April 6, 2022 - Topokah Falls

 

Title: April 6, 2022 - Topokah Falls
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Lodgepole Campground

Trail: Topokah Falls Trail

Destination: Topokah Falls

Distance:  5.18 miles

Start Time: 10:37

End Time:    2:42

Travel Time: 4:05  (1.27 mph)

Moving Time:  3:24  (1.52 mph)

Elevation Rise: 917 '

Descent: 897‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,335'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today is a special day for us-notice the us? Sherri will be going on this hike-the first hike after her surgery. It is less than 4 miles and around a 400’ rise. Also I have told her that if she wants or needs to, I will turn back with her. All of this allows her to feel confident about the day.

Sherri, John and Ken at start of hike

We will leave from home and meet up with the CVHG at Lodgepole. We managed to leave a bit later than I thought we would. So I think we are behind the group. We stop at Big Stump for its facilities, before continuing on. This takes us down the General’s Highway. Shortly after turning off of the Wye, we see the devastation of the KNP Complex Fire. This will be with us all the way down to Lodgepole. There is sadness as we observe the charred remains of trees once green and majestic.

Warning sign

We get to Lodgepole and notice two things. First, the way to the trailhead is blocked. Second, we see Betty and only Betty in the parking lot. Evidently we are not dragging up the rear. Betty tells us that Ken and Bobby have gone up the road, but no sign of the rest of the Fresno group. They pull in about half an hour after us. So we had a good time catching up with Betty.

 

 

Marble Fork of the Kaweah

 It looks like we have between three-quarter to a mile more than we thought because of the blocked off road. Fortunately there is not much of a slope. John has us stop at the trailhead to get a picture. Then off we go. I manage to slip towards the back with Sherri and the usual back of the group friends. This gives me a chance occasionally to take a picture.

The trail is dry, at least at the start. But there is snow across the Marble Fork of the Kaweah. my prediction was that we would encounter snow on the trail and maybe some ice. While I feel I was pretty good with my prediction, I am glad that the condition of the trail did not meet my expectation, or fear.

Unnamed rivelet

The trail goes up a little bit more than I was expecting. But we all are doing good. The river is flowing nicely beneath us with a nice sun shining on us. Not too badly, just enough to keep us warm. We crossed several dry ravines. This is not a good sign for later on in the season.

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing a patch of snow

Something about this group is that there are hikers who are pretty strong in their hiking. They have a tendency to soot ahead to the end of the trail pretty fast.Of course, they end up waiting. Me? Lately I have been on the other end. At least today I am not huffing and puffing too badly. 

First sighting of Falls

 There are some of the creeks flowing across the trail as we get close to the falls. I think one of them is called Horse Creek-there are many creeks by that name. Once past the creeks, we start catching glimpses of the falls. Also the trees recede and we are more in the granite. A couple people feel that they are seeing the falls and it is time to turn back. I give Sherri the option, but she wants to get a bit closer, so we charge ahead.

 

 

Jerry has gone ahead to start herding people back down the trail. So we get to greet many people while we make our way up the final section of trail. One of these groups is Jan and Cathy-not the Cathey of John and Cathey. Turned out she had been on our last Wawona hike. She showed appreciation for our organizing it. Always good to hear.

Topokah Falls

And now we approach the end of the trail. The last hundred feet of the trail has snow over it. We decide that is as far as we are going to go. We take a few pictures, look over the falls and turn back. After a while, Betty is waiting for us. We talk together until Sherri and I break for lunch.

And now we are on our way back. There is none of our group behind us, even though there are several other families who have made the trip up. Sherri and I enjoy our saunter back down the trail. There is a sense that this hike is longer than we thought it would be, but we have enough energy to finish it well. Sometimes going back down a trail, you see things at a different angle, or you get to look down a valley instead of up a ridge. These things make a hike back both the same, yet different.

 

 

 

Sherri looking down Topokah Valley

Towards the end of the trail,we catch up with Betty, John, Cathay and Ken. It is good to come onto the trail all together. Most of the rest of the gang is going home via Three Rivers. There is a good, relaxing restaurant/bar on the Kaweah with good food. But Sherri and I are pretty tuckered out and will go straight home. It has been a longer day than Sherri anticipated and she sleeps much of the way back. So glad she did this hike.

 

 
Extra Photo's

Topokah Falls

Snow Field off of the Watchtower

Watchtower

Interesting little unnamed falls

Gary

Marble Fork of the Kaweah

Watchtower

Sherri, Gary and Topokah Falls