Rush Branch for an Evening Stroll

Sweet White Trillium 

Rush Branch for an Evening Stroll 

Dana Koogler

1/2 mile RT

Pictures are here starting with frame 611

Rush Branch Pix

    I decided after Michael left to go to the Easter Egg Hunt at Bethel Baptist that I wanted to get out of the house. It had been such a pretty day , and I spent most of it indoors cleaning and 

doing boring stuff.   It was warm out and a nice evening.  A smokey haze hung over everything. I could smell pine wood burning.   I decided despite the smoke I'd go over to the park and get in a short hike.  I had a feeling I could see a few early Spring wildflowers up Rush Branch.  

          I parked and grabbed my pack and up the manway I went.   We need rain so I was not sure what shape I would find the falls in.  The woods looked pretty bleak near the road so I was also not sure if I'd see any wildflowers either.  I figured the exercise would be good regardless. Short a hike as it is I also figured it wouldn't be too terrible if I didn't see anything.  

     

           I was not disappointed. I started seeing a few pretty Spring wildflowers on back the holler.   I saw bloodroot, hepatica, wind flower, sweet white violet, dogwood, long spurred violets, and sweet white trilliums.     

     

  Hiking back Rush Branch there is no trail, but it gets used enough that it is far easier than

back when I first began hiking back there.    It is still cool so the vegetation is not as bad.

The lower water levels made creek crossings very easy.  

     

 Looking up Rush Branch near the start of the hike.

 Sweet White Violet 

 Bloodroot 

 Wind Flower 

 Long Spurred Violets 

           

Trillium simile --Sweet White trillium is abundant up this manway. 

 Standing in front of Rush Branch Falls aka Believer Falls

Close up and from the other side of the stream.. Rush Branch Falls.

Bill Stowell named this Believer Falls after me! 

Below is a short video of the waterfall set to music for Easter.

Tamela Mann-- Speak Lord!