Cherohala Skyway Hiking- Wildflowers & Falls Branch Falls

Sweet Shrub blooming at Turkey Creek Overlook

Cherohala Skyway Hiking- High Elevation Wildflowers & Fall Branch Falls 

Dana Koogler solo

Friday May 8, 2021

Hiking Photos from today are HERE

(photos are from multiple trips. Cued up to current trip. 

Click right arrow to advance)

Map of Cherohala Skyway 

Falls Branch Falls on Tennessee Landforms 

   Spring is my favorite season of all.  I love spring wildflowers.  I  love the fact the waterfalls tend to be running great.  I love the new green leaves and buds on the trees.   It never lasts long enough.  I wish it was about six months long. Maybe then I'd get tired of it.    One way of dragging it out an extra month is to pursue it at the higher elevations.   I thought of  how long it had been since I visited Falls Branch Falls.  I  realized that I had never really gone hunting for Spring wildflowers along the Skyway.   I would remedy that. Who knew what I might find?  It might be great!    I like that area , and have felt quite comfortable going there alone.  

     I set out early Friday morning. We were definitely in the grip of Blackberry Winter .   It was a chilly 48 degrees.   I knew it would be  cooler up high.   I was not in a  hurry.  I figured let things defrost a little. I gathered my lunch and my gear.  I packed an assortment of clothing to cope with any temperature.  

  The drive down was  easy and beautiful.   The southern Unaka mountains looked like a divine blue island in a sea of pale blue and white.   I was anticipating a good day of exploring.   I decided to hike along Jeffrey Hell first as a preview. It was an easy hike, and would let me know what to expect.    Traffic was very light this morning.  I was a little surprised at how few people I encountered on the Skyway.  

      The recent rain had washed away the thick yellow pollen cleansing the air. It was fresh and clear today.   I can often cruise past these overlooks not slowing down if the day is overcast or hazy.   Today I wanted to stop at every  one.  I stopped at Turkey Creek Overlook first.  I made a quick pit stop.   I found the views to be easy on the eyes.  I also noticed sweet shrub blooming in a great profusion by the parking lot!

Above and  below: two different vantage points from Turkey Creek Overlook

Above: sweet shrub blooming. 

   Once I got done checking out the views at the first overlook I continued and stopped at the Lake View Overlook.  Today it was pretty and clear. Until today I have never stopped here and had nice view. It tends to be boring and hazy.  Today was beautiful in this spot.

Below: a view to the north at Lake View Overlook

Next I stopped by Brushy Ridge Overlook.  It was spectacular.  This is one of my favorite views on the Skyway.  Below is a view from Brushy Ridge Overlook.  

  I motored onward noticing the temperature getting cooler the higher  I went. I parked at West Rattlesnake Rock trailhead.  I was the second vehicle here.   I got out and hiked along the Jeffrey Hell trail.   It is an excellent Spring wildflower hike.   I was disappointed to see that the "doldrums" had begun at this elevation much like they have at lower elevations.  There is a season between Spring and Summer where Spring ephemerals are done blooming, but Summer wildflowers have not yet begun.   A wildflower enthusiast will have to hunt harder and be  creative to find flowers during this time.   I had hoped the higher elevation would stay some of that.   

     I hiked along and began to see a few wake robins, toothwort, star chickweed, and wild geraniums.    I had made up my mind that I would not waste much time here today since the bloom season was largely passed.    It was not a total bust.  I spotted a couple hybrid trilliums as well.  I managed to find one specimen of squirrel corn. It is the only one I saw this season.   

one lone squirrel corn still blooming

Above and below: I found a couple hybrid trilliums that were in this interesting pattern.  

Toothwort was still blooming. 

Jeffrey Hell trail 

above:  Sweet Betsy trillium

Below: a large grouping of Trillium cuneatum

purple wake robin trillium

Canada Violets were all around

Sunbeams shining on and through this clump of red wake robin trilliums

White wake robin

Hybrid wake robin.  I loved this cream and purple one!  

Foam flowers bloom late into the Spring.  

    Once I had seen a sampling of what to expect I thought I was going to hike to Falls Branch Falls.   I thought better of it and decided instead to drive out further to see what I'd find at Hooper Bald, Mud Gap, and Huckleberry Knob.   

     I found Mud Gap to be rather pretty.  I saw carpets of thick bluets! 

I spied a cluster of red wake robin trilliums.   I took some time to enjoy those special spots.  

Above: zoomed in on bluets

Below: carpet of bluets

Red wake robin trillium

   It worked out great that traffic was  light on the Skyway. It allowed me to drive along below the speed limit keeping an eye on the woods at the edge of the road.   Some of the best wildflower spots were along these areas!  I found that while there were lots of flowers there was not a lot of variety.   It was more of what I'd already seen today.  Still very pretty.  

   Below: a large patch of red wake robin trilliums in a random spot in the woods on the NC side of the Skyway.

Above: I particularly liked the shape of this beautiful wake robin.  

Above and below: witch hobble in bloom in the same spot

Wood anemone in bloom along the Skyway in the same patch of ground.

   I drove on up to Hooper Bald passing Beech Gap on the way.  Not one soul at either place.   I had never checked out Hooper Bald for Spring wildflowers. Only Fall colors and Summer flowers.   It was rather bleak up here.  Blue skies and sunny, but clouds roll past every little bit up at this elevation.   I have often been standing here on the bald ,and been suddenly engulfed by a cloud.  It was windy and  cold. I had to put on a fleece jacket including my hood.   I saw precious little in the way of Spring flowers.   

  

Bluets at Hooper Bald

My jeep in the otherwise empty parking lot. 

Blue violet along the trail

Trail... such as it is... to King Meadow.  This area has confused many a hiker and backpacker. 

Signage at the Bald to help direct traffic. 

Spring beauties at Hooper Bald

Above and below:  Hooper Bald trail... this is a good month to six weeks behind.  It is like March up here at this elevation. 

  

  I did not stick around  long since there wasn't much to see.

I drove the short distance further to Huckleberry Knob parking lot and hiked a little bit.   Not much here either.  A few bluets, toothwort, buttercups, trout lilies, and an occasional wake robin trillium.   It is worth mentioning that I passed a For Sale real estate sign between Hooper Bald and Big Junction.   It looks like the McGuire family has decided to sell part or all of their holdings up on the Skyway. 
I pray that the state of North Carolina can acquire the land, but I won't hold my breath.   

        

bluets growing at Huckleberry Knob

More wood anemone at Huckleberry

Trout lilies were found in bloom near the parking area at Huckleberry Knob

Trail to Huckleberry Knob

  Unlike Hooper Bald I saw quite a few folks at Huckleberry Knob.  I had a difficult time just getting out of the parking area to leave thanks to all the hikers wandering around and the other vehicles trying to get in.  I was glad to be on my way. Let them have it. Nothing much here to interest me.

  

   I had thought I'd go to Wolf Laurel and continue my high elevation exploring for flowers.  Not finding much at the previous locations had taken some of the wind out of my sails.  Finding the road open, but a large road crew actively working on the road grading it was enough to convince me this wasn't the day for it.  I headed back in the direction of  Falls Branch Falls.  I was ready to hike to the waterfall.  If I saw some wildflowers.. great. If not... Oh well.   I noticed one minivan...parked at the West Rattlesnake parking area which is the official trailhead for Falls Branch Falls as well as Jeffrey Hell.  I noticed it was already 1:45 pm. I had really let the day get away from me.   I decided I'd park at the bridge and hike in from there. It is a short cut eliminating  a boring section of trail.  

    

     I parked and grabbed my gear.   I headed down, and found the manway section of this hike a little boggy with some downed trees. It was easy going though.  I merged onto the actual trail.   I saw lots of mayapples and jack in the pulpit flowers today along this part.   

Above: The first jack-in-the-pulpit I found today was a nice one! 

Above:  jack in the pulpit... this one really is a jack... some of them are jills! I need to write a blog piece about this sometime.  

Above: pastel pink daisy fleabane was along the manway to Falls Branch Falls

Above: I am now off the manway and onto the start of the official trail that goes down the mountain to the falls

    I hadn't gone  far on the actual trail until I encountered a family coming up. It was a mother, father and their three little kids.  Nice people who wanted to tell me all about the trail.  I listened like I had never made this hike before.  That was their minivan up at the main trail .. West Rattlesnake Rock.   The trail was pretty. I had almost forgotten how beautiful this hike was.   The forest is lush and green.  Loads of wake robin trilliums were along here. The majority of them were past bloom and drying up.  I did see some painted trillium. First ones of this year. 

Above and below: the first Painted trillium of the year.. .Trillium undulatum

  I continued down the trail to where the little family had warned me about. How well I knew that a little over halfway down the trail and the stream are one.  A spring flows out of the mountain on left and right and turns the tread way to a shallow creek.    I once had a hellbender crawl across my feet when I was coming up that section wearing a headlamp.  It was growing dark.  We made it out just in time to catch our first sunset on the Skyway many years ago.

           I got down closer to the bottom and encountered a large cluster of mutated trilliums.  It was the most mutated and worst  I've ever run into.  It may have been a mycoplasma infection responsible. Mycoplasma often changes flowers, but it can make them interesting and beautiful.   Not today.  Perhaps pollutants played a part in creating The Great Mutato trillium.  Out of a cluster of five trilliums only one was normal.  

     

Above: Trillium #1 in the cluster had four leaves

Trillium #2 ..had four petals. All of this cluster are red wake robin trilliums.

Trillium #3 was The Great Mutato trillium.  It had two badly deformed, mangled blooms with stripes.   It had eight tepals, and eight leaves..  The stem was flattened.  The striped petals is what leads me to believe this is mycoplasma damage.  

Above: flattened stem of the Great Mutato trillium

Below: Trillium #4 was mutated to have four leaves and some mangling on the flower bloom also.  To the side you can see part of the Great Mutato Trillium 

Trillium #5 was very small, but normal.  

    

Above -- a comic book about The Great Mutato

Below: The Great Mutato himself. Two faces and badly deformed parts.

I am a huge X-Files fan and have seen every X-Files tv episode and movie ever.

I love Chris Carter and the stars of the show.   He is a screen writing genius.

Post Modern Prometheus was the episode that featured The Great Mutato. It was a local farmer who created a son for himself with genetic experiments, but the boy was badly deformed.   The area residents knew there was a monster nearby, but not where it came from.  He couldn't get a bride because of his appearance. Long story short.. he roofied.. a couple ladies in the area and partied with them.  They bore his children.  It has a happy ending..  Below is a video that is a real upbeat, happy ending to The Great Mutato.  He is a huge Cher fan. Who isn't?   She is beautiful, sweet, and has the voice of an alto angel.   It is a little under 3 minutes long, but it will make you smile.  

    I studied the mutated trilliums a bit then continued on my hike to the falls.

I saw some beautiful, gnarly beech trees down here.  I also found some more interesting jack in the pulpits. These were all Prester Johns!  They are five leaved  sort and the bloom on them is pale waxy green. 

Above and below:  if you see five leaves on a jack in the pulpit.. you have a Prester John or Arisema quinatum... a Southern Jack in the Pulpit.  This one is a Jill. 

Above: Prester John... its spathe is skinnier and the bloom is always pale, waxy green.  I have never seen it otherwise.  It was interesting to note that the majority of the arisema species I saw from this point up to the falls..the majority of  them were Arisema quinatum!   The most I have ever seen in one area.  These only bloom in the far southeastern states such as Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and North Carolina.  

     I came to the point along the trail where I had to climb down the bank. It has eroded bad enough it looks like quite a drop off from this angle.  It really wasn't that bad, but it is easier to come up than it is going down.  Fording the stream here was easier than I remembered.   The falls was really flowing great today. Lots of water coming over.  It is a beautiful waterfall and it had been too long between visits.   

    

      I picked my way through the split boulders. I was a little surprised to see how much foot traffic there has been to the falls in the past months.  It is worn down a lot.  I pushed onward to the very edge of the falls.  I wanted to get a shot from the side of the falls.  It is my favorite view of this fifty-five foot waterfall. It looks like a shower of diamonds if you can catch it just right.  

 

    

Above and below: diamond shower of Falls Branch Falls

Above: gnarly looking  tree. 

Looking through the forest at a red maple in bud amid the green

Above: Today it was difficult to get a photo of the falls out of the spray 

  I stood enjoying the beauty and power of the falls for a time.  I loved seeing the sparkling waters shower down under the blue skies.  Surrounded by a sweet smelling Springtime forest.  It was very soothing. I am a believer in synchronicity, but not coincidence.  The beautiful blue sky day suddenly turned menacing.  The sun ducked deep behind clouds turning the holler down here to dusk at two in the afternoon.   The wind picked up and began to howl. Spray was overwhelming me and the camera.   I decided to quit fighting it and wrap things up.  I had plenty of pictures and video to suit me.  I stowed my gear and grabbed a sip of drink to prepare to hike out.   

This is where things get über weird. 

    I was standing down in a hole where I was unseen and unheard by anyone.  Nor could I see or hear anyone.  I know the feeling of being observed.   I've experienced that a couple times, but no one save God... could see me where I was. 

Below is an image of what I could see from this point. The trail crossing is far below this point.  It might not mean much to those who have not hiked to this place, but to those who have... they will easily understand where I was. It was impossible for me to see or be seen.  The only sound was the roar of the water. 

   I had a sudden image in my mind and a knowledge that there was a man standing down at the creek just after the crossing.  He was far at the base of the falls.  Again I had not seen him with my eyes and vice versa.  I knew at once this was not good.  There was a 'disturbance in the force".   I said a quick prayer asking God to guard me.   It was in His hands.   I was in a very vulnerable position.  I walked a bit further and suddenly he came into view.  I was not surprised since I knew he was there.   He looked normal enough.  I was getting other images in my mind from him.  None of them good.   I tried to break the tension by greeting him politely.

  "How are you today?"  to which he responded by declining to make eye contact or smile........ "Back about a quarter mile you will see a cap and a wind breaker.. they are mine. Please don't take them."  I blinked and responded "I wouldn't dream of it. You have a nice day." and continued on my hike out.   I no more got down to the creek crossing when I saw the windbreaker and hat he indicated. Quarter mile?   Okay. Whatever.   I went a hundred feet or so and sat down to tie my boots better before the climb out of there.   As I sat doing this I had this view.  It was the last photo I snapped today.  

Trail just shortly after leaving the falls. Very pretty.  

   I tried telling myself to calm down and relax a bit as I sat on the log tying my boots.  It was going to be okay.   I had gone 100 feet further .. just up the steep, eroded part when I straightened up.  I heard the sounds of an argument erupt from back where he had been.  It was alarming. It was not distress or a cry for help.  I was frightened, but would have gone back despite it had a fellow human being needed assistance.   I stood listening and could hear the man having a cussing and yelling match with??? Himself.    You cannot get any phone signal down in this hole.  There was no one else around.   I knew I'd been right and I needed to boogie down.  I did just that.  I didn't know I could be so motivated to make that climb. The more distance I put between us the better I felt.  I finally came around the manway to where I could see the Flying Bridge that the Skyway crosses.   No vehicle had joined mine at the bridge.  He did not have time to make it to the falls had he parked at the official trailhead.   Not while I was there.  So where did he come from?  The only possible explanation was that he came up the Laurel Branch Trail from the North River Road.  He must have been just far enough behind me that I did not encounter him until I was ready to depart.  That would have been an eight mile or so round trip, but not an unreasonable distance.   I don't know what was wrong with him, but I hope I never see him again.

             Back in my jeep with the doors locked. I relaxed a bit.  I got a sip of water and left out of there.   Once I was out of the area I pulled over and ate lunch.  I got cleaned up a bit and put myself back together.  I was a little shaken by the experience, but more than anything the seeing images in my mind ... and not with my eyes.   I felt crazy.   Like I am getting stranger by the day.  I sat down with my Pastor on the next Tuesday and counseled with him about this.  I got some resolution and explanation.    A trusted friend also pointed out he believed this is not new, but I have always been this way. Perhaps just not ready to accept it yet.

        I was grateful to be safe. Thank you Lord for looking out for me.  I feel like I need to start carrying either a tranquilizer gun and straight jacket with me on hikes or begin carrying a pistol. 

The law of averages is catching up to me.  I don't want to be a statistic.

    Below is a video of Falls Branch Falls in all its glory.

**Edited to Add** My conclusion about Spring wildflowers along the Cherohala Skyway is this:  It is not my favorite place to see Spring flowers.  Just as the foliage season along this stretch of road is in two parts... high elevation first for Fall colors.. then lower elevations later... the wildflower bloom season is also in two parts.   You must see wildflowers at lower elevations first... then go to the higher elevations later.   The variety is not great.   This is a first serious attempt at this , and   my observations are based on a limited amount of trips.  Oddly enough the same "doldrums" season we get a lower elevations exists up higher... at the same time.  Go figure!   I was warned by the trees about the man.