Lost Creek Falls and Big Bottom WMA

Seven Sisters Rose growing at an old homesite Big Bottom trail 

Lost Creek Falls and Big Bottom WMA

Kenny, Dana & Gabriel Koogler

Friday May 25, 2018

Ewwwww! Boogers!   Gabe  being silly trying to gross out Papaw

  We were leaving on vacation for a week on Sunday May 27th.  Adam, Crystal and our
other grandkids had already left ahead of us.   We planned to meet them down there at the rental
condo when we arrived.   We wanted to get out with Gabriel to take him four wheeling. He'd been
asking and it is hard to say no to him especially when we enjoy it almost as much as he does.
We planned to take him where we could see plenty in a short day.   He is still a baby and gets
tired much quicker than we do.   He also fights Kenny and wants to be allowed to actually drive.
He lets him pretend, but of course cannot really drive yet.

    We headed over to White County to see Lost Creek and from there on to Big Bottom WMA.
We figured the falls, the cave, a ride and maybe if we felt froggy a shortened hike to Virgin Falls.
We started off by forgetting the baby carrier backpack.   That left out Virgin Falls as an option.
We also wanted to see Dog Cove or part of it once we found out it was a new state natural area.
We arrived and got parked and unloaded down at the curve. We backtracked with the RZR and headed up to Lost Creek to see the falls. 

    We parked the RZR and took the short walk down the trail to the falls.  I carried Gabriel part of the way in my arms because of the uneven terrain.   I will never forget the look on his face when he caught the first glimpse of that waterfall! He was grinning ear to ear.   He made some kind of exclamation "waterfall"! as we approached.  We spent some time just letting him enjoy the sight and
sounds of the falls and play in the water. 

Gabe and Papaw driving the RZR Brrrrrrmmmin! 

 Beautiful Lost Creek Falls 

 Gabriel taking it all in. 

 Gabe running around playing in the rocks. 

Cheese!  Cute boy! 

Papaw and Gabriel heading back now. 

Above: Indian Pinks growing along the Caney Fork River bottoms

   We loaded back up and headed toward the river.  We only saw one other person today. It was a lady driving her pickup along the old road looking for drift wood.    The Caney Fork was pretty, but the Summertime kind of pretty round here. It is down to holes of water. Very fishy smelling in places. 

We did not see a lot of wildflowers, but a few indian pinks and old Seven Sisters Roses blooming where home sites used to be.  

 The trail is a rocky draw between banks of dirt.  Sometimes these are flooded when the river is high.

Old roses at a former home site.

    We pulled over across the river ford and ate lunch. We played in the creek.   We loaded up and headed on toward Davis Cemetery.    The trail was extremely muddy and rutted out. I was surprised how long the trail between Davis Cemetery and the Fork Hole Ford was.  I do that. Edit things out in my mind to make them shorter.  We were going along when I startled and pointed. A good sized

sink hole had caved in right dead center of the trail.   We went round it. On the way back I dared get close enough to look in. It was about three feet deep. The problem with new sinkholes is that you don't know what else they may do.  I did not get close enough to risk getting sucked up by the earth.

 above and below.. a look at the newly formed sink hole

   We sat looking at the Caney Fork which was running really well up at this end of the river.  

It began to thunder and rain.     We sat there listening to it rain and watching it fall on the river.

I noticed Gabe's eyes getting heavy.   We both realized we were trying to cram too much into the day.

He keeps saying go go go, but his little body gets tired and wears out.    We turned around and headed back.  I knew by the time we got back to the truck. loaded up, and then drove home... he'd be worn out.     I hoped he'd take nap in the truck.    I was not absolutely sure he was having that great a time.

He liked the falls, but the riding part of the day seemed more boring for him.

 Above and below.. rain on the Caney Fork River

       Back at the truck he got up in the drivers seat while I helped Kenny load up the RZR and secure it.  I would dry Gabe's diaper before we left also.  While we worked I could hear him singing through the open truck window. He was making up a song about all the things we'd done today.  Brmmm!  and River and wheels and mud and all kinda sound effects. I was tickled to death to hear it. 

He really WAS having fun the whole time. He just wasn't showing it.   We wrapped the day up

at just the right length of trip for him.  We never want to ruin the experience for him or sour him on it by dragging it out too long.

Below is a short video of the rain falling on the river.