A little beat up from the day before in Tenaya Canyon, but still thirsty for adventure, we decided to explore a section of the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. It didn’t take much for Tim to convince Ken and I to tag along. I did not want to spend the day sitting around, and Ken was eager to maximize the use of his new wetsuit.
Rainbow Pool
We started at Rainbow Pool, a popular swimming hole which is usually crowded, though on this day, there were only four other visitors and no one in the water. Every time I stop at Rainbow Pool, I tell myself that I will jump from the top of the waterfall, but so far, I am 0 for 4. I will eagerly walk to the top, peer anxiously down into the water, and then gingerly find my way back to shore. Tim, on the other hand, relishes the jump.
The half-mile down the river involved wading in waist-high water, scrambling over car-sized boulders, swimming across deep pools of water, downclimbing, and a bit of bushwhacking. The water was cold; I felt like I was in a freezer. But, it was fun!
Tim and Ken
One of the many pools of water
Francisco, Tim, Ken
Fall colors in South Fork Tuolumne River
At about a half-mile, we reached a narrow gorge with steep drop-offs on both sides, water churning and thundering down the chute, ready to chew into pulp anyone and anything floating by. We could not figure out how to descend, so we decided to leave the river. On the east bank, above the river, there is a service road which connects to Hwy 120 and would take us back to the cars.
Tim evaluating the conditions downstream
At dinner, over pizza, we found out that there is an actual canyoneering route below where we stopped. One more item on the to-do list for 2018.
pacorios 