Lower Calf Creek Falls
On a cold morning in September, I started out from Escalante, Utah to Lower Calf Creek Falls. I was dressed appropriately for the trip with several layers of clothing and of course, my camera bag and trusty tripod and not one but two bottles of water. The drive along Highway 12 was only 15 miles and by the time I approached the Calf Creek Campground the sky was filled with the slightest hint of dawn. The cool air was invigorating and the excitement of seeing the Falls filled me with excitement to begin the 7-mile round-trip hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. Thinking back, perhaps I over dressed for the hike, but it felt good that I did not feel the chill as I set off to the North from the campground.
The trail was somewhat easy to transverse, but sandy patches along the way made for some difficult and narrow footing in some areas. The scenery was gorgeous as dawn lit up the canyon with magnificent colors. Mineral streaked cliffs of Navajo Sandstone stood guard over this area and I could only marvel at the pre-historic rock art and the many pictograph panels on display. I got lost in time thinking about what it was like in this area nearly 1,000 years ago. Stopping for rest at one of the beaver ponds along the way gave me a chance to catch my breath and finish half of my water supply. With renewed energy, I completed the rest of the hike tired but in awe of the beauty of Lower Calf Creek Falls, 130 feet high plunging playfully into an emerald green deep swimming hole. I immediately started to take photos of the falls from all angles, switching lenses constantly from a 24-70mm to 70-200mm lens and occasionally adding a polarizing filter to some of the photos.
As the morning progressed the temperatures started to rise and by late morning the temperature rose from near freezing in the early morning hours to nearly 60 degrees. By this time, I finished my water supply and was totally content with the photos I captured of Lower Calf Creek Falls. I also noticed that many other people were entering the grounds and a number of them were dressed in shorts and late-summer attire. About a half mile into my return trip to the campground, I started to feel the heat of the sun on my multi-layer covered body. Taking my coat off still meant I had to carry that along with my tripod and camera equipment and then as I reached for water, I realized I had none left. A mile later, I began to feel signs of dehydration and at the two-mile return mark I was not exactly sure I was going to make it back to the car…and I longed for nothing more than to have a few bottles of water and a pair of shorts on. At this point friends provided me with water and I consumed 4 bottles almost at one time. Also, they helped carry some of my gear. I eventually made it back to the car with my treasure of photo, but I did learn a lesson that day. Perhaps to check the weather for the entire day and dress accordingly with less layers and always to bring more water than one thinks they will need….no matter the extra weight.