Camp Austin

Camp Austin 

Sunday Jan. 1, 2023

Kenny & Dana Koogler

    For New Years Day we decided to go to do some exploring in Morgan County.  It was an area I had wanted to see for a long time.  It would be a good opportunity to practice learning how to use our Christmas gifts to one another.  Kenny got me the new Go Pro Hero 10. I got him a new tablet with Lifetime Maps.     I had several waterfalls out that way I wanted to see.

It occurred to me that this time of year would be ideal to get some photos of Crab Orchard Creek while it was that pretty aquamarine color I love. 

   We set out toward an area of the county I lump together collectively as Camp Austin.  It is out past Wartburg on the back side of Catoosa. I think the actual address is Oakdale.     We had been out in this area once years ago.

We went to see a waterfall on private property with permission from the very nice landowner.      I went with the knowledge that these falls might not be accessible as I believed they were all on private property.  

      It turned out to be the case for most of them. 

Roe Carter Falls is a very small cascade on private property near a home. It is viewable from the road.   It was pitiful and not worth slowing down for or taking a photo of it.  

      White Oak Falls.. beside someone's house by the road unviewable without going into their back yard.  The stream flowing to form it was pitiful.  There was another one 250 feet further down the road on an even more pitiful stream.    

        We came to the point where Crab Orchard Creek is pretty and blue.

It was worth the drive just for this alone.   It was publicly accessible. 

Above: Crab Orchard Creek looks like jade today. A wide, flat rock ledge rims the pool here. It is deeper than it appears.  

Above and below: looking upstream along Crab Orchard Creek. 

Above: looking downstream along Crab Orchard Creek

 We drove down the road looking for White Oak Falls and encountered another publicly accessible pull off to view Crab Orchard Creek.  It was also worth a look.

Above: looking upstream Crab Orchard Creek location #2

Below: Looking downstream from the 2nd location.  

     Below is a video I made of Crab Orchard Creek using a trial version of Filmora.    I will explain that in the end.   

  Another unexpected find today was the Reister Access for Catoosa. 

 It is a dirt track that permits camping, hunting, four wheeling, boating, swimming and fishing along the Emory River. It lies 2 miles below Nemo Bridge.  The Camp Austin Road crosses the river and the railroad tracks here.  We have been down the tracks as far as the Crooked Fork Railroad trestle.   The terrain including the river and the trestle prevent any further access down the tracks unless you were foolish enough to be cross tie walking all the way.    In order to get to the bridge and Camp Austin and the Reister access it is necessary to go to Oakdale and turn onto the Camp Austin Road and follow it way around to the opposite side.   There is one more small falls between the road and the Crooked Fork Trestle, but it isn't one I'm interested in seeing.   

    The Emory River was beautiful today.   There is a nice sandy beach by its shores on the south side of the river.   We checked out the river above and below the bridge.    We also learned that the four wheeler track we spotted does go all the way through if you want to.   We did not get into that today.  

       

Above: Emory River photo taken with the Go Pro. 

   We also found an access to the railroad tracks at Camp Austin. 

It gives a place to pull down close and watch the trains from a safe distance. 

Above the switch controls for the train

Above: Deermont Bridge and the tracks looking up river

Above and below: Two bluebird views across the Cumberland Plateau at Camp Austin

    

Above: We pulled over at a wide spot on the way to Camp Austin.  This pretty cascade was right there. I looked and there was a ford across the stream to drive through and a path continued.  I remembered we drove it many years ago. It just cuts across from here to Lone Mountain State Forest.  It was a pretty, and short drive.  No great shakes, but worth seeing lumped together with a lot of other area sights. 

Above: burned out house in Morgan County by the road

    Not all we saw today was pretty. Not all was worth it.  I saw most of what I was seeking today and I am satisfied it is not worth a repeat trip.  However my curiosity was satisfied and I am still glad we went.  

Twin Bridges and Upper Twin Bridges Falls were two roadside cascades in Oakdale I wanted to see. I knew they'd not be worth making a special trip for on their own, but since we were already here I wanted to see them. Ok. I have seen them.   They are right pitiful and the upper one really was bad.   There is no place to pull over here.    Had I been alone I'd not have gotten to do as much as I did to view them. Kenny had to stay with the vehicle and let me get out to glimpse them.

          Below is a short video of Twin Bridges Falls.    The upper falls was so ugly I did not take a photo or any video of it.  

  

     Crab Orchard Creek was so pretty. Kenny says we are packing a picnic and bringing the kids back this Summer to swim and have a good time.   I agree.

It is worth it.   The rest of what we saw was not worth it.  No repeats on that. 

         Kenny got to practice with his Lifetime maps.  I'm not sure he felt too confident about it, but that will come with time and use and practice.

   I learned a lot today through trial and error.   Kenny likes to mash buttons and mash he did.   I had never used this Go Pro before.   He had not either, but he set it up to shoot video in uber high resolution ... 4K.   It was also set to ultra slow motion. Yay. Not.    deep sigh...... if ya want a thing done right

   Do not shoot video in 4K or slow motion.  My system and editing software will not cope with it adequately. I had to download some other app and I was not wanting to spend money on one until I had more information.  I reached out to friend Rich Stevenson who has been using Go Pro for a long time.   He had good advice for me.  Including specs on how to shoot, software apps, etc.  

 From now on.. 1080 p.. basic mode for video.

 I also learned to make sure your Youtube video settings are correctly set to 1080p.

  All in all a good day and a learning experience.  A little frustrating, but new things and learning often are just that way.  It was a mild, blue sky beautiful day to be out and I enjoyed the fresh air, new experiences and sunshine.   I love the area around Rockwood, Oakdale, Harriman because of the trains.  

  I am a railroad hobo at heart.