New Years Day Hikes 2020

Old tire in the creek at Lawson Falls 

New Years Day Hikes-- Morristown Area Waterfalls 

New Years Day Jan. 1, 2020

Kenny & Dana Koogler

Pix are here starting with first photo.. then click arrow to right

   Kenny and I were wanting to get out and see something neat on New Years Day.  He mentioned the waterfalls we'd still not seen up above Morristown.   We were growing gradually stronger, but still knocked down pretty bad by the flu or the rona or whatever that mess was.   We finally decided we'd try it.   We set off up the road toward Morristown and beyond.    We had a list of falls off Tennessee Landforms we wanted to check out.  

     We started off with Lawson Falls.  It looked like it would be a nice one and not too hard to find or visit.   We found it. It is private property, but within easy sight of a traveled road.  It is visited and the evidence is there in the creek.   The stream was lack luster, but we found it and it was not hard to reach.  We walked up the stream and the banks.  An old tire and wheel lay in the stream along with a little bit of other refuse.    

Below are images of Lawson Falls

Lowest drop

   

Middle drop

Next in line heading toward the top

   Uppermost falls

A broader shot of the upper part for scale.


Kenny down at the bottom. You can see the road in the distance.

   We were not terribly impressed, but I will say that if you could catch this falls after a heavy rain it would no doubt be prettier.

     Next we moved on to a waterfall we'd visited once before.  All we did was see it.  We were astonished to find so much trash along the slopes. I would not attempt to get down there to photograph the falls that day.  Today I would force myself to deal with it.   We both would.  We headed to Yellow Branch Falls.  Another one of those that fit in the private property, but right beside a road.
I got out and took photos of the lowest drop.  It was not too bad.
Below you can see the falls and the bridge abutment or whatever that manmade structure is.



Another shot of the falls minus the bridge pier.

  We went up the road a bit further and found a place wide enough to pull over.
We picked our way down the steep slope toward  the creek.  Yellow Branch Falls was in easy sight of our position.  Between us and the falls was a mountain of garbage. 
and more garbage down over the bank.



A real pity because the falls are attractive and there was some sort of mill here in the past. See the old rock foundations?

    The stench from the garbage was so bad even in cold weather I thought I'd be sick.   We were walking atop old mattresses and  couch parts and so forth.  I suddenly couldn't wait to get out of there.  I snapped my photos and hurried to leave.  I was sure we were atop a human corpse or the rotting carcass of some animal.   Jaw bone and teeth of an animal. At least I think and hope it is an animal.

Yellow Branch Falls below



   We hurried out of there.  We got to the vehicle and got out the Go Jo wipes and hand sanitizer and scrubbed our hands and wiped our shoes off before getting in the jeep.  Gross!!!  I won't return here.  Last trip for this one.

  We drove up the road and stopped so I could get a photo of the church and the American Flag.


Old glory under blue skies!


  Next we mosied on to McGinnis Falls. It would be new to us both.

Another so so waterfall.  At least this one was not littered.

Below are some roadside cascades we spotted on the way


  Last of all we drove the short distance further to see Simmons Falls.
It was another so so falls.


Simmons Falls is beside a driveway and a road

    We had satisfied our curiosity about these falls, but the results were disappointing.   We decided we were over it and were ready to head back toward town.  We went through Morristown and stopped to have a late lunch/early supper.   It was at the Davey Crockett (ask me again and I'll pee in your pocket) Restaurant.  It was gross.  I won't go back.    We set off to go home.  Then things got funny.

    Morristown is kinda spread out along route 11.   They are doing roadwork to make yet another connection to the interstate.   It is very confusing.   Kenny has a habit that drives me crazy, but it will never change.   He gets somewhere back in the boondocks and thinks about what a long drive it was.  He wants to figure a better way out of there.  We had been on this trip before so we got to go through this same conversation and procedure again today.    We did this at Simmons Falls trying to figure out the best way out of here?  We both hate Rutledge Pike because it is a monotonous drive that seems like it will last forever.   The only alternative was to reverse course and head back toward Morristown.   I wanted to do this because it was speedier, better scenery and we could stop to have a nice meal.   

      We got out in the jeep and had to go through the procedure again.  Best and shortest way home?  Kenny is trying to cipher it out.  We were driving down route 11.  He said he'd drive to Jefferson City then hit the interstate and on home.
I made a big mistake.  Driving down Rt. 11 I remarked "you know they were building that new ramp to connect to the interstate last time we were  here."  We were coming up on it.  Kenny immediately seizes on that idea and we turn left onto that new road.   I then kept thinking outloud. "I know when we got on this last time it wasn't finished. I can't remember if we ever connected with the highway or not?"  Kenny now goes into a swivet.   "Oh.. now what should we do? Keep going and maybe have to turn around or bear right?"  He says "Aw hell, I'll just go this way. It has to come out somewhere."    I had never seen him quite this way before.   I got tickled and yet resigned myself to my fate.
I put a coat over my head and said "I'm checking out." I was going to nap through it and just whatever happens happens. 

   I lay there under the coat with the seat kicked back.  The thoughts of how ridiculous we are hit me.  I began laughing so hard I couldn't make any sound.  Kenny saw the coat shaking so he knew I was under there hee hawing at him.

     I got my rewards by getting to see the look on his face when our "new route" brought us out only a few miles down the road in Jefferson City back out on Hwy 11.   We'd just gone round our elbow to get to our asses.

           I never did get to take my nap, but Kenny did quit fretting about the route.  We did make it home. I'm not saying I'll never go back to that area exploring, but the waterfalls up there for the most part are not worth the trip. Elrod Falls being the notable exception.





Below is a video of Yellow Branch Falls.  I focused on the falls and off the garbage intentionally.