Break 2-Day 13 A JimJim Swim

We all rose early at 6 am to head out for a full day hike up to the falls. The team did quite well with breakfast and clean up organization and by 7am we were on the very bumpy drive into the falls for the physical exertion day.

This tour is actually geared for 18-35 year olds but only 1 of our family falls in that range! But Mike and I are young at heart and our bodies are holding out well enough to do the climbs, and Kyle is certainly fit enough to handle the load. Our hike was quite lengthy taking us not only to JimJim Falls, but up and over it also. Most people hike to the bottom pool for a swim and we left Alexi behind to do that on her own since she has bad knees. The rest of us were headed to the top pool for our swim along the road less travelled.

It was a wonderful day with a tough climb for about 3 hours. But it was enjoyable all the way. We climbed all the way up to the top with many spectacular views on the way. Our group photo at right was take just prior to the big loss of the day. We lost Steves hat – the wind was whipped up. He tried several rescue missions for the rest of the day as we passed the area where it went down, and although he finally spotted it in a tree, he could not reach the ledge where it sat. It had been with him a long time and we all grieved for him!

We hiked to the very top, then went back down one ‘step’ of pools for lunch and a swim. Steve introduced us to several edible trees and flowers along with info on some insects.

The hike was in some ways similar to the Kings Canyon trip in ‘89 although a tougher climb I think. We were in small organized groups in areas of immense beauty and seclusion. Both were hikes you could not have done without a guide and were on trails not modified for humans. Kings Canyon has certainly changed to make the hike more accessible, and It will be interesting to see if JimJim can stay as remote as it is now.

At one area near the summit - as seen at the left here, Steve took us along a rocky ledge right next to the water fall. We all laid down on our stomachs then crawled to the very edge and looked over. At right is one of the shots from this angle so that you can appreciate the view.

Again this area must be incredible in the wet. Much of what we hiked would be up over our heads in water and the power would be awe inspiring.

The swimming at the top was amazing - we swam in the pool photoed at left here. We saw no one on the entire long walk, and we had our own private paradise. One of the most memorable things on this trip will be the swimming at waterfalls. Each one has been a place of great beauty and tranquility. It is hard to imagine a more perfect place to be.

After lunch we retraced our steps back down JimJim Falls and headed for one last stop of the day.

While JimJim Falls has been opened for swimming by the aboriginals, Twin falls remains off limits for swimming. The two falls are the homes of two sisters. The one at JimJim is active and sort of an extrovert, and so the aboriginals were comfortable allowing swimming there. The spirit at Twin Falls is much calmer and reflective. So swimming is not allowed there. To access Twin Falls you first must hike in a short ways then take boat, then do another short hike out. This area is again quite commonly accessed by saltwater crocodiles and there are traps around. They had caught one here just a few days earlier. When we reached the base of the waterfall, the crocodile trap there was tripped. It is not likely that it was tripped by a croc since it would have been caught. But none the less we stayed well back from the waters edge - this is about as close as we got!

Back at camp once we were all fed, it was hard for any of us to stay awake. The whole group had sauntered to bed by about 9:30 - and us oldies were not the first to crash!