I spent my 20th wedding anniversary hiking.

Yes, I know. Probably most people or at least some would spend their wedding anniversary no matter what year it was at a resort hotel with fine dinning, possibly dancing and most definitely a massage, but not me.

We spent our anniversary on a day hike to Devils Post Pile National Monument in the Sierra Nevada’s or Eastern Sierras as we call it, in California.

We hiked the five miles (round trip) to Rainbow Falls.

Rainbow Falls

Of course we got there a bit too early to see the whole affect of the ‘rainbow-ish’ characteristic of the falls but it was still beautiful. At full sun, there are rainbow sparkles in the mist below the falls.

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The falls were formed by the middle fork of the San Joaquin River.

 

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The trail down to the basin of the falls was closed – it is being upgraded, so this was as close as we could get.

To get here we walked through Devil’s Postpile. I had seen this before way back in college, which was about thirty years ago and going on a 5 mile hike round trip was a no brainer.

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This time, however, I took it all a bit slower, a bit more rests along the way, and a huge bottle of water to sip.

The trail isn’t difficult but it is at 7,560 ft. elevation I don’t move so fast.

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The San Joaquin River, one of my very favorite places to fly fish, and it runs through this long valley and is part of the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

San Joaquin River

Of course, on this day trip – we just hiked. Our fly fishing we had accomplished the two days prior and I will, of course, be showing off those pictures in my next post.

In the interim, enjoy these snaps of the San Joaquin River.

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This area is only opens up once the snow begins to melt and stays open for fishing, hiking and camping until the late fall. Once it snows its closed (the road down into the valley is not plowed) so it is a real treat to come and see this part of the Eastern Sierras.

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In the summer months this place is crawling with campers, fishers and tourists but come fall as the leaves began to change the area becomes tranquil with hardly anyone around.

As to my success fly fishing . . . that will be my next post.

So until then . . . keep your shoes tied.