( I started a Scotts Gulf album and will be adding to it. )
Our new friend Jay, myself and Kenny had wanted to get out to the Davis Cemetery and then continue out to Virgin Falls from the Caney Fork River/Big Bottom end. We had been to Davis cemetery before, but Jay had not. All of us had been to Virgin Falls before at least twice, but never
from the river side of things. One of the reasons for the hold out on Summer Virgin Falls trips is
the diminished flow in Summer. Who wants to commit to an eight mile round trip hike when the water volume on the main attraction may be pitiful? We got lucky though and the falls was running
just perfect. We saw spider lilies for the first time. We made friends with people. We had fun exploring the cave for the first time. It was very nice getting to meet Jay at last.
The trail from Big Bottom to the Davis Cemetery is rough. Rocky cobbles. Mud pits.
Downed trees. The Davis Cemetery trail from the cemetery to the Caney Fork and up toward Virgin Falls connector trail is in good shape. Only one downed tree and less mud. We never saw any snakes today ourselves, but talked to a fellow who had seen one. The river down at Big Bottom and up until much closer to Davis Ford was dry. There was one swimming hole left at Big Bottom.
The river approaching Davis Ford was running enough to be pretty, but easy to ford. No worries today about getting swept away in the current. Slippery rocks though. The Davis Ford had a big hole of water above it.
Davis Cemetery with comb graves.
Spider lilies are waist high and very pretty.
Old stone walls and chimney piles down in Scotts Gulf are found in many places.
Davis Ford up river of the ford.
Caney Fork River at Davis Ford not too bad to cross.
Virgin Falls front shot
Red hammock hanging up at the edge of Virgin Falls. They took it down later so we were able to get some shots minus the hammock.
In all previous trips I had not even been up to the caves of Virgin Falls. Jay had been up there before.
Today we met some really nice guys at the falls enjoying the day. They said they were my "fans".
I was honored that they even knew about my blog. We went in the cave and around to the back entrance which I did not even know existed! Never saw a single bat, but did see one spider.
Kenny sitting on a rock in the dark. You can see him back there with his head lamp.
Davis Cemetery Trail. It is so pretty.
We liked Jay. We finally got that trip scrached off the list of things we wanted to do.
Already looking forward to the next adventure. Hoping we get some rain so the waterfalls will get
flowing good!
I had no way of knowing then just how this place would capture my imagination. I had no way of knowing
how I'd grow to love it. I did not know how much time and energy I'd spend exploring it. I knew I was
going to be an off trail hiker. I'd already begun doing just that in the Smoky Mountains. I began my hiking exploits in the Cumberland Plateau on the trails. I started at Virgin Falls. I hiked off trail in the mountains
of Western North Carolina. I don't really remember my first off trail expedition in the plateau.
I just know that my love of off trail exploring and waterfall finding has pushed my limits and given me the opportunity to see things not everyone gets to see. It has caused me to forge an even stronger bond
with my husband. We are a good team. He is my comfort, my joy and helps my confidence.
The trip to Rogers Creek Falls today was a tough but successful one that brings us both joy and makes us
an even better team.
Rogers Creek Falls was one of two waterfalls in a far flung corner of Scotts Gulf that
I determined I would visit. Back about a month ago I visited Puncheon Camp Creek Twin Falls.
It was very beautiful and the trip involved bushwhacking and rope down over the cliff. We had been going to tackle Rogers Creek Falls after that on the same day. We opted not to when it began to pour rain.
We did not want to make it into a more dangerous trip and have it become a miserable experience.
We were very glad we waited and did them both on separate days. Either one is hard, but together
they are that much harder.
Preparation involved a lot of time spent studying maps and checking out Google Earth.
We returned home from attempt #1 and got on Google Earth and began seeing a potential better way to
access the falls from a different approach. It ended up being much better. Rogers Creek Road by the time we first tried to reach the falls was no longer a through road which meant a longer hike to even reach it before going down over the cliff. Tom Dunigan had visited the falls and told me it was possible to wait until
the Caney Fork was down for Summer and then ford it and walk up the gorge to see the falls. The problem becomes that by the time the Caney Fork is down enough to be safe to ford... the falls will be nearly bone dry for Summer. The only part of that trip which involves a trail is from Polly's Branch down to the river.
From there you'd still be off trailing it. We decided we were not going to visit the falls to have them be
dry. We'd find a way to access them from the same side of the river that they were on in Spring.
Winter or Spring is usually the time to try this stuff. Snakes are less likely. Vegetation is a little less.
Usually plenty of water coming over the falls to make all that effort worthwhile.
I had narrowed my focus down this season and was determined to see this falls.
Puncheon Camp Creek Falls was a good primer for this one. Rogers Creek was harder since the rappell down to it was worse. It was steeper, a lot less defined, with tons of downed hemlock trees. I knew
that I'd be scared, but I'd have to feel the fear and do it anyway. Do it afraid, but do it!
Here are two views above of the first place we came to. We realized at once we had not gone
far enough and that we were making this harder than it had to be. We continued further out along the plateau
paralleling the way point for the falls.
We did see some pretty wildflowers on the way, but Rogers Creek area is also not a great wildflower hike. It is greatly disturbed because it is a pine plantation. We finally came to a place where we could go down toward the creek.
Above--Confederate Violet
Above--bluets
above... our first glimpse of the stream we had to follow down
I don't know what kind of moss this is, but it is the prettiest and most different I've ever seen! I saw great carpets of it! I had to touch it!
We had to bushwhack down stream. We encountered lots of rhodo and downed trees, briers.
We have done worse though. That part of it was bad, but by comparison to other places the rhodo was not as terrible. We finally could tell by the lay of the land that we were approaching a side stream.. This would be Rogers Creek. We walked up it to see a cascade and make certain nothing more was above this waterfall wise. We did not see anymore falls up above this small cascade area. We had to cross here and continue downstream. There is a pretty cascade on the branch down through the main gorge. We got to a
vantage point to see it, but there is too much brush to make it a good photo op. We could tell we picked the correct side of the stream to be on. Across the gorge the terrain was even less forgiving.
Kenny ahead of me. We traded leads and took turns scouting the way.
First look at Rogers Creek. We forded here and continued down along the bluff.
Nice deep hole of water and a cascade that is six feet tall and about 30 ft wide. Too much brush and downed trees to really get a better view of it. If you got right in the water and swam to it there is still too much crap in the way to see it much better.
It was not too long until we came to a point we could hear Rogers Creek Falls below. It was crashing and thundering. It is not the most massive waterfall we've ever seen by a long shot. It is the challenge of reaching it that is the draw. Being one of a few persons to make it is appealing to idiots like me.
I know of three men who have been here. Tom Dunigan, Mike O'Neal, Mike Gourley. I know there have been others because I know none of these guys left behind the 2 liter Mountain Dew bottles and other
debris. Some of it may have actually traveled there on its own in a flooding situation. Not a lot of trash, but
a couple cans were the only thing we saw down in the gorge.
We found a place that was the possible spot to descend. I knew no matter what I was not going to like it. I went further out the bluff and found the terrain got no better. Kenny went down ahead of me and scouted a place to set up a rappell to go down. He was very discouraged and I began to reconcile myself
to the fact we might not make it down. The dying and falling of the hemlocks is sad for sure, but I never
stopped to contemplate how the falling of the trees would affect me or anyone else. Today it played a part.
He crawled through the branches of a massive downed hemlock and found on the other side of it... the way.
We had a lot of rope with us, but not enough to set two separate rappels. We scooted down the first part
saving the rope for the last twenty five feet or so.
I found myself on the ledge looking at the upper cascade of Rogers Creek Falls.
It was so pretty! I got to look down the cleft in the rocks where it was squeezed in a chute as it fell.
You could hear the sound of it as it entered the cave below. I was thrilled to have gotten this far.
I did not think right then of the rest of the climb down. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. Kenny set the rope and I shot some video and took pictures of the upper part. I knew we would not be back so I wanted to see plenty of it.
Upper cascade and slide of Rogers Creek Falls
Squeezing into the chute!
Downed hemlocks on both sides of the falls!! Once I shot the video and headed back toward Kenny he had the rope ready to go. He went down ahead of me. He spotted me as I came down and was able to assist me by telling me about foot placement. We made it down past the point where it was dangerous and no slips. No injuries. He was the first one to the falls. I walked over to them and as it hit me we had made it I let out a war whoop! WOOOOO HOOOO! Yes, Sharon McGee, I thought about you! Stuff like this is hard as hell for me, but it makes me feel VERY MUCH ALIVE!
I was rejoicing that we made it! The gorge down here was coated in moss. Deep and green. It is steep sided, rocky, craggy, and if you follow it down you arrive at the Caney Fork River eventually. It is a hemlock gorge and many of them are dead or dying. Recent ice storms have helped bring trees down in here. Rogers Creek Falls is about twenty five feet high and it was flowing great today. No stream leaves this spot above ground. All the water is diverted into the ground or shunted to the cave on the left of the falls. Two hundred yards down from this spot the stream resurges in a beautiful white ribbons coming up from the stone and all that moss.
Rogers Creek Falls
Kenny by the cave mouth. It shows you a little of the scale of the place.
Resurgence of Rogers Creek
A view of the craggy cliffs. I am never satisfied with the photos I take in an attempt to show how steep these gorges are. We stayed down there a little while and enjoyed it. We had to climb back up out of this hole and up the bluff and back out of here. We did not tarry too long since we wanted to get that part over with. The climb up was uneventful. Going up is usually easier than coming down! Today I was kind of glad for that fallen hemlock to go through. It was like a little security net over the treacherous cliff we had to climb out on to get back up. One thing about it.. working your way through those branches it was hard to think about much else! The climb out was tough. I sat down on my butt in the woods and ate an apple and drank some green tea. I was hot and sweaty. I was muddy and had sticks and leaves all over me and in my hair. We had made it! Success! I could console myself all that way back up and out just realizing the worst was over. I never have to do it again. We grabbed some lunch in Crossville and boy were we hungry! We did not eat lunch until 2 pm or so. We were drive thru material only on account of the dirt and stench. I was wet and muddy and could hardly wait to get to the shower! I felt myself growing sleepy even before I ate. Adrenaline highs are always followed by a crash. I slept on the way home. The trip home was a fast one thanks to Eisen Fuß at the wheel. (Eisen Foose= Iron Foot) Below is a video of Rogers Creek Falls set to music Misery and Happiness by John Cowan. Appropriate for describing my relationship with places like this. I describe my relationship with hard to reach waterfalls like a girl with a bad boyfriend .
We were supposed to go riding this weekend. However with Kenny's work schedule I've learned to have plans A, B, C, and D. Always have a backup plan. He promised me we'd go the next weekend and make a LONG weekend of it. My backup plan was a solo hike to Virgin Falls.
I invited others to go but had no takers. It was a good backup plan because I felt reasonably comfortable going there alone. I had never hiked there alone before, but had made two previous
trips and knew the area pretty well. It is also visited enough I knew I would not be truly alone.
I committed myself to an early start and that this time I would make the side trip to
the overlook. I kept both promises. I was on the trail by eight o'clock a.m. I parked along the road because I did not want to get blocked in. I also felt like the backpackers would be the most
logical persons to use the parking area which is rather small. The entire hike took me eight hours. I had plenty of time for lollygagging. Virgin Falls State Natural Area lies in Scott's Gulf
in White County, Tennessee. I have decided to get serious and visit all the land forms in
Scott's Gulf. I want to eventually put together a photo gallery of that area.
Today would be a good day to get the jump on that. I will get it out of the way to say
Yes, I am a little jaded about Virgin Falls. Detractors from it for me are:
I have been a couple times before
It is heavily visited
I have found numerous other places with waterfall caves that offer solitude
I hate it when I feel this way about a place. I have thought of solutions and here are some
ways I think I can make this better:
Hike it in a different season than I ever have before.
Hike it from a different direction than ever before
Do partial hikes into the area and focus on visiting some of the lesser noticed spots.
Take someone back who has never been before
We plan to hike it from the Caney Fork River during warm months when the Caney Fork
waters go down enough to ford safely. We'll go down to Davis Cemetery and hike in from there or Big Bottom. The waterfalls can dry up so much during Summer that it would make it really hard for me to push myself to hike all that way to see them with a piddly flow. A shorter hike and a swim in the river would help though. Hiking down through Virgin Falls starts off flat and through open woods. The first significant thing seen along the trail is Big Branch Falls. It is about 15 ft high.
Big Branch Falls is very scenic.
I continued down the trail past the Cable Crossing Campground. I had a brief moment of trail confusion.
I did not want to truck right through the campsite, but I did not see where the trail went besides there?
I finally gave up and headed through the camp site since the fellows there were breaking camp anyhow.
I stopped to ask them where the actual trail was and they pointed out to me that it was directly below the camp site, yet it was possible to just go straight through the site and merge with the trail. The camp site is particularly desirable. It is flat, shady, plenty of water and during times of ample rainfall there are several small cascades right there at the campsite! It is in close proximity to the overlook spur as well.
Further down the stream is a series of nearly continuous deep blue green pools, massive boulders, and
attractive cascades. Once you get past Big Laurel Falls there is no more stream or water until you come to Sheep Cave and falls!
I turned off to the spur trail for the Overlook and hiked the moderate 0.5 miles up there.
It was well worth the effort to get there. It was not like I had imagined. I knew there were camp sites up there, but I figured you'd have to come all the way down to the stream at the main trail to obtain water.
It turned out not to be the case. I can't speak to the entire year. Maybe the spring branch dries up, but
it was flowing well today and it was a short distance back down the trail from where you set up tents!
The forest up there is open pine woods and quite pretty.
View from Martha's Pretty Point
Back down on the main trail I turned right and went on down toward Big Laurel Falls.
It was six or seven years since my last trip here. I got past that spot where ice accumulates on the rocky slopes of the trail. I was relieved to be beyond that. It always makes me uneasy, but especially today hiking alone. I arrived at Big Laurel Falls and found that a small crowd was accumulating there.
I found it hard to get to a point where I could get photos of the falls minus the people in the photo and minus the spray.
Big Laurel Falls spills over a ledge and its flow entirely disappears into the cave behind it. Below here there is no stream to flow alongside you on the hike. BTW-- there is a SWALLET.. a small one in the stream heading down from the Overlook Spur Trail to Big Laurel Falls. It is easy to see from the trail if you look closely. After a brief rest here at Big Laurel Falls I continued down the trail with a large group of hikers who were all going the same way. They were very nice people and I hiked the rest of the way in with them. Next stop was Sheep Cave and falls.
Top-one portion of Sheep Falls Bottom--One entrance of Sheep Cave. I went in and waded the creek, but forgot to bring a light today. We motored on toward Virgin Falls taking the upper loop to get there. It is 0.3 miles longer, but is more gradual and less rocky a trail. I could hear Virgin Falls long before we reached it. I could tell from the roar there would be a ton of water coming over the falls. Sure enough there was more water and spray coming off that falls than I'd seen on previous trips. It is impressive and very pretty. It is a little dismaying to try to enjoy the spot with gaggles of people and there were plenty. Especially the climbers around the rim of the falls. It makes it hard to get a pretty photo and makes me uneasy that I'm going to watch someone fall to their death. Cell service does not exist in Scotts Gulf and consequently help would be a long time coming. A fall from the top of those falls would mean certain death. People have fallen from Rainbow Falls in Gorges State Park and survived going over the falls. The difference is that there is a plunge pool at the bottom to catch you giving you slightly better odds of making it. Virgin Falls has no plunge pool to cushion your landing. To the dummies who stand out on the edge of the falls.. I have this to say. Nature is supremely indifferent to whether we live or die. And long as *I* am safe and sound... You go ahead and gamble with your life. I don't care. Pull up the ladder, Mack. I'm on board.
Virgin Falls is 110 ft high Many of the other hikers went off in other directions including those in the group I had arrived here with. I used the time to eat lunch at last. I also used the time and the opportunity to get some photos and video footage without people in it! Once that was done I hiked back out. I tried the lower loop with two nice ladies who were hiking out. I hiked as far as 1/2 mile back to the big intersection with them. Once I'd gotten there I was ready to sit down and finish my lunch. I also came out of some more layers of clothes. I began having problems with my left lower leg. It felt really funky down in my ankle. It was throbbing like a rotten tooth. I finally took some advil when I got back to Big Laurel falls. I knew once I got that uphill climb between Big Laurel Falls and the overlook spur done I'd have the worst over. I sat down at the campsite and removed my boots and a charley horse hit me so bad in both legs. Some young women were coming by and I must have looked like I was ready to die. They did not want to leave me there. I appreciated the concern, but I did not want to talk I was hurting so bad. I finally assured them I was going to be OK and they went ahead. I really was ok in a little bit. I made up my mind if I wasn't a whole lot better by Monday morning I would go to the doctor and get checked for a clot or an electrolyte imbalance. The last mile out was a breeze. Mercifully flat and the woods open and cool. The evening sun shining on my shoulders. The air fresh. I was glad to have come today. Below the video I will see what's in my crystal ball of the future.
In Magicmomma's Crystal Ball of the Future I see:
Future trip up to Virgin Falls from the Caney Fork River
Hiking to Evan Falls and Gunstock Branch Falls
Hiking to all the falls and overlooks in the Polly's Branch vicinity
Hiking to Rogers Creek Falls (2) and Buzzard Roost Rock Exploring arches, caves, and waterfalls in Fentress county. Finding Spring wildflowers, waterfalls, sinkholes in Scotts Gulf **Strike through denotes trips that have since taken place. Not bad 9/18/18 and I've done four out of seven.
