First Trip in The Hidden Waterfalls

Interestingly, it was a hot summer day. I had just finished my morning coffee when my best hunting buddy called me. He suggested organizing a scouting trip to a site about an hour and a half’s drive from my place. I couldn’t disregard the invitation, so we arranged to make the trip the following morning. As a result, I could hardly wait for the time to pass.

The next morning, I woke up early, at 06:00. Our rendezvous point was my friend’s house, about twenty minutes ride from my place. I prepared my haversack with all the necessary items that I always carry for short trips, along with an old-school backpack. In the backpack, I put a beach towel, a pair of flip-flops, my swimwear, and the motorcycle documents, all safely stored in a zip-lock bag.

The haversack is always ready to go, just like my backpack. I only need to add water and food, plus whichever knife I would like to have with me that day. For this particular trip, I picked up my Woods Monkey Banana friction folder. I had written a review about it in a previous article .https://www.scrambleroutdoors.com/review-frost-river-grand-marais-mail-bag/ The only modification I had made to the folder was changing the scales to 1/8-inch-thick ones, which made it more comfortable for pocket carry. You can read my review of the Woodsmonkey folder here https://www.scrambleroutdoors.com/knife-review-woodsmonkey-friction-folder/

I opened the front door and headed off to the garage. Helmet and gloves on, I turned the key, started the bike, and set off for my first stop. I stopped at a local bakery and picked up some fresh honey-and-walnut bars and cookies for snacks.

Next stop: my friend’s house

Took the exit for the old highway, and the small motorcycle was happy cruising along the road. It was a very pleasant ride, with very little traffic. About twenty minutes later, I arrived at his place.

I parked the bike and my friend came out. We loaded our stuff onto his small 4×4 and made one final stop to pick up some coffee for the road.

We headed east, and after about fifteen minutes, we started climbing the road toward the first village. The road was narrow and twisty, but the view was amazing. The sun was beginning to rise, and the mountains ahead were painted in shades of orange and gold.

When we reached the outskirts of the first village, we looked down toward the south and could see the sea stretching deep into the horizon.

What a spectacular view!

Reaching the Bottom of the Canyon

After a while, the road began descending, and we headed toward the bottom of the canyon. At several points, we could see the river below, following its own winding path. We passed the last village, and the descent became steeper.

Thirty minutes later, we reached the end of the road, where an alley provided a place to park the vehicle. The river was right in front of us. We got out, unloaded our gear, and prepared for the hike.

We crossed an old bridge that looked like some kind of World War II military-style construction and found the beginning of the trail. We took it head-on, following the river deeper into the canyon.

About twenty minutes into the hike, I heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfall.

We followed the sound, passing a large walnut tree, and soon reached a beautiful waterfall. At its base, the falling water had created a small pool, about waist-deep. A log had been placed between two rocks, creating a natural bench.

What a perfect place to wake up in the morning and have a cold shower to start the day!

We looked at each other and immediately agreed that we should definitely camp there sometime soon.

Continued along the path, with the river on our left, and soon stumbled upon wild boar tracks.

That place was heaven!

After a while, we came across an opening where we could see another waterfall on the opposite side of the river. We put our bags down and changed into our swimwear.

It was time to get in the water.

I jumped in first. The water was cold, but incredibly refreshing. After the heat of the summer and the hike through the canyon, it felt absolutely perfect.

We swam for about an hour. When the sun climbed over the ridge and began warming the canyon, we came out of the water and sat down to dry.

We made some instant coffee and shared the snacks I had brought with me. Sitting on a rock beside the river, with the sound of running water all around us, we naturally started having those philosophical thoughts about life, nature, and ourselves that seem to come so easily in places like this.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how small we are compared with the wonders of nature.

Moments like that have a way of putting things into perspective.

Eventually, we changed back into our dry clothes and headed toward the car. Unfortunately, I had to be at work in the afternoon, so we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked. Still, I carried something much better than a souvenir with me on the way home: some amazing pictures and memories in my mind.

Final Thoughts

We will definitely return to this place.

Maybe next time I will try to make the ride with my 125cc motorcycle. I do have one concern, though. The ride down into the canyon was one thing, but climbing back out might push its little engine a little too hard.

Only one way to find out.