Bassi Falls (Upper)

This was the shortest hike that we have taken with the "Monday Hikers" group. The reason for the moderate rating was that about half the time was spent pushing our way through the brush up the side of the dome that overlooks the top of Bassi Falls.

The trailhead begins 1.7 miles up a dirt road off of Ice House Road. Look for the road to Millionaire Camp on the opposite side from Union Valley Reservoir.

After about a mile of following an almost discernible track to the top of the falls, we arrived at the edge of the bare granite slab.

Late in the summer, Bassi Fork doesn't have much water to spare for impressive falls. The up-side is that the slab isn't covered with water, which reveals all of the holes ground into the granite by smaller rocks trapped in depressions.

Near the edge of the slab are some of the more interesting sculptural shapes.

Most of the holes still have the grinding rocks resting at the bottom waiting for the next run-off before going back to work.

Although most of the holes are at least partially filled with water, a couple are dry, and what is there to do with them but jump in.

After wandering on the slab for a while, we decided to try bush-whacking up the side of an unnamed dome that sits over-looking the falls.

Wending our way up the side through the Manzanita, we kept hoping for a trail that never made itself apparent.

At the top, there are a few interesting formations that have been formed by weathering (or mystical incantations). The view was pretty spectacular as well, so our lunch fed both belly and eyes.

We didn't find an obvious trail from the top, so we headed back down in the general direction of the car. A few odd rocks seemed to have come to rest in some very precarious positions. Luckily going down is aided by gravity, so trudging through brush is a bit quicker.