Giant Sequoia National Monument
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Nobe Young Falls Giant Sequoia National Monument |
August 2, 2010
Although there is no reference to this trail on any known map or national
forest brochure, the serious waterfall aficionado does what is necessary to
identify and visit little-known special places such as this one.
About a two-hour drive east and south of Visalia, the trailhead consists of a roadside turnout marked only by a little signpost denoting Forest Road 22S11, which is not a road anymore.
The trailhead is just south of here
The trail parallels the highway briefly, then turns downhill. The nearby falls are distinctly audible. Within a few minutes, I spot a lot of boot prints leading straight down the steep slope to the left; so I follow them.
This trail is lightly used
Not much water in Nobe Young Creek
A short scamper upstream gets me to the falls, which are every bit as nice as had been anticipated.
Nobe Young falls, 60'
Scrambling up the slope toward the cliff, I encounter a nifty cave full of flat boulders. Just a few yards farther on is the rare treat that brought me to this place. I am standing directly behind the falls!
An arch in the making?
A good-feeling spot
Being here is exhilarating, and I have the place to myself. For the
next half-hour I munch some gorp and contemplate my existence.
A great place to meditate
On the way out, I revisit the cave and get a great side-view
of the falls. This has proved to be a good time of day for a
photographer's visit.
The sun is at a perfect angle
Instead of heading back downstream only to scramble up the steep sandy
slope, I find a use trail, replete with energy-saving switchbacks,
that heads directly back to the trailhead.
§: Doubtless thousands of such delightful places, just a few
minutes' walk from the highway, are unknowingly bypassed every day.
I am pleased to have made the effort to find this one, some 300 miles from home.
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| Solitude |  |
