Rainbow Rock Canyon Falls #walkwithme

I have visited Whitewater Preserve many times over the years, and have posted about it here twice.

https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-2-whitewater-preserve

https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/my-heart-belongs-to-whitewater

But I had never before taken the trace of a trail leading to Rainbow Rock Canyon Falls. Why not make a #socalsteemit hiking meetup out of it?

Enter @derekrichardson and his two dogs, Pup and Skinny.

Bones in the grass remind us: Life is too short to put off a good hike!

Laughing at the people who worried about bad weather, we followed the little trail into the clear blue sky.

Sunny and 75F means Brisket needs a moment to cool off in the damp grass.

Early wildflowers are blooming. Here are some Wild Hyacinth:

As we steadily gained elevation, the canyon continued to narrow and the vegetation became more lush. Soon, we found ourselves amongst the Sycamore trees, flagships of riparian habitat.

At last, the water coming off the high mountain surfaced as a tinkling brook. All three dogs piled in for a cooling dip.

Sycamores loop and bow, one forming a natural arbor for us to pass under.

The temperature seemed to drop about ten degrees in the deep shade and flourescent green tree tunnel.

@derekrichardson signals his approval.

The canyon begins to pinch into a slot when a lone fir tree appears, towering above us.

Spent grapevines festoon the rock walls.

There is only room for a footpath and the creek...

And then, the waterfall!

Some intrepid soul carried this ladder up here. There were also some metal handholds and ropes for climbers.

@Derekrichardson scaled them and gives us a wave.

I was content to sit by the pool with the pups, gazing out the way we came.

That spot just below us soon filled with Canadians who sipped white wine from real glasses. They were a jovial lot. The only photo I took of them was on their own camera.

After lunch, we headed back down towards the valley floor. For our descent, we followed game trails instead of the footpath.

A Bighorn met its fate here.

Unsurprisingly, the game trail was also marked by many piles of Mountain Lion scat. We felt a little creeped out, just knowing our progress was likely being monitored by the sleek hunter under cover.

On our rush up to the waterfall, we barely even noticed the boulders that give it its name: Rainbow Rock.

Photos can't do the dimensional crystalline inclusions justice.

I also took a little more time to notice the flora as we traveled down the rough drainage.

Ephemeral daisies lift their golden heads from threadlike stalks.

Clematis sprawls all over shrubs and rocks.

The ground was carpeted with tiny white flowers.

Even the Mormon Tea (Ephedra) was blistered with its weird orange blossoms.

It is really fun to hike with someone else who enjoys leaving the established trails and just orients according to the flow of land and water. Rejoining the PCT seemed like getting back on the highway. However, it takes us to Red Dome where the main flow of the Whitewater River crosses.

Brisket's unbridled enthusiasm for wading never fails.

A bunch of PCT thru-hikers also enjoyed getting nice and wet in the middle of the desert.

From here, we stayed in the river bed, following its many tendrils and washouts back down to the Preserve.

A dome of red rock in the middle of white sand.

San Jacinto peak in the distance.

Looking back at Rainbow Rock Canyon from across the floodplain, it doesn't reveal itself as auspicious at all.

Who would guess a magical oasis hides back there?

We do, and now so do you!

Thank you so much for coming along for this #socalsteemit #walkwithme. Happy hiking!

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