It’s been more than a year since I last hiked in this area on the south bank of the American River in Folsom, and I had been meaning to come back long before this. Partly because it’s within walking distance of my house; and partly because I was very curious to locate a mysterious hole in the rocks I had spotted from the north bank back in January 2020. When I finally made it back to the spot, I just happened to pick the one morning with monsoonal moisture and clouds giving me the exact type of lighting I prefer.

Welcome to the jungle

These rock ledges mark one of my favorite spots on the trail

When I first noticed this hole from the north bank, the edges looked incredibly clean and sharp and the opening so dark I wondered if this was some forgotten entrance to the underworld. Up close, it’s still impressive and mysterious but much less eerie!

Above, rusted gate valves guarding the canal that led to Folsom’s Historic Powerhouse still stand below modern-day power lines, with arches of the Robbers Ravine Bridge in the background. The bridge forms part of the Johnny Cash Trail from Historic Folsom to Folsom Lake.