Gobey Exploring-Winter 2022-Grimes Branch Cascades

 

Above: Turkey tail fungus growing thickly on a log 

Gobey Exploring-Winter 2022-Grimes Branch Cascades

Saturday Jan. 12, 2022

Kenny & Dana Koogler 

Gobey Winter Pix

(perfunctory blog entry)

  We got out Saturday just the two of us to do some exploring on a cold, snowy Saturday.   We packed us a lunch and planned to do some waterfall hunting and checking out new parts of Gobey we had never visited.  We also thought since the rivers and creeks were flowing pretty well we would revisit a couple pretty falls we found on other trips. 

     The day turned very cold and snowy right after we got to Gobey.

Above and below:  blowing snow to beat the band! 

First we visited Gabriel Falls which we found and submitted to Tennessee landforms a year or so back.  

Above and below:

Gabriel Falls and its link to Tennessee landforms

Below is a video of Gabriel Falls that shows it off far better.

We went on up the road to see Atlas Falls which sits within sight of the trail.

It was flowing pretty well, but the wet weather falls around it were not running.

Below is a shot of Atlas Falls

  I had been studying the map of the area and realized there was one drainage with a trail that we had never ventured to explore.  It had potential for waterfalls on that stream so we went to see for ourselves.   I believed Grimes Branch would have waterfalls and the map showed that there should be a trail the whole way.

Above and below: The pretty cascades we found on Grimes Branch

Above: This falls was the biggest one on this part of the stream.  It had a lot of debris

Above: Grimes Branch Cascade

above: my favorite view of this cascade and the mirrored surface of the stream

  We got out and explored all the pretty cascades along here.  None were huge, but there were waterfalls there.  The biggest was about 20 feet high which was close to my estimate. I guessed 25 feet based on my topography measurements.

Below is a video of the falls

  We went on up the trail and the entire thing was beautiful!  The stream was crashing wildly down the mountain and the scenery was outstanding.  The forest itself was just pretty.

    Up above this the trail continues, but makes a sharp right turn and goes up the mountain where it shows it dead ending.   We found additional falls in the headwaters which was a nice treat.  I had hoped there might be more and I was correct.   I think these probably dry up to piddly during hot weather so I did not turn them in to Tennessee Landforms.

Above: upper cascade on Grimes Branch

Above: mossy rock face above the falls here.

Below is a video that shows the falls better

    

 

  We headed back out toward the main Gobey Road.   We passed a sight that I just had to turn aside and photograph.  Someone had set up an angel statue and possibly had been shooting at it for target practice.

Above: am I really seeing this?

Below: yes, closer inspection shows it is an angel statue with one wing shot off. This just screams East Tennessee and Cumberland Plateau. :-)

  We went down toward the Emory River to where there are some nice cascades and old bridge supports from the days of the railroad.

  Below: the pretty cascade on the Emory River

Above: bridge supports from the days of the railroad

Above: cascade in profile shows it a bit better

Above: This rock is super slick!

Above and below: Kenny by the river.. these photos show the pale mint green color of the water!

Above: The curvy rippled rock here is where Laurel Branch comes down to join the Emory River.  I went into the woods to try to get a photo of it. I ended up having to try the rock.  Good thing I did not slip and that I did not put too much effort into getting this photo as it is not that great a sight! 

Above: I thought the cascade where Laurel Branch flows into the Emory would be bigger than this!  boo hiss!  It sucks! 

    We enjoyed the sights along the river.  We went all the way out to the end and tried to follow the trail to Devonia.  We took a wrong turn and came to a dead end. 

We were growing cold and tired so we headed back to the truck.  

It was a fun day and satisfied my curiosity about some new areas I'd long wanted to check out.  

      Below is a video of the cascades on the Emory River