Hiking Angel Falls
Mar. 30th, 2025 09:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerSaturday morning we went hiking at Angel Falls. We were already in Oakhurts, CA, having driven there yesterday and staying overnight after hiking in the rain at Corlieu Falls. Hiking in the rain wasn't the plan, though staying overnight always was. Thus it was only a 15 minute or so drive out to the falls in the morning. We could have gone at 7:30am if we'd wanted. It was cold early in the morning, though, like not much above freezing, so we relaxed in the hotel until 9. And even so, we bundled up in heavy sweaters at the trailhead.
One benefit of getting an early start on was that we had the place to ourselves— at least to start. There was one other car at the trailhead when we arrived. Its owners were already well ahead of us; we'd pass them, briefly, going opposite directions on the trail later.
The solitude was a nice change of pace. Later in the day, and especially later in the season, this trail gets busy on weekends. Today we're early on both counts. Not only is 9:15am at the trailhead earlier than most people stir on a Saturday but March, even late March, is early season in the Sierra Nevada. Even in the lower reaches here at 3,500' elevation.
For this trip I've put together a 4 minute video of clips from various places along the falls. This seemed like the best way to share it and to convey the connectedness of the experience. Angel Falls may be the name of just one cascade, but the whole experience here is one of multiple falls—more than a dozen— of different heights in rapid succession. And of being able, in many cases, to simply scramble up the rocks from one cascade to the next. Trail? You seldom need a hiking trail out here, if you're bold and careful.
One benefit of getting an early start on was that we had the place to ourselves— at least to start. There was one other car at the trailhead when we arrived. Its owners were already well ahead of us; we'd pass them, briefly, going opposite directions on the trail later.
The solitude was a nice change of pace. Later in the day, and especially later in the season, this trail gets busy on weekends. Today we're early on both counts. Not only is 9:15am at the trailhead earlier than most people stir on a Saturday but March, even late March, is early season in the Sierra Nevada. Even in the lower reaches here at 3,500' elevation.
For this trip I've put together a 4 minute video of clips from various places along the falls. This seemed like the best way to share it and to convey the connectedness of the experience. Angel Falls may be the name of just one cascade, but the whole experience here is one of multiple falls—more than a dozen— of different heights in rapid succession. And of being able, in many cases, to simply scramble up the rocks from one cascade to the next. Trail? You seldom need a hiking trail out here, if you're bold and careful.
