The weather has been really nice here, and I’m inspired to get outside more frequently. Also, I think I’m kinda bored. School/work keeps me really busy, and I really enjoy it, but I definitely don’t want my life to be so one-dimensional. So a couple of weekends ago, I decided to go on a hike somewhere pretty close by. Somehow, I came across this hike to Zim Zim Falls and it seemed perfect because it was only about an hour away, it was an easy 4ish-mile hike, and the drive there was scenic. Oh, and a waterfall!

Here are some pictures from the drive there.

Lake Berryessa

Putah Creek

This creek just flows right over the road.

To get to Zim Zim Falls, I had to cross Zim Zim Creek several times. My feet got wet, but I was prepared for that.

There are signs of hunters everywhere. I ran into a guy who told me that in a month, when turkey season opens, you’ll be hiking along and run into a guy with a gun slung over his shoulder. I’d be worried about getting shot, so I’m glad I made it up there when I did.

I made a wrong turn and ended up hiking straight up the side of a hill. In the picture below, you can see the creek running through a bald spot in the valley below (that’s where I was supposed to stay) and at the bottom of the picture, you can see the steep trail I was climbing. I climbed straight up for about an hour. I kept thinking that the falls must be just ahead. I thought that I could hear the water, but it was just the wind in the trees. (I know, for someone so smart…)

See how far away the valley floor is now (below)? Now I’m hiking along the top of this ridge.

There were lots of pretty flowers, and at this point, my mood was good enough that I stopped to take some pictures of them.

Then, I saw this:

Can you spot the waterfall? There’s a little white smudge against a dark circular patch of rock. Now, I was bummed. It’s way over on the other side of the valley. Nevertheless, I hiked all the way over there because I was going to eat my lunch at the base of the falls, dammit! I ate lunch at around 6pm.
I’ve gotta figure out how to turn these pictures around. Anyway, here we are at the base of the falls.
I’ve got to work on my self-portraiture skills, too.