above: Rhododendron minus in bloom today
Waterfall Keepers Spring 2026 Work Trip
Dana & Kenny Koogler
Sunday May 17, 2026
I joined Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina almost immediately after its formation. I adopted several waterfalls and kept up my quarterly clean ups and filed my reports. I participated in group events.
I then had to take time off to get my bone on bone knees replaced so I let my membership lapse.
Once I had all that accomplished I realized it was time to rejoin and start participating again.
I rejoined and adopted Twentymile Cascades and Yellow Creek Falls which are both in the Graham Co. NC area. I am happy to report that my Spring waterfall work trip was a success and was very easy!
I found almost no trash to pick up at either spot! I did make introductions of myself to the rangers at Twentymile. Very nice fellows. It delighted me to see that the areas are well cared for and what little trash I did find was obviously tiny specks that had gotten dropped by accident. The corner off a gum wrapper or candy bar wrapper. A tiny cigarette butt. A button off a coat. I had barely enough trash to fill the bottom of a Wal-mart plastic bag.
It was a delightful day for exercise, doing good deeds, enjoying some mood boosting negative ions at the falls, and enjoying life! We found a neat old road called the Paynetown Road that goes to an old cemetery that the NPS cannot block access to! It was a mild adventure.
We had lunch at Tapoco Tavern. We moved on to Yellow Creek Falls to do a hike and pick up.
Once again a beautiful hike and nearly no trash!
I encourage anyone who hikes to waterfalls in the Carolinas to join the organization and perhaps adopt a waterfall. If you don't want to adopt a falls you can participate in group hikes or work trips when you feel like it!
One thing I am glad about is changing waterfalls I've adopted. I had become bored with my old ones. It is good to change up.
Below: close up view of galax flower
Below: Lower Twentymile Cascade has lots of downed trees and limbs in it these days.
Below: this is Lower Twentymile Cascade from a few years back before all these trees fell on it.
Below: a different look at the old Paynetown Road
Below: a look at Yellow Creek Falls today
Below is a video of Upper Twentymile Cascade
Dana - so good to see you're still getting out to the waterfalls, and blogging! There's so much good information in sites like yours that they're trying to bury in all the nonsense that gets produced these days. So refreshing to see posts like this one. Keep on chasing!
ReplyDeleteJordan!!! Great hearing from you! Hope you are doing awesome these days.Oh yes. I am not going to change. I've slowed down some, but I'll always be a waterfall gal. I know what you mean. I love nature and informative stuff, but there is a lot of garbage/brain rot out there. We are above all that!!
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