Looking Upriver
from the Scree Path below the Second Pool

After leaving the site of the former foot bridge, the trail upriver continues on a rocky path for about three minutes and thereafter becomes dirt/gravel again, but with significant rocky sections. Four minutes later, a footbridge passes over a side stream and after another three minutes, one arrives at the red, rocky scree path from which this photo was taken. The Second Pool is now close, another three minutes upriver.

The boulder-filled river here is very shallow and quite noisy as it barrels down the canyon it has carved. The mountains rise above it on both sides, creating a scene I find completely compelling in its wild beauty. On my June trip, I had turned around at the site of the former foot bridge, so this part of the July trip was the first time I had hiked this section of the trail. I was eager to see the Second Pool and the Third Pool and so rushed by it on the way there, but this spot caught my eye on the return part of the hike and I ended up taking a number of photos here, so pretty was it on this gorgeous day.