Wildcat Falls 2018

Some variety of buttercup blooming 

Wildcat Falls 2018

Dana Koogler & Wally Storey

Friday June 8, 2018

Pictures are here:  Wildcat Falls Pix 2018

and more detailed photos of the area and the whole hike from a 

previous trip in Autumn are here: Autumn Hike to Wildcat Falls

  I got a call from my friend Wally Storey wanting to get up for a hike.  I was keen to say yes.

He tossed out several ideas for places he wanted to try. We hit on Wildcat Falls in Slickrock

Wilderness. It is not a good place to hike solo and neither of us would feel comfortable doing so.

It is a very pretty hike and though I'd done it several times before no one needed to  twist my arm

to talk me into going again.  He has already completed the Carolina Mountain Club's Waterfall 100

Challenge. He is currently working on Kevin Adam's lists.  He lacked only five or so on that list!

Wildcat Falls was one of them.   We planned to meet up at the Big Fat Gap trailhead Friday morning.

    Wally is a fine friend with lots in common.  He has also experienced being tied down with family 

obligations recently and knows what that is like for me.   It was great to get out.   I had a bad sinking

spell in my mood just prior to this planned trip.   I was down in the dumps over the struggles with

Jared & Lydia and their drug problems.  Although Jared is doing well our daughter in law appears to be still struggling.  It has been tough and it grieves me to see what Gabriel is being subjected to 

on account of it.   I try to maintain a positive outlook, but sometimes I don't succeed.  

    We met up at the trailhead and exchanged greetings and got going. We did not want to goof off

too much since the afternoon forecast was for a thunder storm.    It was good seeing Wally again.

We enjoyed a nice day in the woods. I did not talk as much or take as many photos as usual. Mostly

because I was in a funk, but partly because I had been a couple times before.   

   We had no problems finding our way, but could see the trails and creek fords were showing some signs of damage from previous storms.  Lots of downed trees.  I would have had a much harder time 

finding out which way to go had I not been a couple times already.   It is a wilderness and while

I think it is in pretty good shape it is not maintained to National Park or State Park standards.

    It was a hot day and the high temperature for the day was ninety-five back home.

I am sure it wasn't that hot here, but it was still nice to ford the cold mountain creeks and 

splash around and swim today.    I felt blessed to have a good friend who doesn't give up on me

even when I am not the best company. By days end Wally had me in a much better mood and 

my outlook for the future far more positive. Thanks my friend.  :-)  Thank the Good Lord for

sending us people in our lives to care for us when we are not at our best.  

   Wildcat Falls rides the state line as does the Slickrock trail between North Carolina and Tennessee.

We got there without incident.   A massive tree was down and lapped over the area where you climb down the bank to reach the falls.   Another spot where it would have been easy to miss an important land mark.   We made it down to the creek.  I could not wait. I waded right in to that icy water.

Even I thought this water was very cold.  I managed to jump in briefly to cool off, but it was the kind of cold that turns you bright red at once.   You don't stay in long!  Wally got in also.   After we cooled off we ate some lunch and rested.   The day was beautiful.  The only bad thing today was the gnats were thick.  Kenny and I had the same problem hiking here in Summer the first time! 

    

Above and below.. Wildcat Falls. I love the pebbles in the shoal in front of it.   

 Above and below... closer views of the shimmery, clear water and colorful pebbles.

 Below: Looking downstream on Slickrock Creek at the falls.

The hike back out was not eventful.  No falls or slips or trouble.  We only encountered a few other hikers all day.  The hike back out isn't bad until you get to a point where the uphill starts. Even that is not bad if you just take your time and pace yourself.  It is tough in the heat though.   One crazy thing that happened was near the top of the trail.  Just before our last big push to the top I was going super slow because it was so hot.  I was just in front of Wally.  I heard a steady buzzing, but did not see any bees yet.  I looked round to see a yellow jacket nest in and around a tree ahead of us.   We just eased on past quickly and carefully and neither of us got stung!  That is a great accomplishment far as I am concerned.  I have been stung wading up into the middle of yellow jackets before!  Very thankful we were able to avoid getting stung!

   Thanks Wally for including me in your day and for being a wonderful friend. I look forward to our next adventure. I also look forward to meeting Kathy.   You guys gotta be great. Anyone who has the same sense of humor as me is awright!  

Below is a short video of the falls.

Slickrock Creek to Lower Falls Kayak & Hike Trip

Looking over the front of my kayak on Calderwood Lake


Lower Falls on Slickrock Creek-Kayak & Hike Trip

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Sept. 25, 2011
Paddle distance 2 miles approx.
Hike Distance 2 miles approx. 

**Repaired Blog with missing photos**
Slickrock Pix

     Kenny and I loaded up a picnic lunch and the kayaks and headed across the mountains to  Deals Gap, North Carolina.  We fixed us a tailgate lunch since it was already noon.  We put the kayaks in the water at Calderwood Lake Access.  We had spotted loads of cars at the trail head for Slickrock Creek before we headed to the dock.  Lots of people were boating and camping today.  It was hard to find a spot to park.  The day was about 70 degrees. Crystal clear blue skies with just a few pretty puffy white clouds.  The lake looked like silver.

         We paddled from the dock about a mile.  Our goal was the mouth of Slickrock Creek and a hike to Lower Falls.  We spotted a bald eagle while we paddled.  We also saw a king fisher bird.  Everyone we met on the lake was in excellent spirits and very friendly. The water smelled fresh and clean.  Paddling my kayak or a canoe is to me the most Zen experience.

I always sleep like a baby after a day out on the water. It is a dose of Mother Natures Nerve Medicine. Good old fashioned exercise. Sunshine. Fresh air. Cool water. Beautiful scenery.  And no weird side effects!

      We soon made our way round the bend and paddled the rest of the way up Slickrock Creek.   We could hear the creeks cascades crashing down ahead of us.  Two men and two backpacking tents were camped by the stream.  They were smiling and admiring the kayaks.

The creek here is quite shallow just a few feet in from the lake.  Calderwood Lake used to be part of the Little Tennessee River until it was dammed.  The water in the creek was even clearer and colder.  We beached the kayaks and climbed up to reach the trail that heads upstream. 

      I had hiked this trail twice before. I hiked it in Spring several years ago from Cheoah Dam to Lower Falls. It is an excellent Spring wildflower hike.  We did a shuttle hike one Summer on this trail. We put a vehicle at Cheoah Dam and drove round to Big Fat Gap.  We hiked from the gap all the way through to Wildcat Falls, past it and continued through to Lower Falls and back round to Cheoah.  That day we got to take some good swims in the river and saw a rattlesnake.   Now I was seeing what this area looked like in Fall.

      A wilderness hiking trail is not much like the well traveled, groomed, maintained trails of a National Park or State Park.  The further you go from a popular trail head the harder it can be to follow.  We passed one group of about six or seven adults who were dismayed at the mats of washed down sticks and debris and rocky conditions. They turned around and left.

I always like the challenge of route finding and surmounting different obstacles. Creek fords can be hilarious unless it is so rapid and deep that its unsafe.   Today was warm. The water levels were low and fording was just a nice time to play in the water.

Hell yes, that is too a path! It's a wilderness. Ain't goan be no normal, maintained path!

 
 It was no time until we arrived at Lower Falls. It is not the most spectacular waterfall for size, but the whole scene is pretty. Great swimming hole too! I can say that from first hand experience.  There are lots of calm, deep pools of water with leaves falling into them. They gleam black in the light.  We passed lots of pretty cascades on the way.  There is a mossy cliff covered top to bottom in mosses, lichens, and cliff clinging vegetation like galax and grass of parnassus.  It drips water even in the driest times.

       We spent some time relaxing at the falls then turned for the trip back.

It was a nice easy hike and paddle trip.  By the time we returned it was about 4 pm and there was not a soul around.  Everyone had left. Once we passed those few people nearer the trails start we never saw another person. 

      The woods smelled of the coming of Autumn.  I look forward to many more hikes in crunchy leaves to beautiful spots this year.

 

Bald Eagle in the trees over the lake.



Golden light on Slickrock Creek and fallen leaves



Lower Falls on Slickrock Creek