A Backpack to the Remote Lyell Fork of the Merced River
Florence Creek Falls as see from the west side of the creek, a good place to rest if there are no mosquitoes.
Florence Creek Falls
A Trail and Cross-Country Route to the Lyell Fork, July 2007
At the bottom of the hill just below 9200 feet the trail again entered fairly thick forest while veering away from Lewis Creek. After a bit of up and down undulations trending downhill, the trail reached one of the wonders of the Lewis Creek canyon: Florence Creek Falls.
Pictures of the falls of Florence Creek do better justice to the falls than my words, and being there is far better than any picture. One might argue the falls are really one long cascade with some small falls mixed in here and there, but the grand nature of the frothy waters earns the name "Falls" in my book. I imagine (from what I saw from a distance) that some of the better and the more proper falls were out of sight above, because from the bottom you can only see a fraction of the falls.
Near the ford on the east side of the creek, the lower falls are accessable.
Of interest is the threaded nature of the waters of the falls, which mainly cascade down the granite in a broad white apron, but also form small side cascades and pools from which the waters leap. Looking up there at all that water, rock and trees, there did not seem to be an easy way to climb up along the falls, though it may be worth a shot if done carefully.
Florence Creek Falls: it is steeper than it looks.
The first time I crossed the stream a few years back it was a wade. This time I found a clever series of rocks and small tree poles laid out to form a kluge bridge that kept my feet dry. On the far side I dropped my pack in an area sometimes used as a camp and doused myself with deet to avoid the now swarming mosquitoes. The last time I was there, that was not a problem. After a few pictures and a bite to eat (I was starving!), I heaved my pack on and raced out of there to put some distance between me and the flying vampires.
