Jonquils blooming at an old home site in Reliance, Tn
Spring Falls Branch, Watertank Falls, & Spring Creek Road Exploring
Dana & Kenny Koogler
Sunday March 10, 2019
(2nd half of Left Prong Falls trip)
Pictures are here starting with frame 45
The day we visited Left Prong Falls successfully we had several more options for the other half the day. The area is especially nice, and has lots of exploring potential. I was amazed to find there was a falls directly across the river from where we'd just been. We had never visited it in all these years.
Additionally we had never been by the Fort Marr blockhouse and had not checked out Spring Creek Road ever! I had a good feeling about it. Down the road though on the same side of the river as we were currently on........ lay another nice falls I wanted to see first.
Webb's Store. I call it the Last Chance Texaco. I love this old store. It reminds me of the kinds of stores I visited as a kid including my great grandpoppy's old Gulf Station!
We headed down the road hunting for Spring Branch Falls. It resulted in a side trip to Webb's store to see if they had popsicles yet. They did not. Kenny went in ahead of me. I was in the parking area petting a blue heeler dog who came up to chat. I headed toward the store opening the door as I went. The dog went in ahead of me. I looked at the lady behind the counter sheepishly and asked too late "Is he supposed to be in here?" to which she shook her head sternly and motioned to try to get the dog out. I felt a bit embarrassed, but she was clearly not angry. The dog paid her no mind, and kept going. I looked over my shoulder at the lady and said "He lied to me. " and kept following him trying to get him back out of the store. He went to the back and sat where a man was eating in a kitchen. He was patting the dogs head. I asked him if this was his dog?He indicated it was. I told him I was sorry for letting him in. He said it was no worry. He could be in the store, but had to stay in the back room. Finding no popsicles and having gotten in trouble already... I decided I'd best leave.
Bloodroot blooming at Spring Falls Branch
We did some up and down trips along the road trying to figure out which drainage Spring Falls Branch was? I had in mind it was a bit further off the road than it turned out to be. I can be seen easily from the road. We saw no place to pull over so Kenny let me out and went to see if he could find a spot. He joined me shortly. The spot was beautiful. The ground was laden with tiny pink and white Spring beauties blooming. Toothwort was in bloom. I also spotted some blood root bloomed out. The falls lies in a tight gorge that is rocky, carved up and a deep mossy green! It is lush with green growth. Tiny colored pebbles smoothed by the water lay in the bottom of the stream. All that pretty white water splashes down around you. I was overcome with the beauty and climbed right up the stream itself. It was all I hoped it would be. It feels so good to be able to get out and see these spots. My soul has hungered to explore and soak up this kind of beauty. Kenny joined me and climbed into the crack with me to check out the falls.
Above: Spring Falls Branch pictured above.
This is the main drop of the falls, but there is a bit more you can see in the photo below.
Above: The railroad tracks and you can just see the falls white water where it goes under them.
I love railroads and everything connected to them. I grew up always living within sight or sound of the railroad and the train whistle and a river. I was a cross tie walker from the time I was a preschooler.
Above: Watertank Branch Falls is too tall and large to fit it all into one photo, but this is a big representative chunk of it. I am standing in the stream on a rock. Both the trail and the stream are extremely steep. Big steps to take on parts of the trail.
Topmost portion of the falls shown above. Lots of water coming over it today.
Above: View Oswald Dome
Below: Red maple buds
Above and below: Mossy logs along the banks of Spring Creek. My eyes were hungry for this color. Green is my favorite.
Below: Look at the moss coating the tree limbs along the banks of Spring Creek. Eerie and beautiful all at once!
A look at the rocky cliffs along Spring Creek.
Above and below.. the first un-named falls we encountered. Loved the mossy cliffs around the stream.
Above is a photo of the second un-named falls we saw along Spring Creek Road
It was even prettier than the first one.
The slopes around the second falls was peppered with these pretty yellow trout lilies, white saxifrage, and blue hepaticas.
Below: a larger specimen of Trout Lily!
Above: The slopes around falls #2.. steep, mossy and vibrant.
Tiny saxifrage blooms. They had a very sweet scent!
Webb's Store. I call it the Last Chance Texaco. I love this old store. It reminds me of the kinds of stores I visited as a kid including my great grandpoppy's old Gulf Station!
We headed down the road hunting for Spring Branch Falls. It resulted in a side trip to Webb's store to see if they had popsicles yet. They did not. Kenny went in ahead of me. I was in the parking area petting a blue heeler dog who came up to chat. I headed toward the store opening the door as I went. The dog went in ahead of me. I looked at the lady behind the counter sheepishly and asked too late "Is he supposed to be in here?" to which she shook her head sternly and motioned to try to get the dog out. I felt a bit embarrassed, but she was clearly not angry. The dog paid her no mind, and kept going. I looked over my shoulder at the lady and said "He lied to me. " and kept following him trying to get him back out of the store. He went to the back and sat where a man was eating in a kitchen. He was patting the dogs head. I asked him if this was his dog?He indicated it was. I told him I was sorry for letting him in. He said it was no worry. He could be in the store, but had to stay in the back room. Finding no popsicles and having gotten in trouble already... I decided I'd best leave.
Bloodroot blooming at Spring Falls Branch
We did some up and down trips along the road trying to figure out which drainage Spring Falls Branch was? I had in mind it was a bit further off the road than it turned out to be. I can be seen easily from the road. We saw no place to pull over so Kenny let me out and went to see if he could find a spot. He joined me shortly. The spot was beautiful. The ground was laden with tiny pink and white Spring beauties blooming. Toothwort was in bloom. I also spotted some blood root bloomed out. The falls lies in a tight gorge that is rocky, carved up and a deep mossy green! It is lush with green growth. Tiny colored pebbles smoothed by the water lay in the bottom of the stream. All that pretty white water splashes down around you. I was overcome with the beauty and climbed right up the stream itself. It was all I hoped it would be. It feels so good to be able to get out and see these spots. My soul has hungered to explore and soak up this kind of beauty. Kenny joined me and climbed into the crack with me to check out the falls.
This is the main drop of the falls, but there is a bit more you can see in the photo below.
This part of Spring Falls branch ducks out under a log!
Colorful pebbles in the stream bed at Spring Falls Branch.
Once we'd found this falls we moved on to our next objective. We wanted to drive round to Watertank Branch Falls along Spring Creek Road. It was the one directly across the Hiwassee River from Lowry Branch Falls. We also wanted to drive the length of Spring Creek Road to see the stream itself and see what we might encounter. I had seen someone's photos of the stream and it was that pretty green color I love. You know I had to go see for myself. It was easier for me to find Spring Creek Road and the things we knew we wanted to see by starting in from the end off Hwy 411. We went back out that way and did manage to find popsicles at another store. Yummy!
We first came to Hiwassee Ocoee State Park and the Fort Marr Blockhouse. Both nice.
Main office building of the state park.
Above: Fort Marr Blockhouse. This was constructed 1814.. connected to the War of 1812. It was a fort and supply depot. It has connection to the Trail of Tears so it has very negative connotations for me. Our son in law's family were from the Tellico Plains and were Moytoy Cherokee. They ruled the area for hundreds of years. His ancestral grandfather was Atakullkulla the war chief of the Cherokee from this area. His nearest great grandma was Zula Caton. I know it isn't the first incidence of man's inhumanity to man, but it tears me up inside. I hate southern plantations for the same reason.
We did not tarry here, but headed down the road in search of Watertank Branch Falls. We did not have to go far. It sits along the railroad tracks. Lots of folks were visiting it and hiking up and down the trail to see it. I seem to be chronically late to the party. This is just another example of it.
It is a big pretty falls and we were glad to finally know of it and get to visit.
I love railroads and everything connected to them. I grew up always living within sight or sound of the railroad and the train whistle and a river. I was a cross tie walker from the time I was a preschooler.
Above: This is the lowest drop of the falls just as it disappears into a culvert along the tracks.
Above: I found a souvenir of my hike. A rusty mini railroad spike! I found it lying at the base of a tree. I reached down to touch it fully expecting to find it grown into the tree bark. It was just lying there so I kept it. We used to play with these when we found them as kids. We pretended to be trying to break out of prison using them. Even as a kid.. convict mentality. :-D
It was a worthwhile stop to see this pretty falls. It was a short, but steep hike up to see it.
We talked to folks we met on the trail. We shared info with some hikers , and got some info from others in return. One guy told us the area above the uppermost drop was more or less flat and no more big falls. He did say the cliffs themselves up higher are pretty. Perhaps on a return trip we'll go check those out. We made our way back to the jeep. The day was clear and sunny with pretty blue skies. Every one we encountered was in the best mood and enjoying the warmth and sunshine!
Months of rain and cold tend to make you appreciative.
Below: Red maple buds
We kept driving and finally came to Spring Creek. It really was pretty, but I think we've only scratched the surface of what is here. I anticipate and hope for more trips to check out this area.
The water of the stream was a pretty green color, but milky thanks to the high volume. I want to come back and see if I can catch it when it is the same color as I viewed in those other photos. Call it a weakness. 
Above: The lovely Spring Creek. We could not believe we had never been back here before!
It is certainly pretty.
The other unexpected finds along Spring Creek Road were loads of early Spring wildflowers and several un-named waterfalls! The cliffs around the road appear to be the same composition as the stones in White Oak Sinks in the Smoky Mountains! That bodes well for wildflowers always!
Above: The slopes around Spring Creek were laden with too many trout lilies to count.
Round lobed hepatica's beautiful lavender blue blooms. Good shot of both leaf shape and bloom.
We kept going and eventually turned off on a side road. It was the first place we could bear left. We followed the old road back, but while it was pretty, we did not know where we were going so we turned around. Turns out that is the Tinker Branch Road and it makes a long, winding loop back past the shooting range . It would be a good country drive to find out what is back there.
It was even prettier than the first one.
Below: a larger specimen of Trout Lily!
I was in my seventh Heaven at finding all this scenery, waterfalls, green water and wildflowers!
Above: The slopes around falls #2.. steep, mossy and vibrant.
Looking upstream on Spring Creek.
We managed to find the way back to Maggies Mill site, but that turned out to be not as interesting as I had remembered. I was there once many years ago. I came in a different way that time.See the photo below for the mill stone and the verse about Maggie Harris.
We wrapped up our day by driving home a different way. We took the old Tellico -Reliance Road and it took me past a historic old church or school building I had wanted to photograph. I would love to know some history on the structure. What it actually used to be. It looks more like a church to me, but what do I know?
Below: old building abandoned in the woods I had wanted to check out.
Next is a video of Spring Falls Branch:
Now a video of Watertank Branch Falls
And here are two links to the other waterfalls we saw today
Un-Named Wet Weather Falls #1
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