Black Star Falls

I have driven past Black Star Canyon Road many times.  I have even parked on Black Star Canyon Road to carpool into Silverado Canyon.  I have heard of the haunted legends, but I have never ventured into Black Star Canyon. 

First a little about the legends:  William Wolfskill and the entire Indian village he massacred roam the canyon.  There's claims of Indians riding on horseback, rabbits that don't die and other "ghostly" happenings.  People say that the Klu Klux Klan meet in the canyon, and also that witches hold ceremonies there as well (What would happen if the witches stumbled upon the KKK, I wonder?)

I did not see any of these things (though I did have that sensation first entering the trail, where it seems like there's a shadow of someone out of the corner of my eyes -- this happens frequently with me and others as well, so perhaps you know what I mean.) And so I digress . . .

It was a group of five of us today (Me, my husband, Dave, and three locals, Jeff, Sam and Chay). Our destination, "The Falls." (Another side note: Today was the scheduled day for the second Great Silverado Footrace. After its cancellation, the race director, Chay, organized this hike).

We took the main road for a mile or so, then cut down to the stream, then hiked up, passing several smaller "falls" along the way. We climbed over giant boulders, played with newts, tramped through poisin oak (oh no!). The weather was perfect, the hike tricky. I fell while climbing a boulder once, but really lucked out landing on my feet (my only damage is a scrape and bruise on my arm from sliding down the rock face when I fell). And then finally after about two hours of hiking, we came upon the lovely falls. Breathtaking.

Abandoned school bus rolled off the road

The stream was literally full of these little guys.  Often we'd see a ball of newts beneath the water -- several of them entangled around each other) 


Ball of Newts


Which way to go???  Up over the boulder, or through that mass of poisin oak on the left or that mass of poisin oak on the right? : )




Not "The Falls," but one of many little ones along the way

More Falls

I think that I'm going to go sit on that ledge, but it's too slippery to get up on

Sam leads the way


Our destination -- notice how the water falls from the top, then flows through hole in the rock to spill out bottom left of photo

Father & Son


Looking for a way to climb up (too risky in the end)


Me, Dave, Sam, Jeff & Chay

Heading back