I spent a long time standing at the top of the waterfall, greatly enjoying the experience.
I had often wondered in the past if there was a trail overlooking the top of the falls and was excited and pleased that I had unexpectedly found it.
After taking a lot of pictures I eventually headed back up the small trail and again picked up the main trail that I had been following since setting out at Short Springs.
Not long after continuing on the main trail I looked to my left and could both see and hear the falls through the trees.
I again veered off trail and again worked my way through multiple low hanging branches and fought my way through far too many thorny briers.
Hoping to see the falls and too warm but thankful that I was wearing enough clothes to protect from the thorns.
This trip was turning into an exciting and adventurous hike and I was loving my time there.
I bushwhacked down the hill and found myself wandering close to the edge of a gorge.
Working my way through undergrowth I kept trying to get closer to the falls but did not seem to be making a whole lot of progress.
Stopping in the woods for a moment, I grabbed for my water bottle and as I took sips of plastic tasting water from a plastic bottle I looked down into the gorge wondering if there was a reasonable way to cross over to the other side.
Bushwhacking in ridiculously awful terrain was all part of adventure racing and I had done those kinds of gorge crossing, skin tearing, ankle turning, serious bushwhacking kinds of maneuvers many times in the past.
But on this day there just did not seem to be any point in it.
Still standing in the midst of dense woods I reluctantly but good naturedly decided that I would head back to the trail.
If there were places to reasonably see the falls I would find them. Or not.
This quiet adventure was something I was just taking as it came.
I had already spent time with rain-fed new creeks, bare foot creek crossings, and trails at the top of falls.
I eagerly continued on the trail to see what else I could find.................
Not long after I again picked up the trail it began to drop, and I soon found a small stream that crossed over the trail at its lowest point and that fed back into the larger creek.
At that moment I was glad to have made the decision to stop bushwhacking along the edge of the gorge, because that small stream did not only cross over the trail.
The trail dropped down with the terrain and then picked back up again on the other side of the stream, rapidly increasing in elevation up and out of the gorge on the opposite side.
I had unexpectedly found my easier route to the other side of the gorge..............
10 minutes later I pulled off the main trail and followed a smaller trail on the left.
And wonderfully found this ledge overlooking the creek.
I remembered this place.
I had been here before sometime in the past with LC, obviously coming in from the opposite direction..............
The falls in the distance and difficult to see through the bare trees.
Although this place will be magical when everything turns green again, I know that when that happens the falls will also be difficult (if not impossible) to see from the rock overlook where I took this picture.............
I remembered a very steep and root filled narrow trail leading down to tight single track, quickly found it, and (after finally pulling off my outer layer and stashing it into my pack) carefully headed down......................
The trail was very narrow, very uneven, with rock face to the left of me and a steep downhill to my right.
As I cautiously made my way along the trail I snapped these pictures of the falls through the trees...............
The cave I had seen and photographed while standing precariously at the top of the falls.............
The narrow trail was slick and filled with rock and roots, and I tried unsteadily to get better shots of the falls.
With so many trees this was the best that I could achieve, but I was still happy to have had the opportunity to see the roaring falls face on..................
A zoomed-in picture of bare trees in front of the fast moving and very loud waterfall...........
Heading back up the trail to the overlook I used both hands and feet to climb the steep hill..............
Continuing further along the main trail I felt like I was beginning to cover familiar ground.
I had been here before and remembered the steep trail and the steep down-hill drop-off to my left.
By the time I arrived in this place I felt certain that I would soon find a wooden bridge spanning the creek and if that was the case I was only 15 minutes from my truck...............
I stopped for a moment when I saw this sign because it was pointing back the way I had just walked.
No...........I was convinced that I knew where I was and that there was another route back to the parking lot.
So (as I seem to do so many times in my travels) I ignored the sign.
Only a few minutes later I came across a second Parking Area sign pointing in the direction I was traveling.
I was good to go..............
The sight of the bridge was anticipated, hoped for, and welcome............
I looked across the creek just to reassure myself that I was exactly where I thought I was and with satisfaction saw the very long, steep and uneven rock and log stairs that led up to one more trail that would eventually take me home.................
After crossing the bridge and before heading for the parking lot I on the spur of the moment veered onto one last and small trail called the Wildflower Trail.
There would be no wild flowers on the trail at this time of year but I had walked this short trail a couple of months before and knew that it led to a much larger creek.
The creek that I had been following for my entire hike would feed into this larger one and I wanted to see it.
Getting tired by this point I still eagerly headed that way................
A dormant brown crunchy fragile wild flower.
Beautiful and wild and rustic and I was glad to have found it...............
I cannot wait to see this place when the world changes from brown to green............
I really love these rugged steps made of rock and stone and lumber and tree roots.
They are beautiful, very steep and very challenging.............
About half way up the steps there is an old tree whose trunk is filled with letters and pictures and messages carefully carved into the bark by hundreds of people over many years.
I don't know why this particular tree (other than it is half way up and down the stairs so seems like a good place to stop for a moment to catch your breath) but there is something very special about it.
There is a heart carved into the tree down towards the bottom and looking at it on my way up the stairs I wondered who PG and KC were.
When was this carved? Why was it carved? Does PG still love KC??
I will never know and will always wonder.
A tree touched many times by the hand of man................
Looking up I still had a good number of steps yet to climb..............
On the last wide open and flat trail before reaching my truck I stopped for a moment at a wooden bench and looked down at it, expecting to see only more banal carvings such as those on the tree.
This caught my eye because it was such an extensive piece of work and curious, I moved closer to see what it said.
A religious passage.................
A face burned into the back of a wooden sign.
With no explanation of what or why.................
One last look at the creek.
This picture was taken close to the bridge by the steps and the last time I visited Short Springs I rock skipped down through this creek while making my way towards the waterfall.
There was too much water during this trip - a creek filled with the rain that has dominated this region for the past weeks.
I loved this trip to Short Springs.................
A link to a previous trip to Short Springs:
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