Frosty Burney by raygreenphotography

My first trip to the rodeo (Burney Falls). I refer to it as a rodeo because I took quite a little ride down the hillside on my backside. Thank goodness for my Loka back-pack that cushioned me pretty well on the slide down through icy rocks and moss. In my haste and enthusiasm (of course devoid of all common sense at that point even though I had done a bit of research and was amply warned of the hazards of the slippery rocks/slope) to get to the water level below the falls to try for a wide angle shot I forgot to factor in that it was only 18 degrees out when I arrived in the parking lot just before sunrise and the entire park/hillside was a total sheet of ice. Once I gracefully arrived at the bottom I found it pretty difficult to find a place to set up my tripod or to even stand or kneel comfortably because it was so slippery. When I did finally get set up there was so much frosty mist and spray that it was impossible to keep my lens dry enough to get a clean shot. After realizing my first plan just wasn't going to happen I decided I'd better retreat back up the hill to the main path. I pretty much had to crawl up the hill on my hands and knees (left my climbing rope in my car in the parking lot). Once I finally got back up to the main trail I was able to squeeze off a few frames though it was still very difficult to keep the lens dry (went through alot of micro fiber that morning! All in all Burney Falls is one of the most unique and impressive waterfalls in California. Much of the water that feeds Burney Falls comes from an underground Aquifer a short ways above the falls. As you can see in the photo the water also flows directly out of the cliff next to the main waterfall (also note the ice formations at the top of the main flow of the falls). I would highly recommend a stop over there next time you find yourself heading to Northern California...it is one amazing place...though you might have the good sense to go in the spring or fall! Thank you for viewing, voting and/or any constructive comments! Happy New Year to everyone! via 500px