A solo hike. Also probably a mistake.
I drove to Horsetail Falls one morning after dropping my friend off at the airport. I was already up, girlfriend was out of town, why not do a short hike? I had read about the Rock of Ages arch and I wanted to see it. Apparently it was only a short jaunt up a steep hill off the horsetail falls trail. A neat rock arch just off the beaten path? Early morning lighting? Yeah, lets do this.
I was the only person at horsetail falls. I quickly climbed the steep switchbacks at the beginning of the hike as I have done many times (I think I've done the beginning of Horsetail falls more than any other hike) and reached Ponytail Falls. It was a rare experience indeed to be alone at Ponytail, and I sat for a long while admiring it.
My goal was near Ponytail, an offshoot path up the hill next to a tree. Easy to miss or dismiss as it's not labeled or signed, no indication that it goes anywhere interesting. But that was my goal. So I climbed it.
It was steep. Maybe the steepest trail I had ever climbed. It maybe was only 500 feet to the arch, but those 500 feet felt like vertical steps. I was holding onto branches and roots and going hand over hand in places, a complete scramble. There were times when I would slip a little, and I would get legitimately scared. I probably should have picked a less wet day, but it wasn't exactly raining, and the ground was till mostly dry. This was just a steep and perilous trail. The trail is unmaintained, and I couldn't help but feel that it would be a great hike if they bothered to build a real trail out of it and take a more switchback style way to the top. As it was, I was going straight up. Another issue I had was that the trail itself splits constantly. Halfway up I reach a junction. One to the left, one to the right. I knew the rock arch was at the edge of the cliff, so I went left towards the gorge. Then it split again. And again. I didn't know if I was on the right path or not. I think the first split was my mistake, and that trail led up to the Devils backbone, and would have provided an easier way up to the arch. Instead I took the path that led me up a washout gully with no handholds, and at one point I was so panicked that I was crawling up the hill as fast as I could on my stomach frantically grabbing roots. It was the most scared I've ever been on a hike. I probably wouldn't have even fallen that far if I slipped, but at that moment I didn't care. But then I saw it. My goal. My salvation.
It was steep. Maybe the steepest trail I had ever climbed. It maybe was only 500 feet to the arch, but those 500 feet felt like vertical steps. I was holding onto branches and roots and going hand over hand in places, a complete scramble. There were times when I would slip a little, and I would get legitimately scared. I probably should have picked a less wet day, but it wasn't exactly raining, and the ground was till mostly dry. This was just a steep and perilous trail. The trail is unmaintained, and I couldn't help but feel that it would be a great hike if they bothered to build a real trail out of it and take a more switchback style way to the top. As it was, I was going straight up. Another issue I had was that the trail itself splits constantly. Halfway up I reach a junction. One to the left, one to the right. I knew the rock arch was at the edge of the cliff, so I went left towards the gorge. Then it split again. And again. I didn't know if I was on the right path or not. I think the first split was my mistake, and that trail led up to the Devils backbone, and would have provided an easier way up to the arch. Instead I took the path that led me up a washout gully with no handholds, and at one point I was so panicked that I was crawling up the hill as fast as I could on my stomach frantically grabbing roots. It was the most scared I've ever been on a hike. I probably wouldn't have even fallen that far if I slipped, but at that moment I didn't care. But then I saw it. My goal. My salvation.
And lots and lots of fog. I'd made it all this way for nothing?
I was unhappy. The whole area was in fog. I want to specify that this area of the gorge the arch overlooks is by far my favorite section of the gorge itself. Something about the cliffs in the Yeon area are stunning. Most of the gorge is big mountains and large creek valleys, but the Yeon area feels like it once slid away. The mountains and cliffs don't border the river, they are positioned a bit further back, making me think the town of Dodson is built on the old landslide. Here's a top down view from google earth:
I was unhappy. The whole area was in fog. I want to specify that this area of the gorge the arch overlooks is by far my favorite section of the gorge itself. Something about the cliffs in the Yeon area are stunning. Most of the gorge is big mountains and large creek valleys, but the Yeon area feels like it once slid away. The mountains and cliffs don't border the river, they are positioned a bit further back, making me think the town of Dodson is built on the old landslide. Here's a top down view from google earth:
It certainly looks like it all just fell away once, right? The two big creeks/waterfalls in the area are the two border creases, but inside the two valleys the cliffs are strange, and Dodson is in the flat area. I think this was a landslide once.
Anyway I was looking into my favorite visual area and could barely see anything.
It was still cool, but my favorite cliffs were just a touch too drenched in fog. I sat there depressed for a while.I wandered around the arch, taking in the mystery of it all and calming my heart down , and things started to burn off, and I was left with what turned out to be one of the most interesting atmospheric views I've ever experienced, and suddenly it was all worth it.
You couldn't really tell what was what, the clouds were at all levels in strange spots, and everything was very very surreal.
After some more fog rolled back in, I decided to head back and on the way down I realized something I had completely ignored in my mad scramble up: the area was Poison Oak heaven. And I had touched it a lot. At one point I even slipped into a bush of it. I was mostly covered, long pants and long sweatshirt, but by hands had been hit for sure. I got down that hill as fast as humanly possible without dying and found a small spur trail to the top of ponytail falls. I washed everything exposed on my body in the creek then headed back to the car. Drove home, washed everything.
Never got poison oak, but for a few days I was in terror mode. I might still be immune to it, I never got poison ivy as a kid despite playing in it. Thank god for small favors. I've become a poison oak expert since, so I never make that mistake again.
Outside the killer view, I was thoroughly unprepared and the hike was probably a mistake. I'm glad I got those pictures though, and part of me wants to go back now, knowing what I know now. There is also a neat spot just up the ridge from the arch that I never saw called the Devils Backbone. I hate knowing I was so close to it but didn't see it. Maybe one day in fall, when the oak leaves are dying out and things are easier to see, I might head back.
After some more fog rolled back in, I decided to head back and on the way down I realized something I had completely ignored in my mad scramble up: the area was Poison Oak heaven. And I had touched it a lot. At one point I even slipped into a bush of it. I was mostly covered, long pants and long sweatshirt, but by hands had been hit for sure. I got down that hill as fast as humanly possible without dying and found a small spur trail to the top of ponytail falls. I washed everything exposed on my body in the creek then headed back to the car. Drove home, washed everything.
Never got poison oak, but for a few days I was in terror mode. I might still be immune to it, I never got poison ivy as a kid despite playing in it. Thank god for small favors. I've become a poison oak expert since, so I never make that mistake again.
Outside the killer view, I was thoroughly unprepared and the hike was probably a mistake. I'm glad I got those pictures though, and part of me wants to go back now, knowing what I know now. There is also a neat spot just up the ridge from the arch that I never saw called the Devils Backbone. I hate knowing I was so close to it but didn't see it. Maybe one day in fall, when the oak leaves are dying out and things are easier to see, I might head back.
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