Alarka Falls and More With Friends

 

Pink Turtleheads

 

Alarka Falls, Bradley Branch Falls, &  Wrights Creek Falls 

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Mike Gourley

Mike Maples

Sunday August 16, 2015

Photos are here starting with frame 507

Alarka Pix

Photos for the rest of the trip are here
beginning with frame 289

Bradley Branch Falls and Wrights Creek Falls 

     Sunday we got up early and met Mike Gourley and Mike Maples at Sugarlands Visitor 

Center.  We had planned a trip back to Alarka Falls so they could see it for themselves.  We had 

discussed going into the headwaters exploring, but that idea was a poor one. Rich had a startling

rattlesnake encounter last week . It is Dog Days.  Between the two things the prospect of bushwhacking in an area devoid of trails was not appealing. Kenny flat refused to do it.  

Rich wanted to go, but was not keen on it at this time of year. We put that idea off until 

Fall when things cool down and the snakes go to bed.   

      Kenny had met Mike Gourley and hiked with him before.   I introduced him to Mike Maples.

I had met Mike before and have been familiar with him for a long while.  Today would be the first time we would hike together!  I felt very fortunate indeed.   We talked it over and quickly decided

that we'd just take Kenny's truck and all ride in style.  I love me some wild eyed Southern boys and pickup trucks.  We decided to go to the base of Alarka Falls and climb up to the top, visit the various

drops of it, then climb back down.  We'd eat some lunch and then go round to the Qualla Boundary to explore some short waterfall hikes.   All of today's adventures would be new for the two Mikes.

The Qualla Boundary waterfalls would be new to all of us.  I had waypoints for all of them as did Mike Gourley.   Kenny's navigation system in the truck takes the decimal style that I had.  

       We realized on the way down the road that we had taken off without the cooler which

contained our beverages and lunch.   We got there with snacks and everything else important but that.

We made a quick detour in Cherokee on the way to our hike and grabbed some drinks and Subway 

sandwiches.   Problem solved.    

      I had brought a printed, bound copy of the Alarka Laurel Trail Guide with me. 

I wanted to see how useful it could be when put to practice.   Kenny disputed me on the 

exit and the direction of travel on the US 74 Expressway. I pulled out my written instructions and voila!  I had it right there in black and white.    I think this is going to be very good!

           The drive back to Alarka at the base of the falls trail is an experience in getting to 

the back woods.  Both Mike Gourley and Mike Maples are accustomed to it so they like us were not

put off in the slightest.   The sort of isolation in a place like that can be unsettling to some 

persons.   We lived in an Ag-Forestal District for decades so it seems natural to us.  

        We gathered our gear and hit the trail.   We passed by a few side trails that cut over to 

the stream.   We stopped for photos of a few smaller, scenic cascades on the hike up. 

We approached the base of the falls and  saw an owl!  It hung around for awhile and we 

were able to enjoy seeing it and get some photos.   I had seen an owl hear once before.

I realized today what the message of the owl was for me and what Alarka has been trying to 

tell me.   It was good to be there today.  It is such a special, beautiful place and I felt great getting

to share it with my friends.  

Hooty Hoo to you and you!  Owl in the forest at Alarka Falls. 

Alarka Falls from the main, first vantage at the base of it.    We spent some time goofing off here

and taking photos.  It is hard to take it all in.   It was such an easy hike up to that point.  

Mike Maples and Mike Gourley were thinking this was it.  I explained that there was a lot more.

We would not be able to see it from here. We would have to continue climbing if we wished to 

see the rest of it.  These two mountain goats don't mind it at all.   I knew they would find it easy.

It is not easy for me, but I surprised myself in a good way.   Climbing up the mountain to see it is

far easier than climbing down. It is also much easier than hiking out to it, climbing down, then climbing back up, and hiking all the way out.   It appears the manway up the slope is being traveled and has been improved.  Downed trees are now gone.  The way is easier and if you stay over away from the brink of the falls you can save yourself a lot of trouble and worry.   

          We climbed up and went over to a few drops of it for photos.   The climb up was tough for me.

I was stunned beyond belief when we got to a point where the trail turned and went down and right.

We went a few feet and I was standing looking at the little homemade platform and cable at the top of the falls! I exclaimed "We're here! We are at the very top!"   From there I went out and got photos of the very top cascade which is pretty.  Kenny waited on me and set up his Fantasty Football league.

Mike and Mike began climbing down to start photographing the drops of the falls below us.

     Uppermost Cascade of Alarka Falls.  

One of many slides and cascades on the way down. I read today that the height estimate for this falls is 280 ft.  I had said 200,but felt that was probably on the conservative side.  

     I was glad to not be here alone and to have Kenny with me.  I began remembering last September

being there with Cathy. We got way off course and got too close to the brink of the falls both going down and climbing back up.   I could see the mistakes I made as I went down the manway this time.

By the time we got to the next drop where we stopped to take photos my hands were trembling and I was having to take some slow, deep breaths.  Kenny reassured me and I calmed down pretty readily.

           We got some photos of the falls and the spray and the terrain made it really tough.

Middle drop of Alarka Falls. This one is my most favorite view of it.  

Mike Gourley liked it best too.  

Mike Maples at the brink of the drop below me.  Masses of pink turtlehead flowers in the foreground.

  Once we got done taking pictures here we packed up and headed down.  It went a lot better than 

previous times.  Karma really is a bitch.  I was telling Mike Maples a story about Mike Gourley falling at Smith Branch and rolling and I fell right then.  Mike Gourley was behind me and saw it and laughed at me.  Next HE fell and I got to laugh at him again. Mike Maples laughed at both of us.

Kenny remarked that Mike Maples was so nimble he was like a squirrel!    It makes me so jealous.

   We scarfed down some lunch back at the truck.  We loaded up and headed to hunt for more waterfalls.   The GPS tried to tell us the next batch of falls was thirty three miles away.  I knew that could not be correct and it wasn't.    We headed back toward Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary.

We stopped on the way back out Alarka Road for the two Mikes to get some photos of the old log

cabins in the area.     Once we got headed in the right direction on the 74 Expressway the distance 

dropped to fifteen miles.   

  World Waterfall Database is an excellent resource.   We had four green lighted falls shown on the list in one little area.  Crowe Hill Falls, Reed Falls, Bradley Branch Falls and Wrights Creek Falls.

My assessment of it based on google maps and the satellite view was that we'd find them all, but 

that Wrights Creek Falls and Bradley Branch Falls would be the two best ones.   Turns out that was how it went.  Waterfall hunters are never completely satisfied if they find all the falls easily, simply every time.   We have to have a little mystery and challenge left.   Crowe Hill Falls would be the 

mystery of the day. I will expound on that later in the trip report.  

     Mike Gourley sitting in the back with his handheld GPS turned out to be a far more sensible 

and effective navigator than Kenny's truck system!  He doesn't try to loop you ten miles out of the way to make a U turn either!   He even lined them up along the road as to what we would come to first.   Reed Falls is about 15 ft high, visible from the road. Not much water and has a house at the top of it.   Crowe Hill Falls we found, but the given way point was a two foot tall slanting, wet rock in a creek that looked like a drainage ditch.   Bradley Branch Falls is beside Wrights Creek Church.

You can pull in there and it is about ninety feet high.  It needs more water volume to be spectacular, but is so easy to access that it would be worth including in a return trip if we've had good rain.

 Bradley Branch Falls

    Cranefly orchids by Bradley Branch Falls.  Saw lots of these pretty, native orchids.

      We laughed and carried on. Mike Maples teased me about having pooped my pants because my backside was grubby dirty from all the falling around and scooting down dirt banks.   We were all clowning today and it felt mighty good to be silly.    

           We moved on to the last falls of the day which turned out to be the pick of the litter out of this batch of four waterfalls.     Wrights Creek Falls is located behind the Waterfalls Church. It is an easy 150 yard walk back there to see it. It is only about fifteen feet high, but so scenic.   It has rocky grottoes and old stone structures around it.  It is shaded for much of the day making it a good place to get waterfall photos.    We strolled back through gaura that was seven feet tall, golden wingstem about six feet tall, purple new york ironweed, four foot high orange spotted jewelweed.  The setting there in this residential area of the Qualla boundary is idyllic.    Being there with my husband and my friends was excellent.  

        Wrights Creek is a very healthy stream with a good Summer time flow.   That being said take along your water shoes or prepare for wet boots getting to the falls.   You pass a stone BBQ pit on the way to the falls. Mike Maples explained to me that style of old BBQ pit is a 'blacksmith style". Make sense. I remember a lot of folks having those when I was a little girl.    Right beyond that was a stone structure like a little house.   It was set in a stone grotto cut out of the bank. 

Old BBQ pit

Stone house by Wrights Creek Falls

Rock grotto within the stone house

 Rock outcrop you have to go round to reach the falls.

Wrights Creek Falls! Gorgeous!

   We had plenty of time to check out the waterfall and enjoy the cool green setting.  Mike Maples

explored up the creek above the falls.   I remarked that he and Cathy were cut from the same clothe. They both like to go up the creek or amble around to see what else they can find!

      

Below is a mellow video of Wrights Creek Falls.  It sums our day up very well.




I enjoyed my day with my hubby and our pals.  It was great.  Exactly what I needed.

  Solving the Mystery of Crowe Hill Falls

      I mentioned in the trip report that we found Crowe Hill Falls, but it was piddley.  The waypoint was dead on it.    World Waterfall Database has a criterion for what qualifies as a waterfall.  It has to be fifteen feet tall to make the cut.  I emailed them and related to Bryan what we found , and that I felt it should be removed from the database.  Making a long story short, it turns out that the way point  is incorrect and Crowe Hill Falls is a five foot tall cascade we saw on Wrights Creek on our way up there.   It is a pretty cascade,but still not big enough to be included on the database. I don't know what they'll decide to do about it.   Mystery solved? Maybe si, maybe no.   We passed a road

later in our day going through Cherokee that said "Crowe Hill Falls Lane". 

***Magicmomma's Crystal Ball of the Future***


I see finding more waterfalls up there. 
I see a movie made from the headwaters to the base of the falls. --
I see the U.S. Forest Service removing the trash barrel.
I see the Mud Pit  pull off blocked to further vehicle access.
I see the trail to the top of the falls cut back.
I see myself hiking the trail from the Red Spruce Bog all the way
round to the Top of the Falls trail. 
I see the property owners at the bottom along Alarka Road
telling me it IS okay to visit Fall Branch Falls.
I see me and my pals and my hubby going to Mingo and Upper Mingo Falls.
I see a guidebook completed for Alarka Laurel!

Edited to Add ** as of 6/9/2021

I believe I have found an additional waterfall at Alarka. Perhaps two of them.

One on Huckleberry Creek, the other down the road on a small side branch below Gunter Cemetery

  I have made a movie of the falls from its headwaters to the base of the falls.

The U.S. Forest Service did remove the trash barrel and the place is a bit cleaner.

The mud pit is blocked off to access though a new one has been stirred up at the parking spot for top of the falls trail.

 Plan to go cut the trail to the top of the falls back this Summer

I do not know if I will EVER hike from the spruce bog to the Top of the Falls Trail.  Thanks to the brush.

I did get to go see Fall Branch Falls in March of 2016 or so. Same year I finished my research and made the movie.  It is a nice falls though for me it was one and done. 

  Mike Maples passed away in 2019  years ago.  We never did go back to Mingo and Upper Mingo Falls. (click the link to see his photo and obituary) 

I did finish my Alarka Guide. 

As of 6/6/2021 I adopted Alarka Falls as my Waterfall Keepers project.  

I should have done this all along.   It is done in honor and in memory of Walton and Annie Dee Smith who graciously cared for the area and championed the Nantahala National Forest.    May they rest in peace.   I have reached out to their daughter in law to try to let them know of the service, but I've yet to hear back.

**Crowe Hill Falls Mystery Update** 

Back in May when we went to Cherokee to camp for Spring wildflowers...

I saw the Crowe Hill Falls sign again in a residential area.  I came home and researched it further.   I believe I may have found the falls. It was not where the original location was indicated.   Not even close.  It may be on a hill in this residential area, but it is private property.  The topography and elevation profile indicates there should be a cascading type falls there.    

Smith Branch Cascade Attempt #1

Bracket fungus along the manway

Smith Branch Cascade Attempt #1

Friday May 22, 2015

Mike Gourley and Dana Koogler

Total bushwhack distance?

IDK

Pictures are here beginning with frame #384

Smith Branch Cascade Attempt #1 Pix

Smith Branch Cascade on Tennessee Landforms

  We had planned to bushwhack today to a waterfall neither of us had visited if time permitted.

We headed to Kephart Prong Trailhead after leaving Barnett Branch. We opted to leave my vehicle

at Mingus Mill since parking can be a problem on busy days at this particular trail.   Mike hadn't slept well the previous night.  We were both weary from the earlier adventures in the day. About half of the mileage for the day would end up being off trail.   Yet, Mike was off the next day and had plans with his spouse, Shelley.      He said he so rarely had a Saturday off that and did not get over to the NC side of the Smokies as much as he'd like .  We both wanted to fit in a lot today.  

     Kenny and I were planning on going camping this weekend, but did not have to leave until Saturday morning.  If I got home this evening and we felt froggy and wanted to leave that was good too.   We'd go for it.   We both had checked out the waypoints and the track of the old manway to Smith Branch the evening before.   Mike had been in communication with Jenny Bennett who gave him the low down on where to pick up the manways start and a brief description of it.   Her trip report mentioned that she and whomever she hiked with  lost the manway at one point on the way to the falls.   We gauged it would be about a mile hike off trail one way.

          I really like Kephart Prong area. I had not seen the old CCC camp ruins.  I was looking
forward to the adventure.  I had not read Jenny's blog entry about this trip fully, but it was a small
matter.  We checked out the old CCC ruins.    We found the start of the manway without any real problem.   What transpired after that was a bonding of friends during a difficult experience. Self inflicted, but that's how we does.

       
Above and below.. ruins from the old CCC Camp. Civilian Conservation Corps back during the Depression Era.



         

    The woods were fairly open.  The temperature was perfect. We had a good day to do this.
We set out in the right general direction.   We saw some beautiful pink lady slippers on the way.

Clump of pink lady slipper orchids in the middle of the forest.

  We followed the old manway easily in places, but lost it in others. We'd pick it up again.

We were both experienced off trail hikers. Mike had the way point on the GPS.   We didn't have any real trouble until we trended down and began following Smith Branch on a side hill. I was running out of steam very rapidly.   I was hitting a wall physically and psychologically.   We did pass a pretty cascade down there which I wondered if that was it?  Yet we had not arrived at the split in the creek.

Finally I was  just over it. I was embarrassed and upset with myself, but out of energy. Still had to get back to the trailhead at least and not much to go on.    We rested.  I had that gut feeling from the lay of the land and the way the light was coming into the gorge that we were messing up.  Making this way harder than it had to be.    

          Mike lead us up onto the ridge top.  We did pick up a much better track up there.  We followed it out wide around the ridge and swung down and around.  The going was much easier.   Finally we began heading down since the terrain was getting worse again.   I saw the spring creek drainage we'd crossed and while we were now it is headwaters I knew we needed to trend down here.  

We followed it down and before long we re-crossed the spring seepage where we'd started the really bad stuff from there forward.     It was good to see it again. I knew we had the worst behind us.

          We made our way back out of there and eventually saw the Kephart Prong trail to our right.

Back past the hog trap and out onto the trail.   Ah!  It was a short distance to the vehicle.

Mike said something about me never wanting to go hiking with him again.  I reassured him that was NOT the case that we don't give up on each other. He accepts me flaws and all and I do as much for him.  That's what friends do.  Especially those of us who engage in this odd hobby. Our form of self flagellation.  We were hot, sweaty, dirty, scratched up. I found bruises upon bruises later.

          It will be done over.  I am moving this one up to the short list for Winter.

 Soon as the weather is cool and we have good rain fall we'll go back.    Its getting too snakey and hot and overgrown for this stuff.   Kenny says he'll go back and we'll make this a priority. It is a point of pride now to find that falls.    I am also going to print a photo to take along to recognize the cascade for sure when we arrive at it.  And failing to find it.. I will at least take photos of the one we did find.

           We lived to tell the tale and that is what counts.   Not the first time I've needed a do over.

Most assuredly won't be the last.

I don't know about Mike, but I arrived home sore as a boil and exhausted.  I was ready for the nursing home. We did not leave to go camping until Saturday morning! 

Seven Waterfalls in One Day

Southern Red Trillium 

Seven Waterfalls in One Day

Dana Koogler

Mike Gourley

Friday April 10, 2015

Total hike distance 3 miles approx. 

Cumberland Plateau Waterfalls

   I want to get Rogers Creek Falls off my bucket list THIS Spring.   Plan A was for me, Kenny

and Mike to hike there and finish it.  Mike has been before, but was unaware when he visited that

there was a second waterfall about 1/10th of a mile from the one listed as a Tennessee Landforms 

waypoint.   He also visited during a time of low water flow.  He was keen to go and hit up the second 

waterfall and once we'd done those we'd revisit Puncheon Camp Creek Twin Falls as well.

      The forecast called for ninety percent rain on Friday. Kenny was not sure he'd be home from 

Nebraska and able to go.   None of us wanted to attempt a descent into the gorge to visit Rogers Creek 

Falls in the rain.  We decided to have a Plan B in store so that if the day turned rainy we could still meet

up and hike. I thought of several good falls Mike was interested in visiting.  We would not mind

going back either since we'd only been once before ourselves.   Friday dawned raining as predicted.

Kenny did not make it back Friday.   We settled on Plan B.

        We headed down the road to Van Buren County having agreed to leave it loose and just 

enjoy the day.    One thing about hiking on a rainy day is that if you're hunting waterfalls in many ways it is easier.  Driving along the road they just jumped out at me in several places.    Some were of the wet weather variety and almost certainly don't have water on them during drier times.   Others were authentic waterfalls

worth submitting to the database.  We were the dynamic waterfall finding duo today.  I had conned Mike

into driving my jeep which left me free to navigate.    I wanted to be certain I was focused fully on that task.

I did not want to let my friend down and fail to find the area. No worries about that.

We found it just fine.  On the way we kept stopping to see various other falls.  We had visited three

before we ever got to the planned, main event!

This is a new one which has water all the time.  Mike named it DK falls.  good a name as any.

   Next up I got a HUGE surprise off my wish list.  I had long dreamed of hiking off trail in the Dry Fork 

Gulf addition of Fall Creek Falls State Park and finding something beautiful.  We found it today! 

A verdant Springtime gorge with ribbons of white water, green velvet moss, pale green budding leaves, redbud trees drew our eyes and we stopped again.    Before I knew it we were bushwhacking out along

the banks of this ravine and my dream was coming true!  We saw three varities of trillium in bloom.

Southern Red, toadshade, and prairie trillium!  Jack in the pulpit was also found along with

Virginia pennywort.   

Above and below are a couple views of the waterfalls and cascades in Dry Fork.

 Looking out of a large rock shelter high above the stream.  You can barely make out Mike's blaze orange hat in the distance.

View of the beautiful pale pinks and greens along the road.  

A pretty waterfall pair framed up by red bud trees.  Wet weather falls. 

The Destination

(July 31, 2020-- Edited to add- The property in question is for sale. I reached out to Kristen Hanratty of TennGreen to see if the state would consider purchasing it.  I pitched it too.  ) 

       
The rain was easing up as we made our way toward Spencer.   It started and stopped a number of times. The forecast called for it to stop for good around two p.m. which is exactly what it did.

We arrived at our destination and parked the jeep.  We had spied a large waterfall gushing out of the face of a rock down in a quarry area or gravel pit on our way.  We thought if it worked out right we'd try to get back there to see it for ourselves.     We wanted to get going though.  

        The area where we parked was littered with trash of every sort. It looks like at some time in the past it was someone's combination party spot and dumping ground for unwanted household items.  We passed a couch which has grown mossy from being out so long.   All this was here on my previous visit.   It doesn't look any worse, but it is surely no better.   We passed the ruins of an old house, outbuildings and a barn. The barn is damaged, but still solid and standing.  

        Cool looking formations on the little side road. 

 We continued and today we turned down a side road to the right that Kenny and I had not

noticed before.   It was lined with some interesting rock formations.  We couldn't be sure it would lead us to where we needed to go.  In the interest of time we had to stick with the original route.

We will have to return for a more thorough investigation of where that path leads. It may provide

a more sensible route to see all these falls.   I had told Mike today was going to be a short, easy hike.   He identified a problem with me which IS:  Yes, the hike is short and easy to FIND the waterfalls.  The Hike is very DIFFICULT to reach a point to actually VIEW the falls and photograph them!  Well stated.   Honest. I had to own it.    

      We soon heard rushing, roaring water.   We were at the top of the falls!

I was stupefied to realize that while we waded the creek straight across last time with no problem, 

today that was going to be trickier.    The water was deep enough to be running fast and 

would be a wet foot crossing to start the day off.   You are crossing within twenty feet of the top

of the main plunge of the falls. Getting swept over would plunge you sixty feet to your death.

No pool at the bottom of this to catch you to give you even a slight chance of making it. 

The water re-enters the ground.   Sullivan Falls source stream comes out of the ground, flows across a logging road, plunges sixty feet, re-enters a labyrinth of pits, channels and caves,

flows back out of the ground as a split stream and goes back in the ground for good.  All this takes place in about a hundred yards.  

      The cave above this area is dry.  We decided rather that start off wet we'd enter the cave, come out the other side.. and walk out on dry ground.  It was a good plan.   The cave is 

sitting above a rushing stream, but is powder dry.  The ceiling of it is alive and busy making formations.  We did not touch it.  

 

        Looking out of an un-named cave above Sullivan Falls. 

Living mineral formations on the ceiling of the cave.

Touching them kills them. We used care to avoid harming the cave.

Don't litter. Don't touch.  No graffitti. No rock cairns.  This cave did not have any creatures living in it that we could see.

     We walked a short distance past Sullivan Falls.   I found the spot to climb down and being the pro off trail hiker that he is.. Mike spotted it without any help from me.   Down over the bluff we went.  No trail exists here. You cannot even see where anyone else has trod really.  The ground was soft and loamy.   A small cane brake is starting to form along the slope.  

Switch cane growing in the steep bank.  The photo does not illustrate how steep this area is.
I was taking my time getting photos of wildflowers. I saw my first fire pink of the season here.
Mike was down the bluff like he had a magnet pulling him toward something.  He was shortly hollering for me to get down there that I was gonna wanna see this!!  I worked my way carefully down the bluff by circling round to the left and back down gradually.   I saw a tiny drip coming off the embankment.  I could hear a roar below me which grew louder as I approached.  
I had suspected based on the sound down in the gorge below the logging road on a previous trip
that there was some sort of pit cave.  It took Mike a matter of seconds to find it!  What a find it was too.   The pit is about thirty feet deep.  No telling if the water coming out the bottom really falls in a torrent straight down or if it only comes from part of the distance?  Perhaps a future trip
will reveal the answer.   It is very hard to get an idea of what this was like so rather than post an image I am embedding a video.  It is very cool!  We'll call this one Pit Cave Falls. 

You can see from the video all that water goes right back into the ground. 

     We stood and took it in for awhile.  At last we climbed back up the bluff toward Sullivan Falls.
I remembered we just had to work our way round the side of the hill to get to the falls last time.
Today was going to be worse.  All the rain had the ground spongey, soft, and slippery.  The thin, black loamy soil gave way easily as did the thin sheets of rock scattered on the ground.  We avoided stepping on any of those.  The approach to the falls had Mike and I both gaping.
I knew I had done it before, but standing here now I was not any better off than he for having 
the past experience.   We were finally able to get close enough for an unobstructed view 
of the main waterfall without sliding over the cliff.    

Front on view of Sullivan Falls main drop.

Once we had that hard part over we climbed down the bluff further and were able to approach this bottom portion of Sullivan Falls with a lot less difficulty.   You can see the falls splits into at least two above ground parts as it comes back to the surface!

    It had completely quit raining!  It dawned on me and I was really glad.  The sun was trying to come out.  It was warm.   It was humid.  I realized it was about 2 pm and I had not eaten lunch yet.
I made myself sit down to eat my peanut butter and banana sammidge.  I enjoyed my surroundings.  The green trees, the roar of the waterfall, the shush of the water as it re-entered the ground.  Around us on the cliffs other small falls pattered down.   Wildflowers and ferns grew lush on this slope.   Moss clung to the ancient boulders.   Below me Molloy Hollow spread out.
I could not help wondering what else is down there?  I hope we get the chance to find out.
Our waterfall count was up to five thus far.  

Clump of long spurred violets growing on the slope near the falls.

      We took plenty of time checking this place out.   I dreaded climbing back up the bluff.  It was
tough, but it was not far.  It turned out to not be easy hard as I thought.   I was very glad to be back on level ground and have what I knew to be the hardest part of the trip today over with.
Out the logging road we went.  We passed one more wet weather falls that looked like a massive, rocky set of steps. It was barely wet.    Not far past that we began to hear the roar of Laurel Creek Falls.    There is no trail to the base and the terrain is rugged around the fifty or sixty foot drop, but not as bad as the previous falls.  We carefully worked our way to the bottom.  The slopes around the waterfall were dotted with great masses of deep purple phacelia and green maiden hair ferns.    The trout lilies had been thick there, but they were long done blooming.   Lots more
water coming over Laurel Creek Falls today than my first visit!

 Laurel Creek Falls above, Below a closeup of the purple phacelia that grew on the banks all around it.    

      Laurel Creek Falls is a photographers dream.  It is approachable from all sides if you use care.   Mike having never been before provided me with another excuse to sit down on a rock and spend more time just enjoying being there.   I really need to do more of that.  It turned out to be one of the more enjoyable points of the trip. The sitting down and soaking in the surroundings. The sounds of the birds in the forest and the falls.  The smells of the fresh air and flowers.
The appreciation for the healthy hemlock forest and the sun coming out.  Mild temperatures.
The perfect day for hiking.   Below is a short, nice video of this waterfall.



        I am slow in my hiking and out of shape, so I began easing up the bank ahead of Mike.
I did not want to rush him, but I just wanted to go ahead and see what was beyond.  I had not gone
far until I came to a very scenic cascade right at the logging road.   It appeared to continue down
as another falls.  I hurried back to wait on him so we could see it together.   It turned out to be the the prettiest falls of the day in many ways.   It had four or five very scenic drops. The little shelves around the
various drops were lined with masses of purple phacelia.  The rock forms around it were incredibly carved.
We spent considerable time taking pictures. Shooting video.  Just enjoying the scenery.    Again there is no
trail down to the base of this, but if you are careful you can pick you way down the bank further out and come gradually down to it.   The water was gushing out of springs all around the logging road and the terrain
around the falls was more slopping wet mud.   Lots of yellow violets, canada violets, rue anemone, trilliums bloomed by the falls.   The little cove flattens out and it looks very inviting to just stroll on down through there.  It was growing late in the day. I was shocked to learn it was after five pm at this point.  I think
it was closer to seven when we finally tore ourselves away from our explorations.

    Sitting at Lick Branch Falls with the evening sun glowing down through the forest in those surroundings
was a sublime experience.   Today was one of those times when the "finding treasure" dream was realized.
I have a dream that recurs.  Sometimes I'm in a house with many rooms and I keep going from room to room finding unexplored secret passages and neat things in each place.  Sometimes I dream of being on a trail in the forest and this peaceful, elated feeling washes over me of finding treasures in nature.
Today I was living it.     To me there is nothing like it unless it is sharing it with a fellow nature lover.

 Looking at the various perspectives of an un-named falls.  I named it Lick Branch Falls, but it is not ON Lick Branch so it doesn't have a name now. 
This one was not on the database. 

Below is a short video of Lick Branch Falls which shows the various drops of it, 
even the uppermost cascade. 


The music in this video is Waterfall by Geoffrey Castle who is an electric violinist!  

    We had a great time.  We kept on exploring on the hike out.  Mike found two smaller cascades and 
a cave spring that all form the source water for Laurel Creek Falls!  He crawled in it.  I was over to one side 
taking pictures of that final small cascade and the pretty forest. I came back round and I saw this.

A blaze orange hat and a camera case by the cave mouth.  

 I got ready and waited for it.....

Here he comes out of the cave.   He's sure a good sport.  


             We made our way back to the vehicle.  We loaded our stuff up.  We did try to go see the rock quarry waterfall, but it was gated and they said no one admitted without a pass.   We left. 
We were tired and hungry.  We stopped by McDonald's in Sparta and grabbed some fast food.
It tasted mighty good and I was thankful for it! Our total for the day came in at seven waterfalls.
That is not counting the two smaller cascades Mike located!

   
What a good day with a great friend.   Thanks Mike for driving the Peep.

The waterfalls on this blog are listed in Tennessee landforms.  Beyond that I am not providing directions.   I look forward to many more days on the trail with this fellow and the rest of our hiking buddies.