Sophia Falls

Sophia Falls 

Kenny & Dana Koogler 

January 2019

Pictures are here: Sophia Falls Pix

Sophia Falls on Tennessee Landforms

  Back in Summer we tried to find Sophia Falls. It was a rainy day. The original plan for the day was to attempt to hike to three seldom seen waterfalls.  Two new to us and one oldie but goody.     We were able to ford Tellico River that day and ventured up to Wildcat Falls successfully.   We then went to try to find Sophia Falls which was a Brian Solomon discovery.

It was supposed to be down below the old Bald River Road off trail.   We spent a lot of time hunting up the area above it only to be put off by the terribly steep terrain and tons of Summer vegetation.   It looked like it needed to be approached a different way.  We scratched that and went on to Torino Falls.  The rain began to come down in earnest and once we made it back to the jeep we called it a day.   We vowed to do some more study on it and make another attempt to see Sophia Falls. 

Above: A bluebird day along Smithfield Road

     

   Fast forward to January 2019 and the first sunny Saturday we'd had free in a long spell.

We both decided after looking it over we'd try to find Sophia Falls today.   We would not try coming in from the Wildcat Road and Bald River Road again.  It just looked too steep and treacherous.   Additionally the stream below the falls looked like it would be a pretty place to 

hike off trail.  Maybe we'd even find some other falls!?!   We came in as Benjy Shaw, one of Kenny's co-workers suggested.  Came in off Hwy 68 and took Smithfield Road around to the Bald River Road and it was a much better trip.  Shorter and more straight forward.  

  We stopped at Tobes Creek Falls down at the road's intersection and took some photos and looked around.  Tobe's Creek Falls is pretty, but it is a rather small cascade.  Even with lots of water coming over it we did not find it too special.   

Above: Tobe's Creek Cascade is about 14 ft high.

Below: A crazy looking rock with angles cut in it. The river bed of Tellico River is similar to this only the edges are straight up and down instead of tilted!  

Above: Kenny has forded Tobe's Creek below the cascade and went on down to look for more waterfalls.  He indicated there was nothing worth heading down there for. 

    We drove on up Old Bald River Road very slowly looking around for places that looked like maybe someone was hiking down from there.   I had told Kenny based on what I'd seen from the map the terrain around the falls was super steep. I figured we'd probably have to come in from down nearer the road intersection and hike up the stream from there.   We looked and looked. We finally spotted a trail heading into the woods and down toward Tobe's Creek.   It was Warriors Passage Trail.    We found a place to park and walked up to that and hiked it as far as the creek.  Once there the trail forded and went away from the stream in a different direction.  We were all off trail from here.  The creek crossings were so numerous and just deep enough I was not in the mood to keep changing back and forth from boots to water shoes.  I decided to full throttle it and just plow through.    I left my boots on and was thankful the day was warm. The water was surprisingly warmer than I expected it to be!  Especially for a mountain stream.   We kept following the streams up and finally came to a point we were not expecting.   The stream drainage split and we could see we needed to go up the left side.   Kenny remarked he bet we'd be in the drainage we were just standing high above.   I imagined he was right, but I still would not have believed it possible to approach this falls any other way than from the bottom up.

Steep terrain that holds Sophia Falls. Looking back down this hanging valley.

       

  We began climbing steeply and seeing an increase in the volume of the stream.

Kenny began shouting he could see the falls.  Lo and behold I popped round a corner and there it was!   Sophia Falls is listed as a 60 footer.   It is every bit of that and a bit more if you count the cascades below it.   It was there in all its glory.  The terrain here was indeed steep but not unmanageable at this point.   I just had to take my time and work my way up to where Kenny now stood.   I heard something and looked up at the steep cliffs above us.  I could see a truck!!!! 

Sure enough the road was immediately above us.   I knew that if the road was that close there was a pretty good idea that 1. we had once again made the trip way harder than it had to be and 2. we were NOT going back the way we had come.    I was on one had relieved to think we might not have to cover all that ground on the return trip and a little scared at the idea of trying to climb out of this hole!

Looking straight up at the spot where I got a glimpse of a maroon truck!  See? You thought I'se jest kiddin' didn't ya when I said steep! 

Above the terrain was fairly open which was a mercy.  You don't have much to hold onto or space to walk on along here.

Above silky shot of Sophia Falls from the base

Above: a littler further up from the base.. Sophia Falls

It reminded me a tad of Mill Creek Cascade in the Smoky Mountains.  A long, winding cascade down the mountain!

Once we got to the view in the photo just below I began to be a tad more hopeful that we could hike out up top.   You can just make out Kenny's blue shirt in the photo on the left of the falls.

The view below is taken at the spot where the way point was taken.   Right at the base of the uppermost portion of the falls.   

Photos don't do it justice.   

   Once we got here we began our trudge out. Kenny went ahead of me scouting to see if we could find a way out.  We did indeed make it out to the road and while it was steep and tough, it was shorter.    Once you've seen that it can be done it would not be bad to come down this way.  Especially during cold weather when the snakes are asleep.  I'd still not want to do it during Summer since the vegetation would have been thick!   We were both tickled to death to see the dirt road.

We hiked it back down to the truck enjoying the sunshine and the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. 

Beautiful views out over the mountains from Old Bald River Road high in the Southern Unakas

Finally here is a video of Sophia Falls in all its glory.  

Big Piney Rock House

Big Piney Rock House

Friday Jan. 26, 2018

Dana & Kenny Koogler

 We went over to visit with John and Sharon in Fentress County on a much needed get 

away weekend.   We have been going through a rough spell in our personal lives thanks to the upheaval caused by having substance abusers in the family.  Relapse is part of recovery, but that doesn't mean its painless. You don't give up. You keep loving . You keep praying. You keep working the 12 steps and you keep trying.   We finally made arrangements with Gabe's other

grandparents and our daughter and son in law to watch him for a weekend.   It worked out great, but what we did not count on was how tired we were.  We also did not count on 

how after awhile the problems at home follow you. You cannot run from things forever.

You gotta talk things out and work on it.  

      The weekend turned out to be rainy on Sunday but the rest of the weekend was pretty fair.

We did hash out our differences and the time away from home and being with friends was good for us.   Below is a quote I have in art work framed and on the wall at my house.  A reminder to keep trying. Never give up. 

“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come.”--- Rumi 

     Big Piney Rock House

  Friday we ended up with a few hours to do something.    We needed to keep it short.

We went down into Big Piney gorge to see the massive rock house we found.  We wanted to 

check it out during cold weather.  It is probably very snakey down in there during warm weather.     We went to the Sandy side and started in.     We found the trail in fair shape.

Still lots of overhanging limbs but only one fallen tree.     We made it there and walked down

into the drainage and followed it back to the rock house.  It was pretty cool.  The late afternoon sun had the woods looking golden and smoky.   

 RZR on the trail at the rim of the gulf

Golden sun in late afternoon woods.  

 Finally made it to the rock house.

 Looking out from under it. Nice to see blue skies.

 Taken from the second level of the rock house.

 Late afternoon sun makes its way into the rock house' upper reaches.

 

  Once we'd checked it out we found an easier, quicker way back to the RZR and the trail. 
We went on down to the bottom of the gorge to see the creek. It was wintery and pretty. 

Incredibly clear and sparkling waters of Big Piney Creek.

 Lots of icicles still around. Edges of the stream still frozen.

We did a quick stop by the spot where a cemetery is supposed to be.  We did not find it, but did find the remains of an old structure.  We will have to try again.  I have a way point for next try.

  Saturday-- Trail into Lost Cane 

  Saturday we visited with John and Sharon a bit.  They invited us to have dinner with them.

We told them what we planned to get up to and they opted out.  I told them I had a feeling it might not end up being fun or a success.  Unfortunately I was right.   

We stopped by a house we pass sometimes on Boatland Road.   I had photos of Mrs. Koger's beautiful tiger lilies I had taken one Summer when they were extremely pretty.   I got prints made for her.  I brought her a candle I made.   We stopped for me to take them in. I met her son James and told him what I'd come for. He told me she passed away last June of cancer.  

I was stunned and saddened. I expressed my sympathies and sorrow at having not made it by there in time to meet her. I left the things with him to enjoy and promised to try to be more neighborly.  I went back to the RZR with Kenny and burst into tears as we pulled away.  

Don't hesitate to do something nice for another, because we never know when it may be too late.  Her name was Clarice Koger and she was only 72 years old.  A sweet looking silver haired lady.  I hate that she is gone.   

     We went on to Bills Creek and the upper trail on the ridge.  It was open, but lots of brush to whack me in the face. We finally got on to where we'd found  a side trail we believed led down off the ridge and into Lost Cane just below Frank's Flume.   We pulled over and walked it. 

The plan was to clear it out IF it went where we believed and IF it was not a mammoth task.

We followed the old road, but it did not end up going where we believed.  It would have indeed been too much of an undertaking to clear out.   We finally had to give up and go back.   I was down.

I just didn't care about anything right then.   I was still saddened.  

    We had a nice dinner with John and Sharon and lots of good conversation.   

We finally headed back to the No Tell Motel as I call it.. the Jordan Motel.  We slept and when we went to bed it was raining.  It was to have cleared out by morning, but it didn't.  We went back to Boatland to see John and Sharon and have breakfast. The day was rainy and cold and dreary.  

We said our good byes and headed home.

   It was good to get away, but most of our plans didn't turn out like we wanted. That is not the end of the world.  When you explore sometimes you are going to get disappointed.  At least we have the satisfaction of knowing what we wanted to know and can cross some things off our list.  

     A consolation prize was that at the start of the week a young couple reached out to me for help in finding Rainbow Falls.  I ended up helping them. Friending the lady on Facebook.  They are 

our kinda people!  I am very excited to get to meet them. They are Hippie Jack loving, music loving, outdoor loving, campers, four wheeling peeps!   A second good side effect of helping them?

I found out they can help me get to see Hell Hole and possible some of the other sink holes I want to check out to wrap up my sink hole research project. 

' A third great thing that happened was in studying the map for them I happened upon answers to accessing places I had wanted to reach! I also found new  questions for myself to have brand new Ponders over.  Julia Ross.. You know what I'm talkin' bout gurl!  LOL... The studying on a thing can be nearly as much fun as finally figuring it out!