Standing Stone Camping Day 5: Cabin Hunting and Morgan Creek Cascade

Apple blossoms at Standing Stone State Park

Standing Stone Camping Trip Day 5

Cabin Hunting and Morgan Creek Cascade 

Dana Koogler

Wednesday April 10, 2019

Standing Stone Pix starting with frame #275

  I woke up Wednesday morning feeling marvelous.   I knew today I would do some fun hiking.
Kenny was due to return this evening which I was very happy about.   It was going to be a good day.
Ever since our arrival on the previous Saturday the campground had hosted only two campers.
Me and that same other lady.   I had certainly found the solitude I needed.   I was gaining strength each day.   Finding myself again. 

   I gathered my hiking things and set out to the back of the State Park to finish hunting for abandoned cabins.   It did not take long to arrive.  The day was starting off cool, but the sun was out in a blue sky.   I parked and began my hike up the loop road going clockwise and uphill this time.   I had only taken a few steps when a couple cabins came into high up on the hill.  I also passed some neat looking rock formations. They were covered in moss, green growing things and purple phacelia.



Above: layered rock formations covered in stonecrop,mosses and saplings.

Above:  Purple phacelia growing in the woods in the abandoned part of the state park.





I soon came to the point along the road where I saw a few cabins standing, but in very poor repair.  I also saw quite a few that were nothing more than piles of boards, shingles, and stones.



Above: One of the badly decayed cabins.  Looks like a tree came down over this one at some point.

  I turned my eyes up the hill from the site of the downed cabin and what you see below is what I saw.   A burst of fresh spring green, pinks, and bluest sky.  A cabin still stood in better repair in the midst of that.   I pushed on toward that leaving behind me the ruins.


Above: Lovely Spring scene.. in the distance the first cabin in decent shape along this part of the loop road.

  I did not go far toward this next spot before another cabin came into view. It sat just up the hill from the first one standing.  I could hear the murmur of water.  I could see something in this patch of forest that let me know it was extra special.  I was growing more enthusiastic with each second.  I just let myself go with it. Follow it to whatever end.   I left the road and walked over to look upon the cabins more closely.   I did not go into these structures as they are in poor repair.  I have also walked under the porches of old dwellings only to find dens of snakes. 

Below is a hatch cover along the side of the cabin.  It is next to where the bunks were. It was to let in some air to cool things off.   I wonder if they had screens back then?


Below: a look into what is left of the front porch/living area of the cabin.

Above: another look into the cabin. The next thing back was an area with two bunks on each side. One top and one on bottom. Each one had a hatch on the side to let in some air.  The back of the cabin seemed to be some sort of kitchen area. 

Above: Fresh spring leaves on the trees around the ruined cabins.  What a contrast.  

 Above and below:  Different views of the old cabins.
The photo below shows the position of this one in relation to the loop road.  Each one was a little different.

  I left the loop road following the sound of trickling water.  Back through the forest I worked my way until I found myself on a tussock  mingled with moss covered rocks and wildflowers. 

A crack lay beyond my vision down in the rock forms.  I walked closer until I could see the source of the water.  

Rocky area of wildflowers beyond the first couple cabins.  It was like a fairy land.

Above: The spring that flowed out of the rocks and down the mountainside.  I expect during times of heavy rain fall this is a pretty cascade.   Either of these two cabins positioned here near this scene would have also been favorites.   I sighed at the good fortune I was having.  Not only were the old cabins still standing, but they were situated in a pretty place.   I spent time walking carefully round the rocks and checking things out.  It was a place that encouraged me to linger.

 Above:  Tiger swallowtail butterfly and purple phlox
Below:  Appeared to be a small cave in the rocks.

 Flowers everywhere!

 Phlox and fiddleheads

 Purple phacelia near the seepage of that spring

 Love the rich chocolate brown of the cabin in the bright Spring sunshine.

Above:  sunshine, green grass and vegetation and interesting rock forms.

 This view makes the cabin look suspended in the air.

Above: Looking across at the other cabins from my patch of flowers and rocks. 

  I finally made myself get back on the loop road and continue. It was a tiny bit more uphill then leveled off.  It went on through the open woods and there was a stretch where I could not see another single cabin in any direction. I began to wonder if that was it?  Maybe there were no more left or never had been any others? About the time I was thinking this I popped round a bend and there were more!  The road swung wide and went down onto another lower level.  It passed by another large decayed structure. I believe if the first cement slab represented a bathhouse this one did also.

I liked the looks of the cabins here, but they were not as interesting or in as pristine a setting as the first several.   The woods were less green.  There were rock formations, but not as many or varied.

I saw wildflowers up here, but less of them.   I kept going until I closed the lower loop with the first one.  Once I did that I was able to keep going on the remainder that trended down to where I believed I'd come out on the paved part of the road.   I went down very gradually on a wide gravel road.  

I could look down through the woods off the road and see a smashed porcelain toilet bowl below.

Parts from the old bathrooms.  I saw no more cabins here, but a few spots had indentations in the bank along the road like there may have been structures at one time.  Now there was nothing.  

 Dwarf Crested Iris blooming up near the second, higher grouping of cabins.

 Above and Below: All kinds of pix from the second cabin grouping.  They were in a little rougher shape and not as attractive in my opinion.

 above cabin looks more moldly and torn up.

 Blue skies over the forest.

 I am closing the loop.  Blue skies. Green trees and pink redbuds.

 Very happy to have gotten to make this hike. Glad to have gotten to see and experience this.  Happy to have gotten time to document what will soon be gone.  There will be no funds private or public to help preserve this construction. They are part of history as much or more than Elkmont's Daisy Town.
They did not represent private citizens second homes/vacation homes.  They were for the poor and the common man.  No one cares about them much or will lobby for their preservation in Washington.

 Rue anemone on what was an old rock wall near a former cabin site.

 I came down toward the bottom of the road and as I knew the loop had to be getting near closing... I ran upon this spot. It was a very muddy, torn up dirt ditch.  Hogs had worked it over. That coupled with the rain had made a mess.

I am standing near the bottom looking at where I came out.  It was near the paved road, but not right on it.  I came out close to the first, paved portion of the loop a little back from the intersection.  I emerged through a wad of trees and vegetation!  You cannot see while standing on the pavement part that this little chunk of trail even exists.  I followed another piece of the old road round to the left far as I could go just for the sake of completeness.   It went out and dead ended soon.   It went nowhere.

     Morgan Creek Cascade 

   I was tickled to have completed my hike and seen all I could find to see.   I won't say I saw it all for I may yet learn there is more that I missed.   I walked back to the jeep.   I was going to photograph Morgan Cascade today.  I left the jeep parked where it was and walked the short distance down Beach Road to start up the creek toward the falls.   The embankment between Beach Road and the stream is steep and rocky and overgrown.   I finally found a spot to go down to creek level.  I donned my water shoes and waded carefully up the creek. The water felt great.   It was cool and refreshing.  It didn't take me long until I stood directly in front of Morgan Cascade.   If you want to see the falls up close there is no good place down along the road to park.  The nearest place is up near the old reservoir.  

The trees waved their leaves in the afternoon breeze.   I saw a few nice wildflowers on the bank.   

I enjoyed the forest and stream a little longer. I finally went back to the camper to rest and get a shower.  I was glad to see Kenny when he arrived that evening.   He seemed glad to be back as well.

We are fortunate we have a good thing going.  We both know it too.   Tomorrow I'd be out with my best friend and love of my life exploring the woods and wilds some more! 

 Above: Morgan Creek Cascade from the base
Below: Looking back downstream on Morgan Creek.

Below:  A section of rock cribbing on a bank near Morgan Cascade.  It appears there was some sort of cabin or structure beside it long ago.  

A short video of Morgan Cascade