"Mattie Falls"

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

About “Mattie Falls”

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

“Mattie Falls” is another waterfall that I unofficially named. Ordinarily, I’d disregard (or at least not give special treatment to) unknown and unnamed falls like this, but I made an exception in this instance because it was apparently responsible for flooding the Waterwheel Falls Trail.

So we have a few things to say about it.

Glen_Aulin_dayhike_009_05302004
‘Mattie Falls’

Apparently, when it flows, it inundates the Waterwheel Falls Trail in such a way that we either had to change shoes (which wasn’t an option the first time we did this hike) or figure out ways to cross logs and find edges of the flood region to try not to ruin backpacking boots.

Since my experience with this waterfall was limited to a two-week period on one particular dry year (at least dry enough to enable us to come to the high country around Memorial Day weekend), I can’t really say much more about its longevity other than no one else seemed to complain about it.

So that led me to believe that perhaps we cave early enough in the year where this waterfall caused trail issues and that later on in the Summer, the flooding (and quite possibly this waterfall) disappears.

As a result, I believe this waterfall was one of those good news/bad news types.

It was good news for waterfall viewing since it was yet another tall and decent waterfall when we saw it flowing.

However, it was bad news because of its tendency to flood the trail! By the way, that flooded section meant lots of standing water, and that meant heaps of mosquitoes as the Summer heat intensified!

Mattie_Falls_006_06052004
Another look at ‘Mattie Falls’ one week later when Mom and I did the Waterwheel Falls hike in a day

I gave the falls the name “Mattie Falls” because my topo map suggested that it was sourced by Lake Mattie along with some other unnamed body of water.

On the trail, we encountered this waterfall just after we passed another small unknown cascade but before we reached the start of California Falls nearly 2 miles from Glen Aulin.

Authorities

“Mattie Falls” resides in Yosemite National Park. For information or inquiries about the park as well as current conditions, visit the National Park Service website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: tuolumne, mariposa county, high country, yosemite, tioga, sierra, california, waterfall, glen aulin, waterwheel, tuolumne meadows, flood



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