ISO 100, 24mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec
In an effort to photograph more of the awesome waterfalls of the area before I move in a couple of months I hiked to Burstarse Falls on Saturday…….well, to where Burstarse Falls is located anyway.
You access the PCT to get to this waterfall from a trail called the Dog trail. The parking area for the trail head is on the same road as the Castle Crags State Park, I-5 Castella exit. You will see the parking opening on the right side of the road a little over 3 miles past the Castle Crags State Park entrance.
ISO 200, 31mm, f/6.3, 1/30 sec
The first half mile of the hike is the hardest of the whole hike. You gain 600 vertical feet of the 985 vertical gain total, in this half mile. I was quickly very warm even though the temperature was in the low 40’s.
ISO 200, 24mm, f/6.3, 1/40 sec(ah the beauty of VR!)
At the “top” of this steep quick half mile you come to this intersection. The last time I tried to hike to this falls I took the PCT trail to the right. The correct way to go is to make a almost 180 degree turn and to go left at this sign.
ISO 200, 38mm, f/6.3, 1/125 sec
As you hike along the PCT the Castle Crags appear in and out of the surrounding trees. If you look closely at this photograph you can spot a bald eagle soaring.
ISO 200, 52mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec
You know you are at the right creek when you come to this sign on the right side of the trail. In a normal year the fairly robust stream would be flowing behind this sign. This year the creek is almost dry.
ISO 1000, 120mm, f/4.0, 1/60 sec (amazing detail for ISO 1000)
The photographs of the “waterfall” from this location would be impossible in a normal year because I’m standing on the boulders right under where the normal waterfall cascade would be located.
ISO 400, 58mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec
If you inspect this photograph closely you can see the trickle of water coming over the precipice at the top of the waterfall.
ISO 400, 75mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec
I love the coloring of this water and the different directions the ice has formed on the surface.
ISO 100, 75mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec
The trail guides online report this as a 3.2 mile hike each way. I started a little late, was on the trail by about 11:20am and so thinking I may have a 2-3 hour hike ahead of me I went as quickly as I could. Because of my haste I arrived at the Burstarse Creek sign in just over an hour.
ISO 1000, 31mm, f/4.0, 1/125 sec
I was surprised when I saw the sign not expecting it for another half hour or so of hiking. Because of the amount of time it took me to reach the creek I don’t believe it is a full 3 miles to the creek.
ISO 400, 40mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec
From the trail sign you hike along the right side of the creek up to the falls. It isn’t an easy climb up the creek to the falls. It took me an additional 25 minutes or so to navigate this section.
Even though the waterfall was a bust this time, I still enjoyed the hike and getting out in nature to photograph! On my way back to Yreka I stopped off at the Castle Crags State Park to take some photographs from the view-point and then a quick stop at Lake Siskiyou for some Mt. Shasta photographs. I don’t want to include those shots in this post so I’ll include them in another post soon.
I hope you have enjoyed this hike description and waterfall adventure. 🙂
Here are all of the keepers from the waterfall hike.
