Falling For Cataract Falls

After reading the Bold Italic's article about the best hikes in the area with waterfalls, Z and I decided to check out Cataract Falls since it was dog friendly and no mountain bikes were allowed on the trails. It's difficult to keep your pig dog out of the way when there's bikers zooming back and forth on the path. Not fun! Despite the fact that we went on Valentine's Day and it was super cheesy (Not our fault Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday this year), the trail was one of the best hikes we have done in the past year. We drove by Fairfax and Bolinas, which are other areas I would like to check out another time since their small town charm appeals to me--having grown up in a ridiculous small town where-everybody-knows-your-name area as well.

The trail begins lush and green, taking you ever higher alongside a series of swiftly flowing, rushing waterfalls. Stairs, both wooden and stone, overladen with moss and cracked with heavy use intersperse with a well-trodden dirt path. The heady scent of fresh water and sharp, piercing, satisfying wilderness fills the air as the warm sunlight cascades around you.

Once you leave the Cataract trail and step onto the High Marsh Trail, the noise of other hikers quickly fade away and you find yourself surrounded by a forest silence, broken only by the sound of your own breath. The tall, wooded glen you are in will break into an open hill, sloped with wild grass and shrouded by a rolling fog. It is beautiful, mysterious, and lonely--as the path before you meanders further into the hills you cannot help but be amazed.

The High Marsh Trail will eventually take you onto the forested Kent Trail, wavering between open, hilltop trails and strange, wooded paths. You'll find blood-red, mahogany-like, smooth branches that loom and watch above you. As you wander North, Kent Trail will break west and emerge on the shores of an immense, blue-green lake. Alpine lake lies before you, waters unbroken and far shores dotted with trees, beckoning. It is quiet here, and beautiful, and you find that for a time you need not be anything more than a witness.

After the 3 mile hike or so to the picnic grounds, Finnegan was getting pretty tired--being the Prince that he is. Z opted to carry him in his backpack and Finnegan seemed to enjoy the view and ability to catch his breath. Some hikers spotted him in the backpack and Finnegan made sure to ham it up with his cuteness for a couple of "Aww's" and pats on the head. I highly recommend visiting Cataract Falls. Make sure to take some time to travel out here, bring food for a picnic, and enjoy all that the Bay area has to offer!

White Pines Lake

White Pines Lake is a quiet little lake, well known to local residents, but often overlooked by visitors scurrying up to Big Trees State Park or Lake Alpine. Only a mile from Arnold, the lake makes a great family destination for fishing, picnicking, or just taking the kids to a playground. For hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, the new Arnold Rim Trail leads south from the lake 10.5 miles to Sheep Ranch Road near Avery.  As you enter White Pines off of Blagen Road, you may see a small sign proclaiming, “White Pines is not Arnold.” Although the two communities share a zip code, White Pines has a proud history all its own. The area around White Pines Lake was originally a lumber mill. After the mill closed, a dam was put in and a lake established with thoughts of selling lots around the lake. When the plan fell through, the lake and surrounding property were sold to the Calaveras Water District.

The Sierra Nevada Logging Museum on the western shore of White Pines Lake draws hundreds of visitors every year. Across its six acres are spread many of the old machines used in logging in Calaveras County. The 2400-square foot museum building contains exhibits which convey the history of logging and the lumbering industry in the Sierra Nevada. Around the grounds is an array of fascinating logging machines, from a 66,000 pound steam donkey to a Shay locomotive. Visitors can also view crawler tractors, logging arches, a logging cabin, and various saws. I highly recommend checking out White Pines around sunset, which was when the below photos were taken. Calaveras county is definitely more beautiful in person, so make a trip up to the area when you can! Perhaps go during the famous county fair and jumpin' frog jubilee  that Mark Twain based his short story on. Cheers!