Thursday, September 26, 2019

Bonus Waterfall From the Grouse Creek Falls Week

Photo from Facebook Page North Idaho Waterfalls - The Complete Guide. Looks inviting, doesn't it?
When I planned my road trip to Grouse Creek Falls, I decided to include a quick detour to Rapid Lightning Creek Falls on my way home since my information said it was a mere 3.4 miles up a paved road I'd be passing by, and I thought everything else about this day was going to be quick. Even though that did not turn out to be the case, I still decided to turn up that road and see what I could see. Because although sketchy, everything I could find about Rapid Lightning Creek Falls indicated that it was "easily accessible" by following "one of the short, well-worn trails" at the unmarked turnout. I studied a google earth map which confirmed that the creek ran close to the paved road so those trails indeed had to be short and, I envisioned, probably fairly flat. So make no mistake about it, this was not going to be a long drive on dirt roads into an area where no one lived (a surprising number of people live up this road), nor was it going to be a hike. I'd just be walking in a short ways to view some falls.

The short road by the turnout, where the trails drop down from, sans car.

I drove and drove and lost track of my mileage as I took in the scenery and finally decided I must have driven past the turnout so pulled into the next one I saw so I could head back down the road. I could now see a narrow road hidden from the main road but with a car parked down it and decided someone must have a house down there so this isn't the place. I traversed the road back to where I'd turned onto it, seeing nothing that looked right, and being stubborn, I turned around and headed back up it, keeping a better watch on my mileage. It led me right back to that place where I had given up and turned back. Ok, get out of the car and see what you can see.


What I could see was the creek far below, several very steep trails heading down the steep hillside, and two guys belonging to the car sitting on these foundations, enjoying the view of the creek below. This foundation for some kind of small building long gone sat at the top of yet another steep trail leading closer to the creek, and I could better see the water. 

Hard to see how steep this trail is, or to see the water in the shadows

"So this is it," I said to one of the men. "Yeah, it's really a nice stretch of the creek," he replied. "And this is the trail down," I commented. "That's really steep, but it looks like it would be worth it." He agreed. We shared what we'd been up to that day, that this was the end of it, and his "old man knees" and my "primitive trail hiked-out legs" weren't really up to scrambling down and then back up it. I kept staring down that incline, wondering if I could really do it, and finally said, "I'll give it a go, but not today." After all, it's about 15 minutes from home. I can come back another day.


But I'd been keeping an eagle eye on the upcoming weather which promised another weekend of rain and another drop in temperature. I didn't want to try those steep trails, no matter how short, when wet and muddy. I was running out of time, and although my thighs and the back of my upper arms were so sore the next day, I knew it was now or never (or at least next year). I made the short drive after lunch and slid my way down that trail by the foundation. As you can see from the above photo, it WAS a short trail but included a tipped smooth slab of rock that gave no traction before a sharp turn that completed the trail in a near vertical drop spilling onto a wide flat area above the creek. I practically slid on my backside to get down it, turned around and decided not to worry just yet about how I was getting back up.


Instead, I started taking in this stretch of the creek from the bottom up. Honestly, I'd be hard-pressed to call this a waterfall, but more a series of cascades that drop a total of 20 - 30 feet as they tumble over and through rock formations that form several pools suitable for dangling feet in or even swimming in this time of year. After its excursion and tumble over the last thing that could qualify as a waterfall, this is what the creek looks like before it continues around the bend. It's really not very big or deep.


Here's the first thing that might qualify as a falls as I worked my way up the creek. That drop can't be more than a few feet. (Clicking on any photo will give you a larger one to explore.) This is emptying out of the pool in the first photo at the top.


As you pivot to look upstream, this is what you see. Those "cascades" and huge slabs of tilted rock. The creek begins to drop down through this gorge in the upper left, about half way up the tree can be used as a guide.


Here's a slightly different angle on the middle cascade of the previous photo as it empties into the pool in the photo at the top. I suppose during high water this might read as a waterfall.


Same cascade looking straight across it. You can really see the geology of tilted rock slabs here.


As I made my way over a couple of the tilts of rock, I discovered they were hiding another pool, swirling and foamy.


As I walked closer to the edge, I could see where the water during higher times had created a deep hole in the rock, bottom of the photo.



I could also see how the water had shaped smooth curves as it swirled.


Looking farther up the creek, more little cascades.


And big mossy boulders I've come to expect.


These two shots I got once I climbed out and followed a bit of trail where I could see the creek as it nears the gorge . . .


. . . and where it begins to drop through it. Apparently, whitewater runners put in somewhere along here and run this bit of rapids when there's more water, and it is rated class 3 - 4. The site makes mention of "a nasty slot in the middle of it" and I could see exactly where that was.



Here's a pan from top to bottom of as much as I could get of the so-called Rapid Lightning Creek Falls. I have to say this reminds me a lot of the falls on the Yaak River in Montana, though the tilted rocks and amount of water in the river are much larger (you can see I few pictures about midway in this post.). I spent a lot of time around those falls on fishing trips with my parents when I lived at home. No wonder this small version was so appealing and held my interest.


Back to the creek side, I couldn't help getting a shot of this rock cliff across from me and those tilted slabs below it - again, typical scenery for this part of Idaho.


And a last look at the slabs on my side of the creek, wondering where I was going to find an alternate trail up. Way up in the left hand corner of the photo, where that tree root slithers out looked promising.


Look at how that root reaches over and beside that rock (near vertical) for purchase.


If I could just get up this first straight up and down part, there was actually some trail up there that while steep, looked to have good traction. No seriously, there's a trail there, up the middle, then veering to the left, not far at all. It's just getting to it.


I studied it for awhile and decided that if I could get my foot in that curve at the base of the tree where exposed root was, I could hoist myself up. I did, but my thigh muscles weren't happy about it. Definitely need to start doing more Warrior Poses!


And once up it, it was a very short walk back to the car.


I took over 75 photos and more than one video on this little stretch of creek This is probably my favorite shot, one I think of as "the beauty shot". This is probably my last road trip adventure this year as I've visited pretty much all the waterfalls I know of except those that are farther away than I want to drive at this point. The weather has definitely turned and the bears have come down out of the mountains for some last minute foraging before hibernating. Hunting seasons will open soon (some already have) and my experience in Wisconsin showed me that it was prudent to stay out of the woods until the hunters packed up and went home. And I'm tired, frankly. I've put my body to the test, have a better understanding of my limits, and have refreshed my mind and spirit. As John Burroughs says:

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

Yup, done and done. I'm feeling ready to switch focus. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was a great hike to end your season! There are several beauty shots, in my opinion! Good for you finding a route back up to the trail without personal injury! Jan in WY

The Inside Stori said...

Okay, I’m ready to book a flight to come and hike with you next summer…..