Big Five / Little Five Lakes Loop

The impressive Cliff Creek Falls as seen from the trail.

Cliff Creek Trail

Big 5, Little 5 Lakes Loop and Sawtooth Pass, August 4th to 7th, 2000.

August 5th, 2000, Day 2.
Well, I got up early enough. The thought of marching up sun-baked switchbacks to Black Rock Pass did not appeal to me, and I had a ways to go that day. So as soon as I could eat and get things together, I was back on the trail retracing my steps of the day before. Once again, like several weeks before, I flirted with the sun on the terminator line as I began the switchbacks up to Pinto Lake next to another smaller falls of this canyon section. As I got higher I could not help but stop to look at the larger falls across from me, and the view down canyon. The trail eventually comes near the head of the smaller falls near the trail, and it would have been an easy matter to visit the fall verge. As I climbed I became convinced I had made the right decision not to come up there the night before.