Hiking Journal

ney springs creek

Another break in the weather and I drove over to Ney Springs to see how the falls were doing. On the way up I noticed that the pipe in the big cistern had been cleaned out and was producing a steady stream of water. I could hear the falls almost immediately but was prevented from going to my usual viewing spot by slippery rocks and lots of spray. I hiked up the "road" a bit and followed a small path for quite a ways upstream. Although not much sun makes its way down into the canyon this time of year it was a nice hike nonetheless.

burstarse falls

Between unpredictable weather and a lingering cold I managed to take a hike up to Burstarse Falls to see if they looked any fuller from all the rain we've been getting. The creek below the Pacific Crest Trail was certainly busy — all of last years deposits of branches, leaves, and pine needles were now somewhere farther downstream, and all of the pools looked crystal clear.

The intermediate falls looked somewhat more impressive than the last time I stopped by, but for some reason the big fall didn't look much different than I imagined it would. I did notice, however, that after a couple of years of drought that the stream crossings now commanded a higher level of concentration than I remember them requiring during my last few visits.