Root Creek! Pt. 1

The other day I took an impromptu hike and ended up on a trail to Root creek. I had wanted to take this hike for some time, however, hadn't found the time to do it. I had been running around all day, gone all the way to Oregon and back, taken Mac outside to do his business several times. I expected a quick hike, instead of the gym.

That is not what I got, the beginning of the hike is along the PCT, I have done that portion maybe 10 times, Root Creek splits off maybe a mile and a half in to it. I was really pushing my time, the sun sets at around 7:30, but with the mountains it gets dark in the forest here around 5.

Well, I get to hiking.

It started like all hikes do, me searching for giant pine cones because my fiancée wants them, she must have them, it gets to be a big issue in the winter time when they’re under the snow. We are running out of storage for them..

As you can see, the path was pretty good, nothing too major. As I was hiking along, deep in thought, someone trail running pulled up on me, I might have screamed and assumed defensive stance, but lucky no one was harmed.

Well after about a mile or so of just general forest hiking, it opened up to a landscape best described as lord of the rings magical like.

The photos don’t do it justice, but that is always how it is. I believe that to truly see something you must see it through your own eyes. So much altering is done by machines to make a photo look more “appealing” but it’ll never live up to what the eye can see and do.

With all the beauty on the trail, I did see this weird thing.

I suppose it was a pipeline of sort, a nice juxtapose to the natural environment.

After that, the trail follows Root Creek, it is the clearest water, rushing over boulders to make many small waterfalls worth at least 10 seconds of your attention. Following the trail further brings you to the truly amazing sight. It may be tough to see from the image, reference what I said earlier, plus i’m not a photographer.

I hadn’t looked up images of the falls here, so seeing it with my eyes for the first time was a true treat. I believe it was the best falls I have seen yet in Siskiyou County. I am surprised that it doesn’t have a bigger draw, I would drive here to witness them, instead of hedge creek, no offense to little hedgy.

As you can see above, the falls cascade down the side of a cliff, with a large rock peak just staring down on you from above. Naturally I was first awe struck, then I decided I wanted to see what it looked like from the top.

So I climbed up the left side of the photos, keep in mind I was racing daylight at this point. The climb was not too steep going up, at least it never seems that steep until you look back. The footing was mostly loose rock and moss. After about 15 minutes of scrambling up, I prospected my further route, decided that my fiancée would be embarrassed if this is how I died.

So I ever so carefully inched my way over to the woods to see if I could find a safer way down, instead I found a trail going up, one that isn’t on the maps! So I decided, I am here, I walk on. It was nearly straight up hill, and I knew the sight at the top would be amazing. But I just felt like today wasn’t the day, it was getting too dark, something was telling me to turn around and head home. SO I heeded these feelings and decided another day I will ascend this path.

On the way down I decided that I would go to the very base of the falls to get one last look, picking up a naturally forming can of Coors lite, I ducked under the final tree to get the sight I was after. noticing another unmarked trail, I mentally noted that for another time as well. Still in the process of getting under this tree, I hear a noise unlike any I have heard in the woods before. I turn my head just in time to catch my bear spray, spraying, at me. Thankfully it just got in the air and on my bag, still enough to make me cough. I was happy I had dodged a bullet.

I turned back, happy to have at least two more adventures planned for the area, and dodging the spray. I get back to my car with a sliver of daylight, make it home and I notice my lips are burning. So I figure the spray to affect me, so I avoid kissing my fiancée. I decided a shower was the best move…. I must have had spray in my hair, it washed unto my face, into my eyes…. I let out a scream, I would like to think it was a manly one. Lilah rushed in to see me squinting and cursing. I had basically maced myself. My whole face, and my Johnson was on fire. Apparently, there isn’t a whole lot to help with the pain…

So I just forced my eyes open, I just looked through the pain and the shower water, defiantly not tears, and powered on. But, but, but, I learned that my bear spray works, and I would feel bad to spray a bear!

So to end, I highly recommend Root Creek, its great. I would very much like to say, don’t bear spray yourself. Trust me.