Just a little further up First Water Creek

For years I've wanted to get pictures of the waterfall at the end of the First Water Creek overlook trail from down in the creek. I couldn't get to the waterfall in the creek, though. When Gary and I had been in the creek a few days earlier, we got further upstream than I had been able to before. I thought that maybe a flood since the last time I was down there had rearranged the boulders. I decided to go back and see just how far upstream I could go.

I went earlier in the day so I had some sunshine.

There seemed to be a lot of water despite the dry winter.

The creekbed is mostly a narrow canyon.

I finally realized that even though I was able to go further upstream than I had before, I probably wouldn't be able to do that if water was flowing in the creek. I would have been mad at myself if I had gone down there in the rain thinking I could get to the waterfall and then been stopped by water.

I may not have gotten through here if water was flowing.

I decided to see how far upstream I could go. Turns out it wasn't very far. I didn't have shoes for wading and I didn't want to get in that water anyway after I saw the dead toad floating in it.

Time to turn back. I guess the guys looking for the horse a couple of days earlier waded through this.

It doesn't seem to be very deep.

I decided to give one of the side canyons a shot on the way back. I had a view of the waterfall from it, and if I could get down that canyon when it's raining, I could get pictures of the waterfall.

I would be able to see the waterfall without going all the way down to the creek from the side canyon I chose.

The side canyon was a little steep but I didn't have to use my hands, so it's acceptable. After a short climb I topped a ridge and saw a landscape that looked completely unfamiliar. There wasn't much distance between the First Water overlook trail and Black Canyon so it seemed strange that nothing looked familiar. I guess I just didn't recognize if from a new angle. I did finally see a cliff that I recognized.

None of this looked familiar.

I finally noticed a cliff I had taken pictures of a few weeks back.

I took my time and wandered slowly in the direction I thought that I probably should. I went up to the top of a small hill because you just never know what you might find on top of a small hill out in the middle of nowhere, and I did find something. When I first looked at it the first thing that crossed my mind was that it was a large fiberglass model of a tooth with the mother of all cavities in its side. That isn't what it was, but now I was so biased I couldn't think of what it might be. Everybody else that looked at it figured out what it was right away. Yes, I took it home, because it didn't belong out there.

What does this look like to you?

If you haven't figured it out yet, turn this picture sideways.

I was going to throw it away but Skid liked it so much, he kept it. I'm sure his wife was thrilled. I'm probably on her s**t list again.

The next thing I knew, I was back in Black Canyon, on the trail. I just need to remember to turn right just before the last steep third of that trail to get to my route to a view of the waterfall next time it rains. I hope it rains soon. Not sure how long I can remember this. Click below for all of the pictures.

2014_03_22