Hiking Bassi Falls
Jul. 18th, 2021 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerEldorado National Forest, California
Friday, 16 Jul 2021. 2pm.
This morning we checked out from our hotel in Folsom, California (previous blog) and drove up US 50 into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Along the way we stopped for gas, groceries, and a ranger station— the latter two to prepare for camping tonight— but our first real stop was our main event for the day: hiking to Bassi Falls in the Crystal Basin of Eldorado National Forest.
When the trail crosses bare granite small piles of rocks, called cairns, mark the route.The trail to Bassi Falls starts with a dirt surface deep in forest. A person could be forgiven for wondering why the area is called Crystal Basin. Are there crystals in the dirt? Haha, no, the name refers to the granite ridges and peaks in the area.
After about 1/2 mile the trail breaks out from under tree cover to cross a series of huge granite slabs descending toward Bassi Creek. When the trail crosses bare rock it is marked by cairns— those little piles of rocks you see along such areas. They're not art... and they're also not toys. Don't move them; hikers could get lost if you do!
On this particular trail getting lost isn't too much of a risk. For one, it's a short trail. For another, Bassi Falls is obvious from 1/2 miles away... or at least it is normally. This year isn't normal!
Normally swollen Bassi Creek churns 120' down this boulder-strewn canyon. This year it's nearly dry.
California has experienced record-setting drought this year. High mountains that normally receive meters of snow in a given year recorded just inches this winter. Reservoirs across the state are running dangerously low because the rivers that feed them with water from snow melt are not flowing at usual fullness. Farther upstream the same fact that leaves those reservoirs bottoming out makes normally powerful falls such as Bassi Falls virtually disappear. For an idea of what roaring Bassi Falls looks like in a heavy-snow year, check out the pictures from my visit in June 2017.
Normally Bassi Falls is obvious from the edge of the forest 1/2 mile away. This year you wouldn't know it's there until you're next to it. Indeed, people we passed on the trail asked us, "Is this the right way to the falls?"
We we sure of where to go because we've been a few times before. We were also sure there'd be water there. After all, Bassi Creek flows so powerfully. But when we saw the falls from 1/2 mile away looking so dry our sureness disappeared. Was there any water there??
Most years I'd be crushed here by the force of Bassi Falls rushing over these boulders. This year I scramble up the boulders to find just a trickle of water behind them.
Thankfully, yes, there is water in Bassi Falls. It's very little, but at least there is some. (At least for now. In another month— who knows. 😨)
For photography it's hard to say whether falls are better at high flow or low flow. It's more than they're different than strictly better or worse. With Bassi Creek running so low this summer I was able to step over the stream in places where it'd normally run swift and wide. I climbed over boulders that I'd normally get swept trying to approach. And after climbing up several such boulders I found a picturesque small cascade of the once-mighty Bassi Falls.
Keep reading in Part 2: More waterfalls and how I photograph them
Friday, 16 Jul 2021. 2pm.
This morning we checked out from our hotel in Folsom, California (previous blog) and drove up US 50 into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Along the way we stopped for gas, groceries, and a ranger station— the latter two to prepare for camping tonight— but our first real stop was our main event for the day: hiking to Bassi Falls in the Crystal Basin of Eldorado National Forest.
When the trail crosses bare granite small piles of rocks, called cairns, mark the route.
After about 1/2 mile the trail breaks out from under tree cover to cross a series of huge granite slabs descending toward Bassi Creek. When the trail crosses bare rock it is marked by cairns— those little piles of rocks you see along such areas. They're not art... and they're also not toys. Don't move them; hikers could get lost if you do!
On this particular trail getting lost isn't too much of a risk. For one, it's a short trail. For another, Bassi Falls is obvious from 1/2 miles away... or at least it is normally. This year isn't normal!
Normally swollen Bassi Creek churns 120' down this boulder-strewn canyon. This year it's nearly dry.
Normally Bassi Falls is obvious from the edge of the forest 1/2 mile away. This year you wouldn't know it's there until you're next to it. Indeed, people we passed on the trail asked us, "Is this the right way to the falls?"
We we sure of where to go because we've been a few times before. We were also sure there'd be water there. After all, Bassi Creek flows so powerfully. But when we saw the falls from 1/2 mile away looking so dry our sureness disappeared. Was there any water there??
Most years I'd be crushed here by the force of Bassi Falls rushing over these boulders. This year I scramble up the boulders to find just a trickle of water behind them.
Thankfully, yes, there is water in Bassi Falls. It's very little, but at least there is some. (At least for now. In another month— who knows. 😨)
For photography it's hard to say whether falls are better at high flow or low flow. It's more than they're different than strictly better or worse. With Bassi Creek running so low this summer I was able to step over the stream in places where it'd normally run swift and wide. I climbed over boulders that I'd normally get swept trying to approach. And after climbing up several such boulders I found a picturesque small cascade of the once-mighty Bassi Falls.
Keep reading in Part 2: More waterfalls and how I photograph them
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Date: 2021-07-19 01:50 pm (UTC)