Leon Turnbull Photography

The good news is that I was actually able to get to this waterfall. The bad news is that there is no clear view of it.

My initial plan was to go on a 12 mile hike (in the rain) to a couple other new waterfalls, including a big one. However, access to the area was closed because of active logging as a result from the King Fire in 2014. Three years later and the area is still closed to the public. Ridiculous!

However, there were no closed signs on the other side of the road, even though the fire reached on to this side as well. I decided to try Leonardi Falls, a much shorter hike, but potentially more difficult and dangerous. Also, it was snowing, not raining. There was a couple inches of fresh snow on the ground, and it continued to snow all morning. I was happy about that. Snow is much preferable to rain.

I tried this hike a few years ago, before the big fire. I could not make it to the falls at that time because the old road was far too overgrown with thick brush. I was swimming through it. I turned back before I was strangled by the brush. I had always meant to try the hike again with a more determined attitude, but the King Fire intervened.

As I hiked through the old burnt forest this weekend, I found the going much easier. Yet there was still a lot of brush on the road. At first, I thought the brush had not burned, even though all the surrounding trees had burned. As I hiked along, however, and passed the point where I had turned back before, I realized that the brush had indeed burned. This was all new growth. In less than 3 years, all this brush had grown back and it was becoming close to un-navigable already. Yet I continued on, past the point of no return (where I had turned back before), and towards the mysterious waterfall. I just hoped that none of this new growth was poison oak. It was all covered in snow, so I could not tell.

I did not really think I could get too far down the ridge to see the waterfall. In fact, I did not think I would even get a view of it. The ground was extremely saturated and very unstable. I did not want to get anywhere near the edge of a cliff today. But I kept going down and down. Past where I thought I would only be able to go. Down down down. It was not cliffy or dangerous. Finally, the waterfall came into view. I got down to a rock, which was secure and stable on the edge of the cliff (I hoped). I could not go down any further from here. Unfortunately, the trees were obscuring the view of this marvelous 41 ft. high waterfall. If the view was clear, it would be incredible. You can see from the photo that the fire reached all the way down to the falls. If those trees had toppled, then maybe the view would be clear. Or maybe not. There is a lower tier as well, a even bigger drop, and I got down to it also, but the view of that one was even more obscured. Oh well. At least I finally made it to this elusive waterfall. If not for the King Fire, I doubt I could have done it.

So are you ready for an adventure of a lifetime? Well, you may just have to wait … until 2018.

Even though this stunning 54 ft. high waterfall is less than 2 miles along the coast from a very popular beach at Pt Reyes, very few people have ever been to see it. I have only seen one other photo of it (and it was a crappy one). Why is that? Because there are only one or two days out of the entire year that you can see the waterfall (especially with good lighting), and as for this year, now that the rainy season is over, there may not be any more opportunities at all. There are a number of conditions that need to be just right, and I describe them all in detail on my website page. So if you want to know how to get here, please check there. This hike takes a lot of careful planning.

This weekend the conditions seemed about perfect. Even so, there was trouble.

I arrived at the trailhead before sunrise.  I could hear a strange animal squealing somewhere out in the dark. What the heck is that? It was quite frightening. I know there are ranches out here but it certainly could not be a cow. What is it then? Coyote? Mountain Lion? Sasquatch? It wasn’t until afterwards I realized what it was because that is when I saw them: Tule Elk!

Anyway, the hike started out as an easy jaunt down that previously mentioned popular beach.  Before too long I came to the interesting part. The deadly part. You have to wade through the ocean water around a corner. The water was up to my waist. The tide was still going out and the waves were still coming in. Should I wait longer for the tide to go out more? I thought about that, but if I had done so, then when I got back here later, the tide would be coming back in, and that would be even more serious. I decided to get around that corner as fast as I could and hope for the best. About halfway, I got hit by a sneaker wave. I saw it coming. Never turn your back on the ocean, right? There was nothing I could do but hold onto the rocks. The wave almost pulled me off the rocks and potentially out to sea, but I held on. I tried to get through the rest of the water as quick as I could before another one got me. I found it difficult to pull myself up in waist deep water onto the rocks, but I finally got up and onto safe ground. I was shaken, but not stirred. I decided to continue on, knowing it would be easier when I got back to this section later. My GPS was in my pocket (not sure why I had it in there), and it was soaked. I thought it was toasted, yet it amazingly survived the ordeal. Now that is good construction, Magellan! However, my GoPro was not so fortunate. I thought I had it held above water when the wave hit, but obviously water got on it. I did not have it in the waterproof container because I did not expect to go swimming! It was dead in the water. I am hoping it comes back to life later, otherwise that will be an expensive casualty. This was definitely one of the more stupid things I have done in my life. Perhaps when I was younger there were worse incidents, but I don’t remember them now. I realize I am posting this on April Fool’s Day, but I assure you all this happened as I described. No joke.

The rest of the hike was a cakewalk in comparison. You have to walk through a cave which is fascinating, then you are walking along the beach the rest of the way, but it is very rocky and slow going because the rocks were wet and slippery. There were strange bugs on the rocks that skittered away as I approached, hundreds and hundreds of them. They were like cockroaches. Sand cockroaches? I also saw a bunch of crabs, including one huge one on the sand, upside down! There’s not many things more pathetic than a crab on its back, flailing away. I turned him over with my hiking pole and I heard him say “thank you, sir” before he scuttled off to the ocean.

I finally arrived at the waterfall. It was marvelous! It is such a remote falls that few have ever seen, and you can get right up close to it. I was hoping the flow would be stronger, but it was still flowing decent enough. I would have loved to stay here much longer but I had to get back before the tide turned.

When I got back to the wading area, the tide was about at the peak low point. It was much easier getting back through this section but even so, the waves were still coming up to the rocks. I had to time it carefully but I made it across without incident. If I ever come here again I will want to make sure there is a lower minus tide than I had this day.

I rested on the beach in the sun for awhile before heading back up to the car. It was a lovely morning and no one else on this popular beach at all. I felt like I should do a second hike but I was not prepared for that so I just went back to the car and drove home. It was quite an interesting morning at the ocean.

So last week when I was messing around at Lower Stevens Creek Falls, I was in the poison oak, and in it up to my eyeballs. Literally. I got a horrible poison oak rash from it. It was the worst rash I’ve had in years, maybe even the worst ever. I even had to go to the Doctor to get meds because it was in my eye. Don’t laugh. I know you’re laughing at me. Well I deserve it of course. I was dumb, and I probably could have avoided getting such a horrible rash if I had only been more careful about the whole thing, I shouldn’t even have gone down there at all, but I really wanted to check out that lower falls. I was more worried about killing myself on that steep terrain than worried about avoiding the poison oak. Not so this week.

My primary concern this week was to avoid poison oak at all costs. So that means … STAY ON TRAILS! My first hike on Saturday was to Canyon Creek. That is a good trail. There may be ticks on that trail, and lots of them, but the poison oak should be avoidable. Well I did avoid the poison oak, and I only saw one tick (that itself is a shocker if you know that trail), however, I was not able to get to any waterfalls. Before starting out, I was 75% sure that the bridge over the creek would be gone due to the big storms we had this winter; it would surely be washed away. Well of course, I had to check it out anyway. And yes, when I got down to the creek, I found no bridge. The creek was flowing far too high to wade across, so I was skumped. I could not get to the waterfalls. I did not take any photos at all, though I puttered around Canyon Creek for quite awhile, but could not get to anything worth photographing.

So on Sunday after church, I wanted to go on another hike. An easy one. Again, NO POISON OAK! I chose American Canyon Creek Falls. This one should be all right. Again, there may be ticks, but the trail is a good one, and I should be able to avoid any poison oak easily. Not exactly.  What? Whenever I have been down here in the past, and I have been down here many times, I never found too much in the way of poison oak. Growing off to the side, sure, but not all over the trail! It was everywhere! And just oozing with urushiol oil. If one really can get poison oak rash from just looking at it, then I will certainly be getting another bad rash this week. But I carefully avoided touching the stuff as I hiked down. After I crossed the two creeks – which I was able to jump across even though they both had pretty good flow – then the situation became much worse. The oak was ridiculously bad, growing right over into the middle of the narrow trail. I slowed down to a snail’s pace as I carefully, ever so carefully, walked past the poison oak leaves coming out at me from both sides of the trail, daring me, taunting me, to get by without touching them. Unfortunately, I could not do it. I touched the stuff a couple times. I have never seen so much oak on this trail before. Of course, I do not usually come down here at this time of year. I suppose that is the reason. But still! If I had known it would be like this, I would not have chosen this hike. Anyway, I continued  on down to the waterfall. Slowly but surely.

The next issue was how I would cross the creek below the falls? It was flowing pretty darn strong! I knew it would be difficult at this flow, potentially impossible. When I got down there, I could see it would be tough. The creek was swift, and the little cascade below the pool was deadly if one slipped (well, not deadly, but definitely not good). I have crossed the creek before at high flow, I have a good photo on my website, so I knew it must be possible, and the flow then was higher than today.  That was many years ago. I have absolutely zero recollection of crossing this creek at high flow. I know I did not use a rope then, but how could I have ever done it! This time, I brought my rope, and this time I did use it, latching it onto a small tree, and carrying it across the creek with me. There are three steps you need to make through the swift flowing water. Fortunately, the footholds are secure enough to do it. I was holding onto that rope, and my feet were holding onto the rocks in the stream like a newt clinging to the side of a wet cliff. Three steps, and I lunged across onto the rock on the other side. But carefully! There is not much room on the other side whatsoever, and one small slip and you will be swimming in that big beautiful pool! Camera, tripod, and all of you! Now what to do with the end of the rope? I could not let go of it, if I lost the end of the rope, and the current took it away from me out of reach, I would be stuck, and not able to get back across the creek. However, there was no place on that side to latch the rope to, so I looped it around my belt buckle ensuring that I would not lose it! Then I sat down, careful not to slip, or let go of anything, and set up my tripod to take photos. I did drop my camera remote, but it did not go in the drink. Whew. I just bought that thing for the new camera too. I think this is the best photo I have ever obtained of this waterfall. It is so much nicer when the creek is higher.

Going back across was slightly more difficult! A lot more difficult! I could not go back down from the other side in the same manner (ie. backwards) because I couldn’t get a good handhold, so I had to go down from the rocks into the stream forwards, which was extremely tough and a bit scary. I should have thought about this before I went over there to begin with. I lunged back across the stream.

Now that I was all safe, I sat down on the rocks and ate my lunch. Perhaps you were wondering about the newt reference I made above? I am not that strange, it was not actually just a random, weird reference. As I ate my lunch, I noticed two newts on the other side of the creek, attempting to climb up the cliffs. There were little streams coming down the cliff, and the rocks were wet and slick. To you and me they were little streams. To these newts, they were massive waterfalls! They were trying to climb up beside them and I was cheering them on! One of them fell three times trying to get up a slick vertical rock. The other one was doing a lot better, and made it up his section, but then he seemed to be trapped on a rock in between two of those massive waterfalls. He just stopped there. Was he resting? Sleeping? Or had he just given up all hope? The other one, meanwhile, finally got up that rock and continued climbing up the cliff, holding onto any bit of moss he could find. At one point, near the top, he seemed to lose his footing, and was holding on to the moss with his two upper legs, the bottom two were dangling. Come on little guy. You can do it! He pulled himself up and got under an overhang. I do not know how he could continue from there. The other one finally gathered up his energy, and crossed that little stream. It would be a long fall if he did not make it, but he made it across. Whew!  As you can see, I am easily entertained. I watched these guys for about 30 minutes as I ate my lunch. They probably only climbed up less than 5 feet during all that time. Finally, I said goodbye and good luck to the little fellers. Up the hill I went. Back through the poison oak.

So I just bought a new camera, the Sony A6300. I did not have the extra money to buy the full frame version, but I needed the new camera for my upcoming backpacking trips. The Canon is just far too heavy for backpacking, as I talked about last year in my blog. This year I absolutely needed a new camera for backpacking, but also a good camera. Enter the A6300.

With my wife out of town for the weekend, partying in Las Vegas, me looking after the kids, and after dropping my daughter off at dance practice, I only had a short time to hike on Saturday, but I had to get out to try the new camera, so up I went up to Colfax and back to Stevens Creek Falls.

The trailhead parking area was busy! I figured there would be a few people on the trail today, but not this many. By the time I got back to the car after my hike, there were so many cars they were parked up along the road back to town. I had no idea this trail was so popular. Ugh.

I don’t like it when there are so many people on the trails, but what to do. This is why I normally start hiking at sunrise. Anyway, it is a short hike to the falls. With the flow much lower now, it was relatively easy to cross the creek at the top of the lower falls. No surprise or difficulty there. I have never shot this lower waterfall before because it is very steep getting down to it, but I was determined to try it again today. It was much more difficult than I imagined it to be! The ground was very crumbly and steep, and a big long slide off into the creek if I lost my footing. Even using the rope, I had a lot of trouble getting down, and the poison oak was unavoidable down at the bottom. Argh! I was just in it bad last week, and I got the rash (though just a very small one on my leg and on my side), and now I was back in it again. I did not want to be in the oak again this week!

All the people up on the trail just made everything worse. I could see many people come across the creek at the top of the falls, all watching me, sensing I was about to lose my footing and fall into the creek and over the lower falls, killing myself. Blood and guts spilled all over the place. Oh the pressure. But I made it through that oak, and down to the bottom of the waterfall safely.

I brought both cameras on this hike. I wanted to compare the photos. The A6300 is certainly going to take a lot of getting used to. The buttons are just extremely sensitive. I had everything ready to go beforehand and figured out, I thought. Yet the settings just seemed to change randomly at the small touch of any button, and the shutter would release even though I was sure I had not touched that button. Ah, it was frustrating. As far as quality goes, the Sony is all right, but when I compared the photos at home, I think the Canon 5D MK II quality was still a lot better. They are about the same amount of megapixels so you might think the Sony would be just as good if not better than the Canon. I was hoping that would be the case so I can sell the Canon, but I’m not so sure right now. The colors seem to be pretty good on the Sony, perhaps better. Anyway, the jury is still out. The Sony is definitely going to take some getting used to. It was a good morning on the trail. Let’s just hope I do not get that darn rash this week.

I know most people in California are itchy for spring to come. They are done with the rain. They say we have had far too much rain this winter. It is time for warmth and sun! They are getting their wish now. After just one small-ish storm in March, it has been rather sunny lately and all that snow is starting to melt now – slowly. Truth be told, I am getting rather itchy for spring myself. I have some epic hikes and backpacking planned for this spring when I can get into the high country. It will be an amazing waterfall season this year. I cannot wait to get to them. I am already there in my mind, not my body yet … but alas it will be quite awhile before we can get into the high country this year. Maybe even July. Despite the itchiness, however, I do wish we would get more rain in March. March is still winter. We need rain in winter. After the end of this month, then the snow can melt. That is what I say. I may get my wish about that as well. I do see the possibility now of more storms after next week.

Speaking of itchy … yes I was in the poison oak again this last weekend. A lot of it. I don’t know if I can avoid getting the big bad rash this time. There was no avoiding the stuff. It was all over me in and out.

This hike was somewhat close to my last hike in Shirttail Canyon, indeed I started at the same place, I just went further downstream this time. Last week’s hike was not too bad at all, really. This week’s hike was absolutely killer. There was a heckuva lot of brush, and a heckuva lot of poison oak, and a heckuva lot of very steep terrain and cliff climbing. At first I did not think I’d be able to get down to the river at all. My desired route was blocked by private property. Almost giving up, but decided to try an alternate route, not thinking it would work, but I persevered and after much bush whacking shenanigans, I finally got down to the creek below the falls. I could not find any view closer to it than this one. I could not see around that big rock on the corner. This was the best viewpoint I could find, and not a very great one. With less water flowing, I could cross the creek and get a much better vantage point, but will I ever be back down into this ridiculous canyon again? Not likely. Ah well.