Wed, Sep 23 2009 - Weekday dayhike - Panther Creek Falls (+five other waterfalls) (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Tony C Participants: Tony C, Larry Cooper, Mike Sci, Rachel Gibson

We had an adventurous day today....only made it to three out of the five waterfalls, but still had a great time.  Because of a chance of rain, we headed to Panther Creek Falls first...hiked down the 3.5 miles and was glad to see the water levels were so high.   The trail had been re-routed along a couple of the best parts of the route (bonus little waterfall and climb up between those rocks), but it was easy to just follow the old trail and not miss out, which is what we did.

We spent a long time at the falls, doing some relaxing and swimming...the skies cleared up and it was a beautiful day.   We decided to explore a side trail just west of the falls and that took us up about a mile to a gravel road where we talked to a forest ranger and another gentleman talking to him.  This person knew Rachel and offered to give us all a ride back to the trailhead.  So that saved us 4 1/2 miles and gave us more time to enjoy the other falls coming up.

We headed to Minnehaha Falls down a gravel road that Rachel knew about.  She lives in the area and was an expert on this road and the falls.  She tooks us up and around and all over the waterfall...didn't know that one could do this and that it wouldn't be slippery.  

There was one guy there who was making a swing that went out over part of the falls...just a crude contraption with some netting and sticks to hold it together.  We had no idea what he was doing at first, but then he got in it and it worked...didn't seem very stable though.

After Minnehaha, Rachel had some car trouble and we hung out until that could be taken care of.  But it had a happy ending and we headed to Bad Branch Falls to end the day...nice little waterfall just a 5 min walk from he road.   Pics will hopefully be posted soon.  The waterfalls were all very full after the recent rains but not crazy full like they probably were the previous day.   Still a great time and nothing like seeing a waterfall on a pretty day.