Waterfall in the Czech Republic

We had a few very warm days a couple of weeks ago, and here's where we spent one of them.  It made all the difference.

Satinský vodopady

Frozen Bečva River

This was the Bečva in mid January, when it froze solid enough that people cleared rectangular patches of snow and played ice hockey on it.

You can see the traces of a hockey rink here:

Vel'ká Fatra, Slovakia--Biking Gaderská Dolina

The Gaderská valley follows the most beautiful stream, a magical blue color that must be due to some mineral in the water (combined with the white rocks it runs over and the absolute clarity of the water).  I didn't get to enjoy the stream enough the day before on my fantastic hike, so I decided to rent a bike the second day and bike the paved bike path to Čertova Brána (The Devil's Gate), a narrow rock "gate" on a side valley.   

The Devil's Gate:

The pictures don't really capture the blue, but this one tries:

The bike rental shop was closed and I had to text them to open it just for me, then the bike they gave me had a pedal that kept coming loose, despite me tightening it three times, so I exchanged it basically on the honor system (the guy just left a couple of bikes out for me to choose).  In exchange for the trouble, he gave me the bike for the whole day.  

I wondered for a while if there was something wrong with it too, because it felt harder to pedal than it should, but once I turned around and started coming back, I realized why.  The gradient had been steeper than it looked.  I coasted entire sections of the return trip, sometimes too fast for my comfort.  Most of the rest only require a bit of gentle pedaling periodically.  Another fantastic day.  Since I had time, I also explored a bit of the (unpaved) Blatnická Dolina, where a bit of blue sky peeked out for a few minutes, and then walked around the pretty town of Blatnica. 

I highly recommend this area if ever you're in the Vel'ká Fatra.

Bike trip total:  20.9 km, 226 meters elevation gain (13 miles, 741 feet)

Waterfalls in the Jeseniky Mountains, Czech Republic

 In August, I stayed a few nights in Kouty nad Desnou, in the Jeseniky Mountains.  It was a little ski resort area, but in summer it's a hiking and biking paradise.  My first afternoon there, I thought I'd just take a little hike to a waterfall I found on the map--not even one of the two recommended on the tourist brochures and signs.  And this is what I found:

Then, the next day I hiked to Borový vodopad on the way to Praděd, Moravia's  highest mountain.  

The pictures really don't do these cascades justice, but here's an attempt:

A few more pics from the hike, including some of the local traditional woodcarving:

Cool bit of trail:

Very fun day.  It turned into about a 16-mile hike (25.7 km) with about 3400 feet total gain (1041 m).  Of course, that includes a long-cut when I got a little lost.  However, I took a longer route to Praděd than you have to (Kouty nad Desnou to Borový Vodopad, then up Divoký Důl, then the red and green trails back down to Kouty).  I think, overall, if your goal is Praděd, I would recommend my route from last time years ago:  take a bus to Červenohorské sedlo and then walk the red trail to Praděd (9.3 km / 5.8 miles).  It has some beautiful ridge sections with great views (and not as much elevation gain as my route).  When you're done, you can retrace your route or walk 3.6 km (2.2 miles) down to Ovčárna and catch a bus back to wherever you're staying (though plan ahead--depending on the time and where you're going, that might take almost as long as hiking back)

Grand Canyon Hermit Creek Backpacking Trip--Day 2

Hermit Creek and Tonto Trail exploration--October 18, 2024:

We had quite a thunder concert in the night, along with rain.  A beautiful sound when you're (mostly) safe and snug.  It was the first night I'd ever used my tent in the rain, and it did well.

In the morning, a foggy, slightly drizzling morning met me, gorgeous in its own mysterious, color-deepening way:

I lazily ate breakfast and invited my neighbors from last night to shelter in my alcove while they did the last of their packing and snacking.  By the time I was ready to go exploring, the rain drizzle had stopped, but a few delightful sights like this met me as I headed west on the Tonto Trail.

Then things started clearing up and I got views like this:

I only went about 2.5 or 3 miles before I turned around and sat at the best viewpoint, overlooking Hermit Rapid (pictured above) and ate lunch.  

When I got back to camp, a new set of neighbors had arrived.  Two older women backpacking together on a seven-night trip:  down the Bright Angel and across the Tonto to Cedar Springs, then a night at Granite Rapids, two nights here, two nights at Boucher, one night halfway up the Boucher trail.  They amaze me.  I chatted a lot with one of the women, who has been on even longer trips here, solo.  She's my new hero. 

In the afternoon I headed upstream along Hermit Creek, which both sets of neighboring campers had recommended because it was so pretty. I found a gorgeous little cascade and thought, "This must be what they were talking about."

But they just kept coming--one little waterfall after another.  It was incredibly beautiful.

Again, I was thankful for my water shoes that let me explore with so much ease.

Besides the two women in camp with me, I saw absolutely no one else the entire day.  Which is amazing for a place as popular as this.  I'm even more convinced that the bad forecasts contributed to the emptiness here.  I feel bad for those who must have cancelled...but selfishly happy for me.  It felt like I had the canyon almost entirely to myself.  

It was a beautiful, beautiful day.  

For my report on Day 1, click here:  https://www.melindabrasher.com/2024/12/grand-canyon-hermit-creek-backpacking.html

Day 3:  https://www.melindabrasher.com/2025/01/grand-canyon-hermit-creek-backpacking_0426813773.html

Horton Springs Trail (Again)

From the Horton Springs Trail, one of my favorite trails because...CREEK!

Trailhead:  Upper Tonto Creek Campground, near Kohl's Ranch, between Payson and Willow Springs lake.  At the turnoff, head north.  Parking's available at the Derrick Trailhead or just past Upper Tonto Creek Campground (to the left across the tiny bridge).  

Horton Springs Trail, Arizona

Earlier in June I took the beautiful Horton Springs Trail from near Kohl's Ranch, Arizona, just below the Mogollon Rim.  I'd done it before, and loved it, but this time I was training for Mt Humphreys, so I went all the way up the Rim and back down, making a loop with the Highline and Derrick trails.

Horton Creek

My trip stats:

Total distance (including my meandering, exploring, and getting lost):  17.1 km / 10.6 miles

Total elevation gain:  1086 meters / 3563 feet

Highest elevation:  2413 meters /  7917 feet above sea level

Difficulty:  Mostly easy to Horton Springs, with a bit of a climb toward the end and a bit of rock scrambling if you explore the creek.  Past Horton Springs, the trail is steep, exposed to the sun, and sometimes difficult to follow.  Having reliable GPS with an offline map is a good idea.  At minimum, carry a good paper topo map and don't stray far from one cairn until you can see the next.  Because of the lay of the land, you probably won't get dangerously lost (unless it's hot and you don't have enough water), but you might make things long, prickly, and unpleasant for yourself.  

Pictures don't really capture the panoramic views from the trail above Horton Springs

If you just go to Horton Springs and back:

Total distance: About 11.2 km / 7 miles  (but add some distance, time, and elevation for exploring the creek and the unofficial trails along it).  If you only want to go partway, it's a great hike for that.  You start seeing the creek after about 10-15 minutes on the trail, though the really pretty stuff begins at more like 20-30 minutes in.    

Total elevation gain:  384 meters / 1260 feet

Highest elevation:  2068 meters / 6785 feet above sea level

I saw lots of these beauties flowering this trip.  Not sure what they are. Claret cup?  

Trailhead:

At Upper Tonto Creek Campground, near Kohl's Ranch, which is northeast of Payson on highway 260..  Your turnoff heads north of the highway, and also leads to Tonto Creek Hatchery and Lower Tonto campground.  Parking is available at the Derrick trailhead or past the Upper Tonto Creek Campground (across the little bridge).