|
Whinnimic Falls is clearly the show-stealing waterfall in the fairyland basin below Lemah Mountain, but this waterfall, streaming off the northern of the small Lemah Glaciers, is just as worthy of attention. The falls jump down a portion of the mountainside where the valley walls are constricted to only a few hundred feet apart, which makes seeing the upper parts of the waterfall difficult, but I've estimated the falls to stand around 200 feet tall in three steps, with the final 100 foot drop being plainly visible. Because the larger of the two small glaciers feeds this stream, the falls should have more volume than nearby Whinnimic Falls well into the late summer, but both will be equally more impressive in the late spring.
- Upper Lemah Valley Falls is the Unofficial name of this waterfall.
Considering that Whinnimic Falls was named, I'm a little surprised this waterfall didn't recieve the same honor (or if it did, it hasn't been published anywhere).
Upper Lemah Basin Falls is accessed from the Lemah Basin route, starting from the Pacific Crest Trail's crossing of Lemah Creek. The shortest route to the falls is 7 ¼ miles via the Pete Lake trail. Stay on the north side of the creek for the whole climb. After an initial brushy stretch, the route follows exposed granite slabs uphill towards Point 3584 where the falls will be first visible. Closer views are achieved by hiking across the meadows and up the sometimes-dry streambed toward the gully below Lemah Mountain at the back of the valley.
|
