Hiking in toward the falls

The Last Stretch of the Hike

Arriving at the Top Waterfall

Invigorating

From the San Diego Reader:
“The triple set of waterfalls dubbed the “Three Sisters” is an amazing San Diego County feature not many have seen. In full flood, these cascades put on a show reminiscent of Yosemite’s show stoppers — except at a reduced scale. Since some of the upstream drainage of Boulder Creek comes from Cuyamaca Reservoir, regulated releases of water there can greatly affect the volume of water flowing over the falls.

Although the round-trip hike measures only four miles from the nearest road, visiting the falls is a task for expert hikers, not beginners. Take along drinking water, and be prepared for some strenuous climbing, both up and down, on marginal pathways and on no trail at all near the falls themselves.

To get to the trailhead from San Diego, exit Interstate 8 at Highway 79 (Descanso exit) and drive north. After 1.3 miles turn left on Riverside Drive. Continue 0.6 mile to the main crossroads (post office, etc.) of the hamlet of Descanso. From there take Oak Grove Drive 1.6 miles to the intersection of Boulder Creek Road on the right. Follow Boulder Creek Road north for 13.0 miles (first half paved, then dirt) to a hairpin turn where unpaved Cedar Creek Road joins from the west. Park there, taking care not to block traffic, and post a National Forest Adventure Pass on your car (the parking area and falls lie in Cleveland National Forest territory).

On foot now, follow the remains of an old ranch road (not Cedar Creek Road) due west for 0.7 mile to a saddle, where an old mining road on the left slants southeast and descends into Sheep Camp Creek. You can both see and hear the falls from this saddle.

Descend southwest on the mining road for 0.4 mile, cross Sheep Camp Creek, and switch back onto a narrow path cut into the south slope. After about 0.3 mile, the trail veers sharply left and passes over a saddle in the divide between Sheep Camp Creek and Boulder Creek.

Next, you negotiate an abrupt drop of 500 vertical feet through chaparral on a primitive — and in places excessively steep and slippery — trail cut by hikers’ footsteps. At the bottom you can either forge a route through the brush and angular rocks along the left side of the creek or (if the water level is not too high) rock hop and wade toward the falls. Great masses of poison oak, intermixed with wild grape vines, lie along the banks. Be very cautious of slippery rocks.

When you reach the base of the waterfalls, all the previous thrashing about will have been worth it. The “middle sister” is impressive, with water sliding 50 feet down a smooth channel worn in the bedrock into a kidney shaped pool about 80 feet long and at least 10 feet deep. Watch your footing — it’s deceptively easy to slip on the smooth rock and perhaps be seriously injured. It’s difficult and dangerous to climb up to the uppermost waterfall, though some agile climbers have done it.

This article contains information about a publicly owned recreation or wilderness area. Trails and pathways are not necessarily marked. Conditions can change rapidly. Hikers should be properly equipped and have safety and navigational skills. The Reader and Jerry Schad assume no responsibility for any adverse experience.”

I decided somewhat last-minute to fly to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for a big airshow called EAA AirVenture. It’s a huge event where people fly-in, and some even camp under their plane’s wings. It was like a big road-trip, but in a plane.

Above is the plane we took – A Cirrus SR22 – Tail Number N405CD

Above: One of the views as we flew Northeast

Chris Krone (CFI from my school, Coast Flight Training) was my instructor for the trip


A beautiful sunset as we wound-down our outbound trip

We spent a full-day walking the show, looking at new and vintage aircraft, and watching an acrobatic airshow. (Above Chris Krone and Jon Nevin, who met us in Wisconsin)

St. Paul was one of the stops on our way home.

When we landed in South Dakota we took a courtesy car just 30 min away to see Mt. Rushmore. Then as we flew out we did circles overhead for an areal view.

Above: Jon Nevin, Lisa Liguori, Chris Krone – Mt. Rushmore – July 30, 2010

My dear friend (and honorary little brother), Jon Nevin (who is an instrument rated, private pilot) took a turn flying. He did lovely “Turns Around A Point” around Mt. Rushmore so we could view it from above

We stayed overnight in Casper, Wyoming where we tried fried “Bulls Balls” at dinner. Above: Jon Nevin enjoying a tasty bite

The last day of the trip we over-flew Lake Powell where the view was spectacular.

From Lake Powell we went to Las Vegas and then flew home to San Diego.

A trip summary in Tweets:
8:10 PM Jul 27th  – Back from New Hampshire and planning my ten hour flight in a Cirrus tomorrow to Oshkosh for a pilot’s convention/air show
12:30 PM Jul 28th – Just landed at Four Corners (kfmn)- near the intersection of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
2:17 PM Jul 28th – Fuel gauge was reading wrong so we touched down at KALS
5:06 PM Jul 28th – Just landed in Nebraska (12K)
8:50 PM Jul 28th – Made it! Just landed in Appleton, Wisconsin (KATB)- my first unassisted landing to end the trip
9:45 PM Jul 28th – Random fact- the Radisson at which we are staying is where all of the visiting teams stay when they play Greenbay
7:59 AM Jul 29th – Last night we tried mac and cheese pizza and today I tried (but was denied) taking a photo in a cheese head hat at the hotel gift shop.
8:15 AM Jul 29th – Heading to the Appleton to fly across the North toward Mt. Rushmore 
10:24 AM Jul 30th – Just landed in St. Paul. Going for lunch at a recommended deli in a courtesy car
3:23 PM Jul 30th – Just landed in Rapid City, South Dakota (KRAP)
6:05 PM Jul 30th – Jon Nevin is flying this leg in the pilot seat- leaving South Dakota for Casper, Wyoming. 
7:59 PM Jul 30th – Into Casper, WY for the night. 
9:04 PM Jul 30th – Trying bull fries– smooshed cow b****s fried and served w/ cocktail sauce
6:54 AM Jul 31st - Back to the plane- destined for Steamboat Springs.
7:09 AM Jul 31st  - Scratch that. . . setting out for Grand Junction
10:17 AM Jul 31st  – Just landed in Grand Junction, grabbing a crew car and out to lunch. Bounced my landing but i did land unassisted. 
1:06 PM Jul 31st  - Just over-flew Lake Powell at 6500 and came into U96 airport in Utah– Gorgeous!
3:35 PM Jul 31st – Nevin flew us from Utah to Vegas (VGT) with great views of Lake Powell again as we were outbound
4:08 PM Jul 31st  - So hot in Vegas we had to try a hot start and the batteries went dead. Waiting for a mechanic now. It’s 102F on the thermometer, but it …
6:36 PM Jul 31st – Back home, sweet home, to Montgomery (MYF)

Today we drove about an hour away to a town called La Calera to a birthday party for Juan’s goddaughter Luciana and her mom, Luz Elena. We sat outside and ate lunch while the kids played. The weather and the people were warm. Many of the guests were people whom I’d met this week.

When we returned, I packed my bag while Juan and Lala packed a suitcase of their stuff for me to bring back as they are beginning to send things to the U.S. for their upcoming move there. Juan G, Martica and Juan G’s brother stopped by for a quick visit to say goodbye.

Then we ordered in pizza and watched “Crash.” I’ve been wanting to see it for a while, and found it fascinating and powerful.

Tomorrow we’re heading to the airport at 6am, and Juan insists that they will drive me, help me get checked-in, and then have breakfast with me while I wait for the plane. How sweet is that!

So, as I head to bed, I’m signing-off from Colombia for the last time this trip. It’s been “super-rico” and very “chevere.” Buenas noches.

On Sundays in Bogota some of the big roads are closed to cars so cyclists can use them. We saw groups riding through the city as we took the short walk  to Juan G’s to borrow the car.

We set out for a town called Chia to have lunch at the most famous restaurant in Colombia, Andres Carne de Res. We met a big group of people (including the Betancourts, Juan G and Martica, Lala’s sister Sandra, her husband Martin and their two kids, Andres and Luz Elena and their two girls, Manuela and Luciana, and a friend of theirs.)

After a 45 minute drive (no traffic), we reached the restaurant which occupies an entire city block. It was appropriate that we entered through a turn-style, since it was more like gaining admission to a party. ”Andres” is part restaurant, part carnival. On every possible surface re-purposed objects serve as decorations. Parts of walls are plastered with flattened bottle caps to form a medal surface, lights and bangles and all sorts of objects hang from the ceiling.

Seasonally costumed actors parade through the restaurant. It was the 3 kings, and the manger scene icons this time of year. In the back is an entire world for kids. Parents and kids are given matching arm bands so parents can enjoy themselves and not worry that someone could take their child.

The children’s area is free and contains options like dance lessons in a dance studio, movies in a theater, indoor soccer, boxing, walking on stilts, doing woodworking projects, doing crafts, face painting, and on and on.

We went for lunch and night had fallen by the time we left. There were endless things to look at and the food and special drinks came out in slow waves as we chatted. It  was delicious, but the environment was what made Andres singular.

When we left Andres, we went to the home of Luz Elena and Andres to visit because we hadn’t been able to talk much from opposite ends of the table at lunch. Their home is exquisite in every way. The architecture incorporates a huge bolder right into house. There is lots of glass through we could see the natural surroundings and mountain trees. We had a fun visit by their gigantic fireplace and Luciana and Manuela told me cute stories in well-spoken English.

From there we went to Lala’s house so I could meet her parents, Paulito and Luz Angela. Paulito showed me what a squash racquet looks like and how the ball doesn’t bounce. And he and Lala showed me photos of their dive trips in some beautiful places in Colombia. They also showed me photos of an annual flower festival in Medellin which is something like the Rose Parade with more personal-sized floats.

When we left we went to Harveys, a take-out food place Juan and Lala said people always go when they get hungry after a night of partying. Cars pull up to the curb and a man runs out from the shop with a menu, runs the order back in, and then brings it out when it’s ready– like Colombian curbside take-out. After our late-night snack we turned in.

Saturday we walked a block away to the grocery store so I could buy some wine for hostess gifts. The store was large and similar in look to a Vons. I learned that it’s not common here to send greeting cards (nor Christmas cards). They aren’t stocked in many places.

From there we strolled to Juan G and Martica’s house to pick up their car. It is Juan’s old car which he nickname Shamoo. It’s mid-size, but for Colombia it is huge like a whale.

We picked up Juan’s girlfriend, Lala (Laura Henao), who had just returned from vacation. Then we continued on to Juan’s mom’s(Patricia Medina) house in an area called Chapinero Alto. It is a pretty, quiet neighborhood of red-brick buildings. It’s near a nice restaurant area called Zona G.

Outside Patricia’s home was a horse pulling a cart. I’ve seen those all over Bogota, even on busy roads. They pick up the recycling and Juan says they cause traffic jams. The apartments here have doormen who unlock the doors when we arrive.

We visited for a while. Patricia and Lala finished preparing lunch. It was yet another special home and amazing spread. We had Patricia’s special, extra-crispy (because they are cooked in carbonated water) chicharrones, 2 kinds of friend plantains, arepas, and beans with toppings of avocado, “meat dust” (meat put through the food processor so it is extremely fine), white rice and sauces.

After lunch we had coffee (which Patricia makes the old fashion way without a coffee-maker), and Obleas (wafer sandwich with caramel in the middle). We visited for a long time having sweet conversation.

When we said goodbye we went back to the grocery store and bought Colombian candies and snacks to cary home as suvenier gifts.

The Betancourts were on their way back from Uni Centro (a shopping mall nearby) so they met us at Juan’s apartment. While the grownups (Mauricio, Nancy, Juan and Lala) had martinis, the kids (Maria, Ana and myself) watched Herculese in Espanol.

We had to leave to be prompt for dinner at the home of Juan’s dad (Juan Guillermo Lalinde) and his wife (Martica). Their apartment is a beautiful space, the true owner of which is their yellow lab, Nala. Martica created the painting in their bedroom.

We sipped wine and chatted leasurly before dinner. Martica made a salad of tuna, peas and artichoke hearts and a rice dish with saffron, steak, tomato and two kinds of cheese. It was a wonderful dinner.

After dinner we lingered, savoring old stories and new inside jokes. All the while we listened to great music on Juan G’s playlist. He gave us a ride home, only after we had lingered for hours. It was late and time for bed.