The last time I did this hike was before my Alaska road trip, perhaps in the spring. Today's morning weather was cool and breezy. It had to have been in the low 50s at 8am start time because my cheeks were chilled.
There were eight of us, several of whom I didn't recognize. Nina had signed up for this hike but was 30 minutes late and the group was 2/3 up the falls when she joined us. I chatted with KimG, Lynn R and Kim C-F at the start, but ended up talking to Rick, Steve (a new Steve!) and David on the hike up the road before the guys slowed down and I was up front but behind the fast gals. I brought Zeke along. Kim C-F brought her LabX Bentley along. Both were on leashes going uphill.
I made it to the middle falls in 46:37 minutes. This was no PR but I also wasn't aiming for one, which would have required power walking uphill in 41 minutes. I took Zeke down to the water before the falls and was disappointed to see stagnant water covered by waterbugs. We desperately need more rain. The trees are starting to turn yellow, too. Fall is here!
There was no memorial for the most recent waterfall plunge fatality in late July: 16-year-old Jaidee Austin fell 300 feet to his death July 28th, trying to prevent a 9-year-old from slipping off the slick rock. He would have been a high school junior.
http://www.myheraldreview.com/free_access/carr-canyon-fall-claims-buena-high-student/article_945834ac-7416-11e7-a037-af6e6f039f36.html
It is the custom on this hike to linger by the middle falls and chat. I don't mind chatting for ten minutes, but today we were at the falls for a good 30 minutes standing around. For some reason, I just didn't feel a part of the chatty crowd today. Whenever I wanted to join in, I overheard terms like "killing deer" and I'm not much of an advocate for killing anything that isn't a fly or mosquito. It seems like killing animals is a repeated theme among these hikers. And while I don't mind "hunting for food" or killing in self-defense, I do mind it being a constant conversation among the hikers. I've been away from this group for so long, I've lost touch with the "in" crowd.
Sometimes talking about more thought-provoking themes like the recent solar eclipse or our regional water shortage is more to my liking. How about the devastating wildfires destroying California's Wine Country this past week? With three deadly hurricanes terrorizing Texas , Florida and Puerto Rico since late August, we have had our share of natural disasters. And now the deadly fires that have claimed at least 17 in California is getting to me. I have friends and family in the Bay area!
Our post-hike lunch was at "My Place," a Vietnamese-American-Mexican restaurant off Fry Boulevard with an ample menu. I had never been to this place and drove twice around the block before finding it. I ordered a Curry Chicken Stir Fry that was quite good but could have used more curry sauce. I had a double-shot cappuccino that ended up costing me $5.99 (!!) but it, too was quite good.
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