Towee Falls

Kenny & Dana Koogler

Sat. 9/23/2023

Towee Falls on Tn Landforms

We finally got a weekend to do something just me and Kenny. I had a lot of dental work done in the past two weeks. I was warned by Gabe's other grandma that it could take a toll on a person's immune system. She experienced this herself in the past. I listened and did not doubt her, but I did not concern myself with it. I still had to do whatever was necessary to get my teeth in proper order. I was out of pain. I took my antibiotics and did my proper care. We planned to go do some hiking in the plateau on Saturday. I woke not feeling right. I had gone to bed the night before feeling off.

We slept in a little on Saturday. I still felt ill or off. I modified our plans. We would do something closer to home and easier. We went down to A Lot Less Factory Outlet in Vonore to do our bulk household items shopping on our way. We stopped in at Bert's Hometown Grill.

We had a nice lunch, but I told Kenny if I did not feel a lot better by the time we left the restaurant I wanted to go home. We got out of there and I felt a trifle better for eating and getting my strength back. I took some ibuprofen for the body aches. We decided to go ahead toward Towee Falls. It is a lovely little roadside falls we have visited once long ago.

I realized I had few photos of it and zero videos. I wanted to remedy that. The next stage of the plan was to visit Towee Creek and get some photos and video of that also. I wanted videos of the creek, the Hiwassee River, and some underwater photos and video of that pretty, clear stream.

We'd then ride across Starr Mountain so I could do some botanizing for this season. I knew blazing star should be there in several varieties. I also knew that a little Fall color would likely be starting. The day was clear so the views would be nice. I figured we could explore across Sheehan Branch for waterfalls.

We have had one hell of a time finding Towee Falls in the intervening years since our first visit. It wasn't easy then, but the frustration comes in trying to RE-visit a place you've been once and should know how to reach. The area is a maze of roads and there are numerous ways to come to the falls. You can come in from Hwy 68 near Coker Creek or off Hwy 315 the Tellico-Reliance Road. Kenny opted to try the Steer Creek Road to Towee Falls Road route.

It was a pretty drive and there are lots of abandoned houses or run down places along it.

We found the falls today with minimal trouble. Unbelievably I was on my game with the directions. We passed by it on the way and I could not see the falls, but I did see the dam above it. I did not remember 100% what the area was like, but my common sense told me that had to be it. Kenny was turned around and believed we had a bit further to go. We passed Towee Falls church on our right and arrived at an intersection. I told him that we had to turn around.

He did and soon we got a glimpse of the falls. The area has changed some. The pull off we formerly used is overgrown and unusable now. We drove up the road and pulled off about 1/10th of a mile from the falls. We parked and walked back. It is also possible to park a the church and walk 0.20 miles one way to the falls long as it is not Sunday during services.

The dam above the falls and the resultant mill pond was quite pretty. Towee Creek is serene.

Goldenrod, New York Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, spotted jewelweed, cardinal flower, and loads of turtleheads adorned the roadsides and the area around the falls. I found a lot of Autumn coral root around the waterfall.

Someone has built a pavilion below the falls at the site where the old mill once was.

The pipes and workings of the former grist mill lay about the area. It is clearly private property, but historically visitation has been allowed so we walked down over the embankment to take a look at the upper part of the falls first. It had decent flow on it today despite how dry things are.

We need rain badly. It was lovely! I could see the pavilion down there with the lawn chairs in it. We walked round to the bottom and got a look at the lower part of the falls.

It was also beautiful. I realized that I only had a photo of the lower part of the falls! I'm not sure I ever even went up to the top part in the past. My Go Pro 10 camera and my regular camera were both employed today. It is a good thing. Upon getting home not one photo or video from my Go Pro was usable. It shot the footage in such high definition that my PC would not process it.

It was a rookie mistake on my part, but thankfully I got it all sorted out and the settings corrected. I realized several things

I need a new computer system
I am going to need a new camera very soon
I need a new backpack as this one is in shreds literally.
I still have much to learn about the use of the Go Pro 10
I need a purchased photo and video editing software program
My immune system has indeed taken a hard hit from the stress I've been under coupled with the oral surgery. And the oral surgery is not over YET! I still have to go back for the implant.

We walked back to the jeep and I was extremely fatigued. Body aches. Dehydrated. My jaw hurt. My sinuses felt full. I was in need of rest and self care.

Kenny took me home. I went to bed and drank lots of water. I took some cold remedy to open my head up. I napped. I woke feeling only slightly better. I started a second round of antibiotics I had on hand. By the next day I was beginning to mend. I had some type of infection. Probably sinuses. The body aches were gone. My energy level was returning to normal. My jaw is finally starting to lose the purple and yellow bruising from the surgery.

Life has been kicking my ass for me lately, but I will be okay in time.

Below: the top drop of Towee Falls. You can see the remnants of the old dam around it.