking about the girl that was killed by a mountain lion on this very trail way back in 1994. I did not have Journey to protect me today. Ah well, I survived. It was a lovely quick little hike in Auburn State Recreation Area.
