Lovers Leap

Lovers Leap is a prominence on Moody Ridge that overlooks the North Fork of the American River. I've often seen it from the east, standing at Iron Point and thereabouts, and yesterday I got a blocked view of it from the south at Giant Gap Ridge. Today I decided to stand atop it.

Residences are scattered about the privately owned land on Moody Ridge but the public can access Lovers Leap. The dirt road started getting rough some five hundred yards shy of Lovers Leap, so I parked my truck and walked the remainder of the way.

From the highest point (4139ft) of this tree covered ridge, a trail winds southward, until one reaches a final few steps down to a small ledge. On the south end of this ledge, overlooking the canyon, rises a stone outcrop some three feet high. At the sides of this ledge are...sheer drops. How far straight down, I don't know. I was by myself and I didn't want to make that final descent onto the ledge to find out more. Others have gone there, for their graffiti is carved into the rock. As for me, I preferred to stand back to take my photo.

The ledge - the North Fork can be seen
in the distance to the left of it

I turned around and walked uphill. At the top I proceeded east, down a trail that led to another overlook. This overlook was far more inviting than the first. Although it had its own rock outcrop with sheer drops beyond, there was more room to move about. So I stood there and pointed my camera east, and took photos of Iron Point, where I begin my hikes to Euchre Bar. The peaks of the Sierra in the distance were dusted with snow from the recent storm.

I left Lovers Leap and drove northeast about two miles, as the crow flies, to a point by the railroad tracks, to get a photo of Lovers Leap and Giant Gap.

 

While in the area, I stopped to look at the rocks where over countless centuries Nisenan women ground acorns into meal. The Nisenan camped here during the warm months and I'm sure they enjoyed the view of Giant Gap.