I am overdue by a month in writing this trip report. I have had to stop and evaluate some things including why I did not want to write this blog entry?
Reason one is simple enough. I have been writing my first ever guide for a non profit and it is business not mere pleasure. It was about Standing Stone so I was tired of writing about it. Another reason is that during Spring I am more about going hiking than I am writing. Spring wildflowers last for a short time. They dictate to me when I must go if I want to see them.
Reason three is just trying to frame up my thoughts on how things are versus how they need to be.
The original plan was to go camping from Saturday April tenth through Sunday April eighteenth. Kenny would take me out, drop me and the camper off and set up. He would go home Sunday night or Monday. He would work a couple days and return Friday evening April sixteenth. He would bring Gabriel, our grandson back with him and he'd stay a couple nights and we'd all go home Sunday. Kenny's work schedule made it clear to us that if we wanted to include Gabe we'd need to take him with us to begin with. He had been bugging us to go camping anyway so we readily agreed.
We arrived Saturday morning about midday. We got our camp set up.
We had about half day left to explore or hike. We filled the day with activities there at the state park. We had never been here before with a child so it was different. Gabe enjoyed everything. We checked out the playground, swinging bridge, waterfalls, reservoir, and spent some time playing in and around the creek.
We found fossils! We threw pebbles and rocks in the stream. We looked for interesting rocks on the gravelly shoals in the stream. The area has suffered a lot of damage from a Winter ice storm and more recently some flooding. The wildflowers just driving around were beautiful.
(Click the link to watch the video of the playground)
below: throwing rocks in Mill Creek with Papaw
Below: a view of the dam with Kenny & Gabe
Below: a small but scenic cascade on an un-named tributary stream.
Below: I am holding crinoid fossils in my hand which we found just walking along looking at the gravel bars.
Our first day was travel and not terribly eventful, but our plan for the second day was to take the four wheeler and go down to Roaring River like we did two years back. We got up Sunday and headed that way after breakfast. The access to the river is a derelict county road that is okay to use. We parked where we did last time and prepared to get going. A vehicle pulled up and a man got out and asked us what we were doing? We told him and he very politely explained the situation to us with more accuracy. While the road is public access the land around it is not.
He was as nice as he could be. He went on to explain that he wanted folks like us to go down along the river via the old road. He said that good people using it might discourage shifty characters from being down there. He asked us to please park at his house next to his shop building. He said if he let us park there other folks who might not be desirable would do the same. He'd had problems with folks pulling in the field and doing donuts and tearing up the land. We were happy to oblige him. We were also appreciative of his warnings about some of the things that have happened down that river road. We were unaware. He told us that a large group of nice folks in jeeps went down there and had driven all the way from Cookeville and beyond to enjoy a day of riding. They did not stay and stopped by his place when they saw him out. They had encountered a bunch of drunk guys down there shooting and carrying on. They quickly left. What a disappointment that had to be for them. Folks like that who believe setting old cars on fire, doing drugs, drinking, vandalism, shooting while drinking... are all examples of the kind of person who ruin it for everyone else.
Above: Gabriel along Honey Branch
On a previous visit we were in my jeep so did not have to park. The second time we did park, but were non the wiser. After today what we learned and the limited riding down there we are unlikely to return. The road itself is ok, but if you go off of it in any direction you are on private property so you're trespassing. It just isn't worth it. Despite all that we had a pretty fun time and were safe. The little river bottom down there is amazingly beautiful.
Gabe-- a rock thrower of some reknown
Below: a path back along Honey Branch. At this point we're all on foot
Below: Honey Branch is a pretty stream. Low and flat for the most part.. very shallow.
Below: looking downstream on Honey Branch
Below: a sample of some of the wildflowers we saw. Lots of purple phacelia and large flowered white trilliums.
Below-- one of my favorite trilliums... prairie trillium... looks like a tiny red rosebud
Gabe found a heart shaped rock. I immediately thought of my friend Vickie Cunningham who finds these and considers them messages of love from her mom in Heaven.
Above: A beautiful swallowtail butterfly just emerging and fluffing up his wings. They are not quite 100% dry.
We explored up Honey Branch today and found a small cascade we'd seen a couple years before. Today I found a large sink or small tub by it that washed down. Click here to watch the video of the cascade.
Above: bathtub
Below: hardware cloth and a chunk of mason jar that has been smoothed from tumbling in the stream and grit!
Today we had the good fortune that the water levels were down just enough we were able to proceed further up Honey Branch. We never expected it, but we made it to the back of the holler! On the way we saw some interesting things. We were taking in the sights when Kenny called us to come see a snake. We walked over to see a very cute and friendly garter snake out for his morning crawl. Gabe had his first experience talking to a snake. 😉
Above and below: a pretty cascade on Honey Branch and then zoomed in closer on that cascade
Below: another spot upstream that was very flat...
And below... just below that flat spot a tiny cascade and a huge bridge created by a fallen beech tree
My purpose in doing this was to help him not be terrified of all snakes. I don't want him to kill them all like so many do. I want him to respect their lives and their place in the ecosystem. Jonathan Gartersnake told Gabe he lived in a big stump a little ways from here. Lo and behold... we did find his house!
Above: the home of Jonathan Gartersnake and his family.
Above: a look at the surrounding slopes which grow higher and tighter as we neared the back of the holler. Beautiful new pale green leaves of Spring.
We came to a nice cascade that is below Honey Branch Falls. We never planned on making it here today, but we did! It was nice.
Above: the surrounding walls of the holler were dripping with water. The creek here was super clear. Below is a video of this beautiful cascade at the back of Honey Branch.
We enjoyed this bonus beauty for quite some time, but finally made our way back out toward Roaring River. We went downstream on the same side of the river to where we'd seen a waterfall two years earlier. It was running better today than it was upon our first sighting of it.
Above: First view of the falls from right up next to it
Below: I am backed up so I can see the upper drop of it as well. A tall waterfall!
Below is a video of that pretty waterfall. It is not named nor is the stream named.
We went down next to Roaring River to see how high the water was? It was running about like the previous visit. Fording here is dicey. You can see the bottom 3/4 the way across, but the last step is a doozy. The channel is cut deep over on the far side. We did not bother with that today.
Above -- looking downstream on Roaring River
Below--looking upstream on Roaring River.
Above: I stopped once more on the way out to get photos of Jacob's Ladder in bloom. I did not see it in bloom anywhere else on this trip.
We made it back to the top and loaded up. The gentleman who we met earlier was not home from church yet. We went on back to the campground. Gabe dozed off one time on the ride home. That evening we had dinner and played and had a camp fire for Gabe just as promised. It was very nice. We brought along a trike that belonged to our son, Jared, Gabe's father when he was that age. Lil Tikes is made to last! He played chase with Papaw over in the picnic pavilion.
Below : Gabe on the tricycle... cutie pie. He knows he's cute.
We had a good time and slept well. We woke the next day and had decided to try to take Gabe to visit Big Sunk Cane and while in the area... we'd hunt up Sourwood Shower. I also wanted to swing by the Rushing Springs school house to get a photo of it while I was in the area.
The drive out to Big Sunk Cane from the campground seemed a tad shorter than when we have gone out there from Jamestown, but it was still a long, monotonous drive especially for Gabe. We arrived at the parking for Big Sunk Cane at last. Posted signs and boundary markings. I wasn't sure what to do? I now began to doubt whether it was alright to visit here anymore? The fact we had driven so far and wanted Gabriel to see it helped make the decision for us. We would proceed though after this visit I am done. We went back there and it was a fairly easy walk. Big Sunk Cane Falls was not flowing very well. It was a big of a shock since we had plenty of rain. The wildflowers were glorious. Gabe liked it, but he tends to prefer waterfalls where he can get IN the creek. He wants a visit to a waterfall to be an up close and personally visit. He wants to touch it and play in the creek and so forth. We went on back toward another holler nearby to try to find Sourwood Shower. Thankfully we found it and it was just enough of an adventure to make up for the disappointment at Big Sunk Cane.
Golden seal in bloom at Sunk Cane
Below: blue cohosh was thick in those woods!
Above: Big Sunk Cane Falls
A huge clump of long spurred violets at Sunk Cane and below: a southern red trillium
Above: a small branch that is flowing away from Sourwood Shower
Southern Red Trilliums on the slopes near Sourwood Shower
Stream flowing away from the shower.
Above: Sourwood Shower itself was not spectacular today, but was different and pretty.
Above and below: I found the jaw bone of a wild hog in the landslide debris. Look at the tusks!
Sourwood Shower was quite pretty. There has been a massive landslide back there and it was ugly. In order to get close I had to cross the landslide and work my way up to the falls. Below is a video of the falls.
We got done there at the Sunk Cane and headed out toward Steel Bridge next. We would go there and visit and have lunch. Once done there we'd head back toward the campground and swing by Rushing Springs on the way. Steel Bridge was a spot in Hanging Limb I became aware of because of Matt Murphy. Also saw it labeled on Google maps. The photos of the "natural baptistry" were intriguing. It is the site of an old mill.
We found it without any difficulty and pulled over to park. The day was perfect and the East Fork Obey River was so pretty. We sat on some boulders there and ate lunch. Gabe ran around and played. He was carrying Lucas the Spider. A man and woman pulled up and spoke. The woman's eyes flew open wide "is that a spider? " to which Gabe said yes. I told her it was a pet. Then she realized it was not real, but was a stuffed animal. He is not one bit scared of spiders but thinks they are cute and fuzzy and he loves them all. You dare not ever kill one. I am back to scooping them up and tossing them outside. Even that has to wait until he is not looking because as far as he is concerned they are all family members and belong with us.
Below is a grouping of photos of Steel Bridge.
East Fork Obey River
Gabe walks the steps and ramp down to "Natural baptistry".
Ruins of an old mill by the river
A side view of the cascade here. It is river wide.
Looking down toward the current day bridge. The name Steel Bridge hailed from the former metal bridge that spanned the river here.
Looking back upstream.
Above: the abutment of the former "steel bridge" right by the current day bridge.
This is a very scenic and appealing area.
Below is a video of the river
We enjoyed Steel Bridge very much. We couldn't believe we had taken this long to find this pretty spot! We saw the day stretching out toward late afternoon. We have a four year old with us so wisely we began heading back toward the campground. I did get to go by Rushing Springs and take the photos I had hoped for. It is private property, but is roadside so it is easy to pull up and snap some photos. Worth the short side trip for sure.
Not only did I get to see the Rushing Springs School, but got to see Rushing Spring itself!
Above: Rushing Spring Schoolhouse
Rushing Springs sits in a beautiful valley
Rushing Spring is a roadside spring that is set up for watering people or animals.
above: on the way home Kenny remembered to stop by the old Copeland Store along Hwy 84. It is between Monterey and Livingston.
All in all we filled the day up with fun. It was tiring. Gabe might have dozed off for a few minutes on the ride home. We had another fun evening of watching movies, cartoons and playing. In order to bathe him in the camper I put the plug in the shower floor and run water a few inches deep. I keep toys including tub toys in the camper. He sat down and played with tub toys and was just too cute for anything. One day too soon he will be too old for me to bathe him anymore and he will no longer want to play with toys in the bath. That realization is painful for a parent. It was for me. When you realize you have bathed your kid for the last time.
He is a pretty good sleeping buddy, but tonight he got sideways the bed and had his feet in my side. I had to turn him around and cover him back up properly. He was chasing rabbits in his sleep or something lively.
The final day that Gabe was with us we went to Garrett Mill Falls. We knew the land had been sold, but we did not know that a house was being constructed adjacent to it. Seeing this we pulled down to Big Eagle Creek to at least let Gabe play in the stream on this pretty day. It would give us time to figure out plan B.
We hadn't been there long when a couple guys came through. One on a motorcycle and the other in a pickup truck. I saw Kenny speaking to the man in the truck so I walked over to introduce myself. I hate to admit it, but I do not recall his name.
He was very nice and had a cute German shepherd pup in the truck with him. He let us pet the puppy. He also told Kenny that since we'd come this far to show little man the falls to just walk back there. He said the land owner was a good guy and he knew him well enough to say he let people go see the falls on foot. He did not put up with the former types of nonsense like pulling back there in vehicles to party and litter. It was a spot where dead animals got dumped over the bank as well as all types of household refuse.
We were appreciative and relieved.. He had told us the fellow might be at the house and to just ask him if he was. We went up to the place, but the man was not at home to ask. We were glad to get to see the falls and show the cave and waterfall to Gabe. He liked it, but got a scratch on his little side. You'd have thought he was stabbed. Oh the drama for a barely visible scratch. Ordinarily he doesn't even want to talk about getting a bumped head or any wound. He just goes about his business.
Above: Big Eagle Creek
Above: foundation supports from the old mill
Above: my heart........ Kenny and Gabe hiking along in front of me.
Gabe was excited to see this beautiful spot and the cave!
The first cascades coming out of the cave at Garrett Mill
Above: southern red trillium and below a cluster of white flowered trilliums at Garrett Mill.
Above: Garrett Mill Falls. So many possible vantage points for different compositions of photos.
Below is a video of Garrett Mill Falls
We enjoyed our visit to the falls, but did not tarry. We went back to the campground and did some creek walking and exploring. We went up along Grave Flower Cascade. It was evening and the golden light that shone down in there on the falls and the wildflowers on the slopes was like honey. This was the adventure of the day that Gabe liked best. We spent considerable time playing in the stream and looking for pretty rocks.
Dwarf crested iris near Grave Flower Cascade
above and below: two trilliums near the cascade. top one is varigated. bottom one is simply aged to pink. both pretty.
Above and below: the slopes around the cascade are like shelves full of wildflowers!
Over exposed photo, but I loved the evening light on the blooms both above and photo below.
Gabe at Grave Flower Cascade
Below: the cascade by itself
Above: a patch of trilliums near the falls.
This evening back at the camper we had another good time, but caring for a pre schooler was starting to wear on me. It is a struggle to get Gabriel to eat and after four days of it I was coming to the end of my resolve and patience. Kenny agreed with me that the best thing to do would be to take him on home the next day. It made me sad on one hand, but relieved on the other. Sometimes I look at myself and wonder will I ever be satisfied? I feel sometimes like there is no pleasing me.
I pray the Lord will help this child learn to eat more and different things. I don't know if it is from the neonatal abstinence syndrome or drug exposed pregnancy or if this is just how he was going to be anyway? He has two male cousins both of whom went through this not eating business. Thankfully they outgrew it. I hope Gabe will also. We've had him to occupational therapy, sensory therapy, and I do all I can with him as does his mom to help him.
The next morning I kissed him and Kenny good-bye and they departed for home after breakfast. I breathed a sign of relief.
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Thanks for reading and commenting. I enjoy hearing from those who read & make use of my blog. I have made some wonderful friendships through emails from readers. I respond to all comments and emails. I appreciate folks reaching out to let me know when my blog entries are not functioning correctly or if the situation somewhere has changed. Many Blessings to you! Dana 🐝
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for reading and commenting. I enjoy hearing from those who read & make use of my blog. I have made some wonderful friendships through emails from readers. I respond to all comments and emails. I appreciate folks reaching out to let me know when my blog entries are not functioning correctly or if the situation somewhere has changed. Many Blessings to you!
Dana 🐝