A Brisk Walk in Stormy Weather: Switzer Falls

Switzer Falls:

This past Thursday I decided to celebrate my class being cancelled by taking another hike. I was planning on hiking Waterman Mountain but the forecast was predicting precipitation in the afternoon and at the altitude it would have been snow. Since I was hiking alone, once again, and didn't have to clothing to deal with snow I elected to hike Switzer Falls. Now I'm sure the trail is much more majestic than I'm going to give it and if it had been a different situation I might have loved this hike. Unfortunately  it started raining as soon as I started hiking and didn't stop until I was on the return from the falls. 

Unlike the San Gabriel Peak trail that I hiked last week, the trail head to Switzer Falls is nearly impossible to miss. You just take the Angeles Crest Highway from the 210 for about 20 minutes. When you see the Switzer Picnic area turn right down to the parking area. Once you park there is a bridge to cross and you have started the trail.

The trail can be misleading but it all heads in the right direction and just keep your eye out for where it is continuing. Hikers do have to cross across a creek. It is shallow and easy to cross. So easy that I crossed it without falling. I'm pretty proud of that. Hikers will have to do this several times before they reach the falls. Just take your time and look for the area with the most rocks to cross at.

Like I said before, it started to rain as soon as I got to the trail. The weatherman had said that it wouldn't rain until the afternoon. It wasn't raining too hard and there is a lot of tree coverage. So I thought I could handle it as long as it didn't get to heavy and hopefully it would stop raining until I could finish the trail. I was way off. The rain continued to get harder as I pressed on and was in a full on downpour when I was about halfway to the Falls. I do not know if it was stupidity or some unnecessary desire to finish the trail but I kept pressing on.

The first half of the trail is a gradual decline which was a nice contrast from the step switchbacks of San Gabriel Peak. After crossing the stream once again, you can see the trail switchback up an elevation. We are going up, over, and around the Falls. At this point you can actually hear the Falls below, though I didn't realize this until I was walking back. The rain was falling too hard for me to differentiate between the rain and the falls. This part of the trail gives you a gorgeous view of the mountains and the valley below. Luckily, the rain stopped just long enough for me to snap a picture.

Notice the storm clouds covering the tops of the mountains.

The trail descends into the valley almost as quickly as it ascends. At this point I was completely soaked and beginning to wonder if this was going to be worth it. I had to come to far to turn back now and I was determined to just finish the trail, go home, and take a warm shower. Take a left at the junction and resume hopping across the creek. After having to cross again and again, I finally yelled out "where is the freaking waterfall?" For a split second I thought I had made a wrong turn and should just turn back around and go home. I'm glad I did not because the water fall was literally just around the next bend.

I made my way up to the Fall, looked at it, and said "that's it? This is what I got poured on for?" The Falls were not awe-inspiring nor much of a reward for such hard work.

I stood there for a couple of minutes and then began my hike back. The return hike is a little more difficult because you are now going uphill. Still it is not very difficult other than the ascension back up, over, and around the falls. The rain gave me a break for most of the return until I heard thunder 20 minutes from the parking lot. I picked up the pace and saw lightening 5 minutes from the trail head. I had a Martin Luther moment and made it quickly back to my car. Once in my car, I checked my phone and confirmed what I already suspected. It was extremely water damaged. I was wet, cold, tired and now I had to get a new phone. It was not worth it.

Ok, I'll admit it. I choose a terrible time to go and my expectations might have been too high. I should not be blaming the trail for my bad time. I shouldn't have gone on a cold, rainy day in October. I was also unimpressed by the views that we see on the high trail. While they are beautiful, they are nothing compared to the views of the San Gabriel Peak trail. But this is a much easier trail and you get what you work for.

With all things considered, this trail is an easy hike for nearly anybody who can walk forward. The most challenging part is crossing the creeks and ascending onto the higher parts of the trail. This hike reminded me a lot of Eaton Canyon but with more vegetation and a much better view. If you are looking for a very simple hike that takes you into the forest without going too far then this hike is perfect. I have read that there are lots of beautiful plants during the spring. So try to go then if you can. And of course, with easy trails comes lots of people. It is not a bad trail, I just had a bad time. That is mainly my own fault.

On account of the rain I didn't take many photos. Here are the ones that I did take if you're interested. http://imgur.com/a/fIhtF