After an epic night of “hamping” (hammock + camping), we started the journey off right with some ceremonious dives into the cool water. Backflips perfected, we were on our way upstream for two miles to face the beast.
The water leading up to the falls is glassy and unmolested and the ripples from the Red Paddle Explorer were the only artifacts. Thanks to the lightness of the current, the way up is incredibly smooth and peaceful. You are alone in a passage of towering cliffs.
As we approached the last bend, we could hear the rumble of the falls. Most of us had only seen the falls in pictures, so turning the final corner couldn’t have been more jaw dropping. An immense 1,000 ft of pure water was pounding the cove below with a force like nothing we’d seen. When you approach the falls, you arrive at a little island from which you can’t help but stare up in awe.
It’s completely breathtaking! We stood on the shallow strip of land that lays no more than a few eager paddle strokes away from the beast and planned our attack. Do we head straight for it and take it all in one gulp? Or do we leave some for dessert? We made our way around the edge of the steep cliffs and saw a series of small slot canyons, all of which are completely hidden from any distant views. We parked our boards and climbed up to a spot where miniature waterfalls poured down like rain.
