EISPIRATEN

I'm still on my quest chasing waterfalls and mushrooms. So far waterfalls are flowing very nicely. However, the mushroom hunt has been scarce on my last two adventures.

On Wednesday, I met my hiking buddies at the trailhead.
It was short but hiking along the Gabrielino trail and the Arroyo Seco was very refreshing. There was lots of water flowing in the streams with multiple creek crossings.

Several ruins from the old resort days are still in place and the old wood-burning stoves are still intact at Switzer's camp.

Once we checked out the falls we climbed above it and explored further down the canyon. We found a huge waterfall where the canyon ends. It was spectacular with a huge pooI of water below it. However, before we could see it there was a huge downed tree that we had to carefully climb over.

To add, I read several reports on the actual name of this spectacular waterfall. Some call it Upper Switzer falls and/or Royal falls. There was also info that there are three falls beyond Switzer that aren't considered part of the original Switzers. Maybe someone can clear this up for me.

Anyways, we had the trail all to ourselves (which was very nice), until we headed back to our cars.




What's the name of the falls at the end of the canyon?

It's unclear to me where you were when you found the second waterfall. If you climbed above Switzer Falls, then you should have been traveling *up* the canyon, not down it. Were you heading upstream from Switzer Falls or downstream? Downstream, I believe, is Royal Gorge, but I've never been to it, so I don't recognize the waterfall. Upstream from Switzer Falls is the trail back to the parking, and I don't recall minor falls along the route.

Royal falls is in the middle of Royal Gorge, below Switzers. It's a short (<10ft) drop into a big pool. The walls on both sides are steep and rocky, so getting around is tricky. If you were looking at a fall from below, and it was easy to get around from above, then you weren't at Royal falls. From an old trip report, it looks like this:

Sean wrote: ↑It's unclear to me where you were when you found the second waterfall. If you climbed above Switzer Falls, then you should have been traveling *up* the canyon, not down it. Were you heading upstream from Switzer Falls or downstream? Downstream, I believe, is Royal Gorge, but I've never been to it, so I don't recognize the waterfall. Upstream from Switzer Falls is the trail back to the parking, and I don't recall minor falls along the route.

I was hiking beyond the top of Switzer falls. I followed the canyon until it ended and there was nowhere to go.

I think I read something where someone called it box canyon?

We obviously couldn't climb up.
Too technical for us.

dima wrote: ↑Royal falls is in the middle of Royal Gorge, below Switzers. It's a short (<10ft) drop into a big pool. The walls on both sides are steep and rocky, so getting around is tricky. If you were looking at a fall from below, and it was easy to get around from above, then you weren't at Royal falls. From an old trip report, it looks like this:

It was definitely more than ten feet tall. We could not climb around it or above it. It looked too technical. The picture above of the waterfall is too small.
I took a video of it. I'll see if I can attachment it so you get s better idea.

Here's the video. Sorry about the noise.

https://youtube.com/shorts/EfKgs57-TtQ?feature=share

Click on the picture

dima wrote: ↑Click on the picture

Yeah this was not it. The one we saw was higher. Plus we could walk around the pool at the bottom. Wish I took more pics.

dima wrote: ↑Click on the picture

I also noticed the rock in your picture looks smooth. If you look at the pic I posted with my friend standing next to it the rock is different. It looks rough

Yeah. Your photos also has a dark-colored vein in the rock that's missing in my photo.

Looking at my photo, maybe it was more than 10ft tall. I've only been there once, walking up from Oakwilde, leaving the Gabrielino to go into the Royal Gorge, and rejoining the trail below Switzers. Royal falls is in the middle of Royal Gorge, and it's the hardest obstacle. I don't recall anything else challenging in there, but it has been a while.

It's on the map: https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=34.2479 ... &z=16&b=om

Yeah I believe now it was Royal falls

I see. People are calling the smaller (lower) waterfall "Switzer," when the upper, taller one is actually Switzer Falls. I blame the internet. The smaller one is called "Not Switzer Falls." There, problem solved.