Stiff Gentian is one of the late Fall wildflowers
Autumn Camping Trip--Finishing my CMC Waterfall 100
Dana & Kenny Koogler
Wally Storey
Nov. 9 -11, 2018
Pictures are here beginning with frame 75
South Carolina Waterfalls
South Carolina Waterfalls
I was determined to finish my Carolina Mountain Club Waterfall 100 Challenge this year.
We usually take a Fall camping trip so I planned to get up with friend Wally Storey and finish my hikes. Kenny and I were celebrating our 34th Wedding Anniversary Nov. 10th also. That is pretty good.... finish my waterfall list and celebrate 34 years of marriage at once. Getting to spend time with a buddy was also great. We were planning to have a celebratory dinner at Scoggin's Steak House in Rutherfordton. It all went to plan. The only part that was a bit rough was that on Saturday
we had rain for our hike to Confusion Falls. A seven mile plus hike on a rainy day doesn't sound too fun, but it turned out to be fun despite the weather. One thing for sure... when you wear rain gear you are going to be wet one way or another. If you wear the gear to keep the rain off and exert yourself you will still get wet under your rain gear from perspiration.
We stayed at a campground just the other side of Chimney Rock. We arrived Friday evening and
set up. It was a nice quiet place. We had time to drive back to Hickory and hike Bear Wallow Mountain Fire Tower. I wanted to knock that off my lookout tower list while in the vicinity. It was an easy hike and we enjoyed it. 
Above: Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Tower on an overcast evening.
Below: the view toward the South off the mountain bald
below: the summit had a couple odd structures. This one looks like a sardine can.
Below: I named this the Tree of Woe. Remember the original Conan the Barbarian movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Thulsa Doom ties him out in the desert to die with the words "Contemplate this on the Tree of Woe". We had a laugh over that.
The hike was pleasant, easy enough, and we made it out to the vehicle just as it got dark.
We hiked the access road up and back down the actual trail on the return trip. I was pleased to complete one of the last remaining ten lookout towers on my challenge list. It was nice, but it won't ever be a favorite. The neatest thing on the way back was seeing a gothic looking house through the trees. It appears like an abandoned old house, but it is occupied. Apparently it is either refurbished and occupied or new construction. Very odd these days to see a house with a steeply pitched slate roof!
The plan for the next day was to hike to meet our friend Wally Storey and hike to Moonshine and Confusion Falls at Asbury Hills Methodist Retreat. We timed this visit to coincide with the open access dates for hikers, but also you have to notify them if it is on a weekend so you have a gate code. The weather forecast was a gloomy one calling for cold and rainy almost all day. We were determined to go no matter what. We met Wally in the morning and we all donned our rain gear and set out after brief greetings. He had been before which was helpful. These falls are not on official camp trails and require some way finding skill. I had done a fair amount of studying up on the route, but it is not a hike I'd have attempted solo. We were so glad to get to spend some time with Wally and catch up on the news it really made the day go by fast. The scenery and trails at the Methodist camp are outstanding. I would definitely like a chance to return and do more hiking there. I knew there were other falls along the way, but none of us felt like tackling the side trips to those with the rain coming down as it was.
The Autumn colors were real pretty in the forest. Though the signs were pretty clear, I can see how someone could get lost trying to go to these falls. There are a couple points on that ridge where you might think it was the spot to head down! We found Moonshine Falls with no real trouble. It was every bit as pretty as I'd imagined and more. It had a lot of water coming over of course thanks to the rain. Matthews Creek crossing on the cable was not bad and I was mighty glad we did not have to ford the stream without it! Coming back over was a little trickier and we could tell the stream level had risen a fair amount.
We found the trek past Moonshine Falls to see Confusion Falls was shorter than we'd thought it would be. It was well worth the extra few tenths of a mile to see the two falls below Moonshine.
Moonshine Falls
Confusion Falls twin cascades
An un-named falls between Moonshine Falls and Confusion Falls.
Kenny says there are a couple other nice falls below these. Any return trips and we'll go see them and photograph them all provided it is not raining cats and dogs.
The hike back was relaxed and uneventful. We got back to the vehicles just in time for the rain to stop! A camp worker who was a guide came by the vehicles to congratulate us on being so hard core! He shared lots of interesting stories of things he had encountered on the grounds. He asked if we saw any bears? We informed him we had not. According to him it is a wonder since they seemed to be plentiful. We made plans to meet Wally the next day to finish my last hike and to hit up one he needed on his list.
Saturday morning dawned much prettier. We met Wally in Rutherfordton at Scoggins and carpooled from there. We headed out to hike to Pot Rock Falls in South Mountains Gamelands first. We figured we'd hit that up first and then complete my last one.. High Shoals Falls. That area is always a pleasure to go hiking. It is mountains away from the mountains. The country is pastoral and very pretty. We encountered some hunters at South Mountains Game Lands who were very cordial. We completed our hike to Pot Rock Falls and it was easy. The morning was sunny, temperatures perfect and the Fall colors were very nice. Pot Rock Falls is a smaller, but scenic falls that gets its name from the scooped out form of the rocks thanks to water flowing over them.
Pot Rock Falls
Upper cascade at Pot Rock Falls
Sun peeping through the forest canopy.
Pretty streams and trails in South Mountains Game Lands
We headed next to South Mountain State Park to finish my final waterfall hike. I was with Wally when he completed his list and it was great to be with my buddy to finish this myself! It has been a worthwhile pursuit. I like challenge lists.
South Mountains State Park will easily be a favorite of mine. It is such a pretty place with gorgeous scenery and Autumn colors. I expect it would be pretty ANY season. It was like a post card in its perfection. It is a busy place with lots of fellow hikers, but the atmosphere was very happy and relaxed. The hike to High Shoals Falls can be done as a loop and that is how we hiked it.
Clockwise loop for us. There is something to see the entire way to the falls and beyond. The scenery on the downhill portion of the loop is not as spectacular, but it was all nice. It was not too hard at all.
Below : High Shoals Falls.. I am done!
Above and below: Fiery Fall colors along Jacobs Fork Creek
We had a great day and we carpooled back to Rutherfordton. We planned to have a celebratory dinner there for our anniversary and completing my list. Wally had to get going so he did not join us. We had a great meal and headed back to the camper tired and happy.
Sunday we slept in and headed back toward Asheville. We stopped and went shopping on the way home. It was a really nice weekend. A goal completed at last. Much needed change of pace.
Below a video of Moonshine and Confusion Falls
Above: Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Tower on an overcast evening.
Below: the view toward the South off the mountain bald
below: the summit had a couple odd structures. This one looks like a sardine can.
Below: I named this the Tree of Woe. Remember the original Conan the Barbarian movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? Thulsa Doom ties him out in the desert to die with the words "Contemplate this on the Tree of Woe". We had a laugh over that.
The hike was pleasant, easy enough, and we made it out to the vehicle just as it got dark.
We hiked the access road up and back down the actual trail on the return trip. I was pleased to complete one of the last remaining ten lookout towers on my challenge list. It was nice, but it won't ever be a favorite. The neatest thing on the way back was seeing a gothic looking house through the trees. It appears like an abandoned old house, but it is occupied. Apparently it is either refurbished and occupied or new construction. Very odd these days to see a house with a steeply pitched slate roof!
The plan for the next day was to hike to meet our friend Wally Storey and hike to Moonshine and Confusion Falls at Asbury Hills Methodist Retreat. We timed this visit to coincide with the open access dates for hikers, but also you have to notify them if it is on a weekend so you have a gate code. The weather forecast was a gloomy one calling for cold and rainy almost all day. We were determined to go no matter what. We met Wally in the morning and we all donned our rain gear and set out after brief greetings. He had been before which was helpful. These falls are not on official camp trails and require some way finding skill. I had done a fair amount of studying up on the route, but it is not a hike I'd have attempted solo. We were so glad to get to spend some time with Wally and catch up on the news it really made the day go by fast. The scenery and trails at the Methodist camp are outstanding. I would definitely like a chance to return and do more hiking there. I knew there were other falls along the way, but none of us felt like tackling the side trips to those with the rain coming down as it was.
The Autumn colors were real pretty in the forest. Though the signs were pretty clear, I can see how someone could get lost trying to go to these falls. There are a couple points on that ridge where you might think it was the spot to head down! We found Moonshine Falls with no real trouble. It was every bit as pretty as I'd imagined and more. It had a lot of water coming over of course thanks to the rain. Matthews Creek crossing on the cable was not bad and I was mighty glad we did not have to ford the stream without it! Coming back over was a little trickier and we could tell the stream level had risen a fair amount.
We found the trek past Moonshine Falls to see Confusion Falls was shorter than we'd thought it would be. It was well worth the extra few tenths of a mile to see the two falls below Moonshine.
Kenny says there are a couple other nice falls below these. Any return trips and we'll go see them and photograph them all provided it is not raining cats and dogs.
The hike back was relaxed and uneventful. We got back to the vehicles just in time for the rain to stop! A camp worker who was a guide came by the vehicles to congratulate us on being so hard core! He shared lots of interesting stories of things he had encountered on the grounds. He asked if we saw any bears? We informed him we had not. According to him it is a wonder since they seemed to be plentiful. We made plans to meet Wally the next day to finish my last hike and to hit up one he needed on his list.
Saturday morning dawned much prettier. We met Wally in Rutherfordton at Scoggins and carpooled from there. We headed out to hike to Pot Rock Falls in South Mountains Gamelands first. We figured we'd hit that up first and then complete my last one.. High Shoals Falls. That area is always a pleasure to go hiking. It is mountains away from the mountains. The country is pastoral and very pretty. We encountered some hunters at South Mountains Game Lands who were very cordial. We completed our hike to Pot Rock Falls and it was easy. The morning was sunny, temperatures perfect and the Fall colors were very nice. Pot Rock Falls is a smaller, but scenic falls that gets its name from the scooped out form of the rocks thanks to water flowing over them.
We headed next to South Mountain State Park to finish my final waterfall hike. I was with Wally when he completed his list and it was great to be with my buddy to finish this myself! It has been a worthwhile pursuit. I like challenge lists.
South Mountains State Park will easily be a favorite of mine. It is such a pretty place with gorgeous scenery and Autumn colors. I expect it would be pretty ANY season. It was like a post card in its perfection. It is a busy place with lots of fellow hikers, but the atmosphere was very happy and relaxed. The hike to High Shoals Falls can be done as a loop and that is how we hiked it.
Clockwise loop for us. There is something to see the entire way to the falls and beyond. The scenery on the downhill portion of the loop is not as spectacular, but it was all nice. It was not too hard at all.
Below : High Shoals Falls.. I am done!
We had a great day and we carpooled back to Rutherfordton. We planned to have a celebratory dinner there for our anniversary and completing my list. Wally had to get going so he did not join us. We had a great meal and headed back to the camper tired and happy.
Sunday we slept in and headed back toward Asheville. We stopped and went shopping on the way home. It was a really nice weekend. A goal completed at last. Much needed change of pace.
Below a video of Moonshine and Confusion Falls
Below is a video of High Shoals falls
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