Only a short distance below Switzer's Falls in the Arroyo Seco lies Royal Gorge. Accessed by boulder-hopping predominantly southwest from the junction of the Arroyo with Bear Canyon, the canyon offers the adventurous hiker with surprisingly varied and unspoiled terrain, considering the heavy use of many areas only a few miles distant.
Shortly after we departed from the maintained trail at the Bear Canyon junction, we encountered a series of rocks covered with what appeared, at first glance, to be a strange, red, rough moss. A closer inspection revelead otherwise.
A rock covered by thousands of ladybugs.
After a good deal more wading and scrambling in the gorge, we encountered the spectacular Royal Pool. Jerry Schad, author of the book Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles County , writes
"Fed by water that slides about 8 feet down a 45 [degree] incline, then 10 feet more almost vertically, the rock-bound pool measures about 50 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 10 feet deep at the middle".
He then continues,
"It is possible to approach the upper lip of the falls..., but there's no safe way to descend from here -- even by sliding over the precipice into the pool. A small rock ledge juts from the base of the falls near the pool's surface. Anyone using the falls as a water slide would probably experience a very hard (possibly lethal) landing."
Perhaps it would have been helpful to have read this passage of the book before we embarked on this hike.
Brent Kious slides over the falls into the Royal Pool.
"Tell my Mom I said I'm sorry I'm such a [screwup]".
-- Brent Kious, immediately before sliding over the falls.
Schad then continues,
" Don't try climbing around the falls to reach the upper gorge. The south wall may look `do-able', but it consists of horrendously loose ... rock".
Brent climbs back up the rock using a piece of webbing. Mark awaits below.
Lucky to be alive (he he he), we continued onward from the pool. A little more boulder hopping, and we reached the maintained trail that would take us out of the gorge and back to the car. Just a few yards up this trail, a stream feeding into the gorge falls about ten feet into a pool of water perched atop a thirty foot fall down into the Arroyo. We stopped here to enjoy what felt a lot like a natural hot tub.
Tobin alongside and Mark in the pool. The Arroyo, thirty feet below, lies over Tobin's shoulder.
Dodging poison oak proved the only remaining obstacle, as we safely returned to the car in time for an afternoon BBQ.