by Rob Samuelsen
At Catalina Highway milepost 9.1, there is a scenic viewpoint. During dry seasons, it looks like nothing more than a crack in the cliff, but during wet seasons, this crack fills with rushing water, creating a wonderful series of tall waterfalls — “Seven Cataracts” if you count carefully!
These cataracts can be traversed by trained canyoneers using specialized rope and gear. Each waterfall has steel anchors strategically placed to assist rappelers with their descent. Getting to the first drop is a gnarly scramble from Windy Point into Willow Creek before it flows over these seven precipices – all of which have their own character.
The first rappel is really two drops, one about 70 feet and the second 30 feet with an inconvenient landing pool in between. With long ropes, it can be traversed as one. On one occasion, I descended carefully until I slipped on a jammed log causing me to land awkwardly in two feet of water – on my posterior! After wiping off the embarrassment from myself, I launched myself over the remaining slot to a large sandy basin below.
The second cliff is a 110 foot narrow, dark undercut covered with slippery moss, treacherous rock, and perennial drips. The bolted takeoff requires an eight foot heart-throbbing untethered leap, but I anchored to a nearby tree simply to reduce the scariness. This waterfall tries to throw people off balance right into the main water flow, but by keeping a wide posture and good control, it’s navigable all the way to the undercut. This cliff is as beautiful and exhilarating as they come! Once, a member of my party slipped into a headfirst upside down descent resulting in a barrage of unprintable vocabulary before I coaxed him down via belay. It took him 15 minutes to gather his wits before hooking up for the third consecutive 100 footer.
Unlike the narrow and sheer number two, cascade three is an easier broad slope. It’s a nice reprieve from the first two. I had to assist another person down this section with a side by side dual rappel because he was so traumatized by number two.
The fourth rappel is 110 feet down a narrow sluice landing in a deep, carved out pool (called a pothole)! From the road, this waterfall is the most visible and seemingly benign. In reality, it’s perpetually slippery and you have to swim out at the bottom. On a hot day, the pool is a welcome treat. In the winter, you’d need a wetsuit!
Seven Cataracts is really four big ones. Each time I’ve gone, I’ve finished by hiking out a social trail to Bear Canyon. From there, a hiker can scramble straight up the canyon slope to the overlook parking lot, hike upstream to easier exits, or downstream to Sycamore reservoir and the established trail system. Either Bear Canyon route adds a significant amount of time, so I prefer the lung buster straight up the talus slope. This is an all day trip and not for the weak-hearted but it’s spectacular!
