Potem Falls & Hatchet Creek Falls
Aug. 26th, 2019 11:59 pm
( Click here for the full trip report with pictures and videos )
Anyway, in summary, I actually ended up liking Hatchet Creek Falls a little better than Potem Falls from a swimming hole standpoint. Potem Falls was a fairly tall waterfall compared to some of the other waterfalls we have seen at California swimming holes, and the water was clear and blue, but the novelty of that has worn off for me at this point, and I just sort of expect it in California. The water was too cold for an actual swim to be enjoyable, but the temperature was sufficient for a quick depth-scoping and a few jumps with a quick exiting of the pool, except that there wasn’t really anything noteworthy to jump from (except the cliffs along the top of the waterfall, which I won’t do). There was the rope swing, but I wasn’t sure if I could swing out far enough to clear the rocks. Hatchet Falls was another cold one, but it at least had cliff jumping opportunities and a log to climb on and jump from. Ease of access from the main road made it a little too popular, though. It was a little crowded, even on a Monday. Still, Hatchet Creek Falls saved today from being a waste of time, for me at least. I would say that both Potem and Hatchet Creek Falls are decent local swimming holes, but not really worthy of national attention.