Royal Blue WMA Finding Waterfall Branch Falls

Vibrant green moss on a log near Hickory Creek Falls 

Royal Blue WMA

 Finding Waterfall Branch Falls  &  Wandering in the Wilderness

Sunday March 6, 2016

Kenny & Dana Koogler

Pictures are here beginning with frame 307

Waterfall Branch Falls Pix

    Sunday we got up and packed things to get ready to go four wheeling to Royal Blue.
We didn't have a great time the last go round on account of the über deep snow in Campbell County.
We wanted some redemption.  We had also tried before to locate Waterfall Branch Falls and 
did not succeed.  We had done some more studying on it and had a map and figured this time 
we might find it.   We headed up the road toward the Huntsville exit.  Recently there was a landslide on I-75 which we would have to use to get there.  The access point we needed is right by the interstate.  We were able to continue. The state troopers are detouring through traffic at Caryville, but
if you are not going any further than Huntsville they let you go on past. At the Huntsville exit
they have another trooper and a command post and you will   either exit or detour there. 

           We pulled in and parked and pretty soon we were under way.  The day was cool, but warming up pretty fast.   It was sunny and clear skies.  We hit the Ollis Creek trail first. It was pretty, but 
a lot of it is like a river of peanutbutter mud.   It takes you high above the old LaFollette Reservoirs 1 and 2.  You eventually come out behind the old dog pound and a left turn takes you up the road past the Ivydell Snake Handling church.  No kidding!   Before leaving the Ollis Creek Trail we stopped to see Yellow Branch Falls which is below the trail. You have to park and climb down to see it.

 Yellow Branch Falls

After Yellow Branch Falls we briefly turned aside up Thirteen Hollow Trail and hunted up Thirteen Hollow Falls. It is hard to spot. You can't see it at all from the trail and it is a little hard to hear!
We finally found a spot to climb down through the rhodo and walk up the creek a short distance to it. It is a very pretty falls. Today there was a rainbow in it!  It sits in a neat rock amphitheater.
Like last visit here we found a spot closer to the falls to climb back UP the bank and out. 
It was not bad going up it, but I wouldn't have wanted to go down it. 

We had to stop out at the end of Campbell Split trail to check waypoints and the little map Kenny printed off of the turns we needed to make to
find this falls.   We continued.  Finally we came out near the point where before I believed we were very close to finding the falls.  I thought we missed it by not going down in the creek here and walking up it.  Turned out that was not the case. It is close, but not as close as I had thought. The first time we tried to find it we continued on out some trails that were not completed.  They were also not mapped and so we turned around that day and headed back.  We more or less gave up the search the first time confused over what had we done wrong?

             Today we had a little more info and the trail system had at last been finished up in the vicinity.  Maybe today would be the day we'd find it?!  We watched the terrain and it looked pretty promising.  Rugged and a drop off to our right.  We came upon an old trail barely visible to the right. It was clearly foot traffic only with a ton of tiny saplings growing up in it.   It looked more like an animal path, but we parked and got out to follow it. We could hear the falls as soon as we stopped. 
We bushwhacked forward with the GPS indicating it was down there. We were right atop it.  
We came to this vantage first.  Right at the brink of the falls with a glimpse of the top part of it. 

Top of Waterfall Branch Falls. It is 22 ft high. 

           Kenny and I went on ahead and found a way down off the bluff a little further out. It was not easy, but we have surely done much harder things.  It was a matter of taking our time and side hilling it across in the direction of the falls. Sideways and gradually down.   A few saplings and things to hold onto made it not too sketchy.  Finally we stood before the falls! We found it! We had also found a way to the base!  

Kenny making his way toward the falls. You can see here more what the terrain was like.

It is a very pretty gorge this falls lies in. 

 Standing directly in front of Waterfall Branch Falls 

Looking back up at the bluff where we stood moments ago.

  Once we got done here we climbed back out of the hole and back to the RZR.   We continued round on the trail. I think it was Trail #20.  Louse Creek Trail it was called. It was very pretty. High on the ridge line at first with some partial views then down off the ridge gradually like a rollercoaster going down through the hollers.   We finally came to the bottom of the mountain and  were by a good sized stream.   We forded and on the other side we stopped to check it out.

 Some sort of man made structure crossed this stream in the past.  

 This was the end of it. There is pipe embedded in it and also the remnants of the pipe across the creek. 

Guess this must be "Louse Creek"  

          We continued forward and before too long came to a trail intersection and got our first whiff of trouble.    We realized at the trail intersection we had forgotten a map of the entire trail system. 

All we had was one little snippet and the GPS and our knowledge of past trips. The problem was 

I had NEVER been to this area before. Kenny had been once, but had little recall of it.   We had a brief dispute over which way we needed to turn, but finally I prevailed and got him to believe me.

I reasoned which way the points of the compass were and we needed to head in a northerly direction.

We had been trying to head toward Town Rock next.     I knew it was north/ northwest of where we had been at Waterfall Branch.     We rambled around, took a wrong turn.. turned around. I was beginning to be distressed.   We stopped and ate lunch.  That helped some.  Kenny showed me on the GPS that if we stayed with Pond Ridge Trail it would eventually lead us round to Hickory Creek Falls and that area we knew a lot more about.   

             Pond Ridge Trail  #22 was a total mess.  It was narrow in places and you could see off both sides easily!  Yow!  Also it was one deep rut and mud hole after another.   We had not installed the winch on the RZR yet and that was cause for concern. Riding just the two of us .. no one to help us if we got stuck and no winch!  We got to one place I thought we weren't going to get out of.  Yet thankfully we did and boy were we glad!    We kept going and finally started to see signs of civilization. We saw a few houses and people.  It was reassuring to see even that much.  I could also see that Kenny was correct and that the GPS was indeed leading us out of there.   

     One very neat thing in all this was that during our wanderings we passed something on the right that caught both our eyes. It was a green body of water that sat there in the gloom of a rock outcrop glimmering.  We stopped to check it out.  It was exquisite.   

 Above and below.. views of the spring pond.  

Worth wandering the wilderness for!

    We eventually came to Hickory Creek Lane and more houses.   We turned and started out along a dirt road then Kenny remember this was not right.   We ended up somewhere in this part out in a field by Hickory Creek under what was either an electrical wire or telephone wire with it rubbing the top of the RZR! He backed it up and turned around and headed the other way.   We had seen these old bridge abutments and gone past them.   I could see across the stream that the trail appeared to continue.  We got down to creek level and went up over the bank and continued.  The area was looking familiar more and more.  I looked around as we passed a small stream and the words "Small Hollow Falls" echoed in my head. I had the feeling we had been here before.   There was a waterfall up that little holler.    We rambled on through the hemlock woods and finally arrived at Hickory Creek Falls.  There is a big galled area above it that always has trash and human sign there.  Someone put Wayne's photo up .. whoever he is... and stuck it to a tree.   

      I was never so glad to see any place.  I had been filled with tension.  Now the dam broke and 

Kenny came round to my side to hug me and comfort me until it subsided.  It was just tears over the relief at having gotten back out of unfamiliar territory.  We should be ok now.  I got out to go see Hickory Creek Falls.    

Looking across at Hickory Creek Falls 

    We continued on up the trail and eventually came to an intersection. Kenny asked me if I wanted to go on to Town Rock. I said yes.   We decided though the gravel road would be a little longer we'd do that since we'd make better time on it.  We started out and as we came up over a bank almost ran into a settling pond!  It didn't look right so we started heading out the trail.. but I still knew something was off.   I told Kenny I knew those settling ponds were on the wrong side of us.  We were heading the wrong way.  I was done then.  I told him let's just get righted and get on out of here. 

He agreed and that is what we did.  We MUST remember the map. He had remarked that even if we'd had the map with us much of the trails would not have been on it since trail 20, 22, and 23 were new.

Out the road we went heading back in the direction of the truck and the parking area.

          On the way out we were flagged down by a dad and his little girl. A side by side had passed them and run them nearly out into the ditch! The father got stopped just shy of a 3 1/2 foot drop off!

We stopped to see what we could do for them.  Thankfully a big vehicle and a couple nice young men stopped also. The heavy vehicle and the boys long chain got the fellow unstuck. Kenny helped them hook it up while I took the little girl and got back to a safe place where we could watch without being in the way.    She was a cute little gal.  I asked her if the whole thing scared her and she said yes!

Out for a Sunday drive on a pretty day on the backroads and nearly get run in a ditch.

They were all set so we shook hands and headed out.  

            It was good to see the truck again.  Back at home later in the evening I found all the Royal Blue maps and Sundquist maps!  I put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the RZR.   Before I did I checked them and the new trails WERE on the map. Hand drawn in by Kenny himself.  I showed him.  No more leaving without them.  Also realized that the DeLorme Gazetteer would have helped a lot if we'd brought it.  Need to start taking it along every time.   At home the GPS data was able to help me understand where we'd been and what we'd done.   We also need to get that winch on there ASAP!  

            Below is a short video clip of Thirteen Hollow Falls.

Jakes Creek Trail --Avent Cabin and Cascades Galore!

Avent Cabin sits up on its hill above Jakes Creek

Jakes Creek Trail --Avent Cabin and Cascades Galore! 

Dana Koogler solo 

Saturday March 5, 2016

Pictures are here: 

Jakes Creek Pix

   Kenny got home from working out of town in Bristol on Friday. I was glad to see him, but the reason they called him back was that the crane company could not cover a job at Kingston Steam Plant.  He was home, but he'd still be working Saturday. It would be at Kingston now instead.
We were both still glad he got home after two weeks.   He would be off Sunday so that was good too.
Meantime I had plan B ready for myself which was to go hiking in the Smokies on Saturday.
I had long wanted to go up Jakes Creek and photograph and videotape some of the many pretty cascades along it.   I always seemed to be using that trail as part of some long hiking loop.
Being in a hurry to get somewhere or tired returning from somewhere didn't exactly motivate me to climb down to the creek over and over to take pictures.   Mike Maples and Ben recently went
exploring up there and seeing their adventures moved it up my list.

           The day was supposed to be beautiful, but got off to a cold start so I lingered over a second cup of coffee at home giving the day a chance to warm up.   I followed someone in an SUV with Texas plates down Laurel Creek Road from Metcalf Bottoms until I turned in to Elkmont.
The guy was weaving all over the road. I couldn't tell if he was impaired, scared of the curvy road, or rubber necking the scenery.   He was scary in his driving though!  Lookout Gatlinburg, here he comes!   Glad to be shed of that I eased round to the parking areas near the trailheads.  The next thing I encountered was a church bus parked in the middle of the road in the parking area.  I sat there trying
to decide are they going to move here in a minute or do I chance passing him on the right?
I had enough room and so I chanced it.  I made it past and round to the Jakes Creek parking area.
Plenty of people, but not crowded.   The church bus pulled round there and parked. I thought my luck was run out and that I was about to be joined by an entire youth group on my hike.  A man and woman got off the bus and I heard her say something to the man. "Most of these people are poorly prepared to hike.  We can either hike Jack's Creek or Little River. I don't think they are able to handle Jack's Creek. Let's park over here and walk back there and let them hike that trail."  Yippee!
Park wherever you want but please don't come up this way.  Yes Lord!

 Jakes Creek below the Avent Cabin.

Bridge crossing to the Avent Cabin.
     
   I hiked straight out the shortcut and turned onto Meigs Mtn. Trail then on up to Jakes Creek Trail.  It makes it A LOT easier cutting off that steep climb at the start.   I mosied on and soon began climbing down to the stream to get photos and video clips.  It seemed like no time and I was at the Avent Cabin. My tummy was growling and I realized it was noon!  I sat on the porch and had the place to myself for the entire time.   For a pretty Spring Saturday I was suprised that while there were plenty of people I didn't encounter too many. A couple groups of backpackers and hikers coming in as I was on my way out..... that was about it.    The skies were blue. The sun shone down.  The breeze stirred and the air was fresh and cool. I was in shirt sleeves.  Perfect.

           Avent cabin sitting up on its little hill.

Jakes Creek Cascade  right in front of the foot log for the Avent Cabin.


          Once I had finished my sandwich I went back down to the footlog and just enjoyed the stream and the cascade.   I remembered two years ago Kenny bringing me there to do short hikes to rehabilitate me after getting out of the hospital.  I had almost no balance and was having double vision and wearing a pirate patch on my left eye.  I would hike and he would hold my hand while I tried and usually ended up crying and then laughing.  I realized I was crazy looking and acting, but determination, a sense of humor and God's mercy and healing power....... and a few weeks later I was right as rain.     Just getting to the cabin was a struggle then. Today it was a piece of cake.



           I climbed back up onto the trail and mosied on.   The trail is a gradual climb. I walked along enjoying the day and taking stock of what cascades I wanted to come back down to.   I inventoried them on the way up and when I got to the two mile point on the hike in.... I wasn't seeing as much that interested me. I figured I'd turn around and head back and start climbing  down into the stream now to actually take the images of all these things.   I stopped at the only bridged crossing on Jakes Creek Trail and began there  with the photos and video and worked my way backward.  I always like that little crossing.  It has cascades above it. and one coming in from the side!

More cascades along Jakes Creek.


   Further down the trail I climbed through the rhodo and got some images of some pretty scenic cascades that are visible from the trail, but they are so much prettier up close!

This one...

And this one......... What is neat here is that I am inches away from the water.  I am standing in a hole with rocks before me.. damming the creek and keeping this cascade from washing over me. If not for the natural rock dam stopping the flow of the water I'd be in it up to my waist.  The cascades here were particularly pretty. Very green and mossy with foamy white water tinged with aquamarine.


A little different view of a slide that is part of this set of cascades.


Sun peeping through the forest canopy and rhodo down into the spot where I am sitting.

I sat in the rhodo on a rock and ate an orange and soaked up the sunbeams and the sound of the stream.  Just let the peace flow in.  I left all the things that had been bugging me through the week in the forest down there tangled in the rhodo and washed down the stream.  I gradually hiked back toward the jeep just enjoying the sights and sounds.  I left the woods smiling and light hearted. I didn't meet anymore people until I was back on the main trail.     I put together a video of the different spots along the creek.

****Edited to Add*** Last weekend I lost my FitBit on Panther Creek Trail. It showed up on Rich Mtn. Trail three days later. BUT when it came back...... my little brown Smokies hiking guidebook disappeared from Rich Mtn Trail.  Today I stopped and purchased one at the Townsend Visitor Center to replace it.  I had searched car, backpack,house for it multiple times.  Today on Jakes Creek Trail the hiking guide rematerialized.  Thus.......... I am sure I have an INTERDIMENSIONAL VORTEX in my backpack.  I am going to start keeping a log book of "   <~~~It went missing here
And it showed back up over here~~~>" Magic! 

Rich Mountain Trail

Glancing back down Rich Mtn Trail you can just see the road down there.

Rich Mountain Trail--Leap Day Hike

Dana Koogler solo

Monday February 29, 2016

4 miles RT

   I wanted to hike Monday, but I only wanted to do a short one and something close to the house.

I had chores to attend to and business phone calls I had to make.  I figured I'd go right after lunch.

I had Rich Mountain Trail on my mind since it had been years since I hiked it.  It is accessed by driving back into Dry Valley to the park boundary.   It is not a real dramatic trail, but I figured since it was Winter it would have some nice views.  The trail narrative describes "cascades" along it. 

It got the one part right. It is odd hiking from a dry area UP into a creek bottom. It says the hike seems "upside down" because it is the reverse of what is usually found.   I knew I had seen that little

cascade on Hesse Creek before. I remembered thinking back then it was not any 10 ft tall as the book 

speculated.   I figured closer to 3 1/2 to 4 feet max.    Still I figured while I was going I'd go up far as the campsite. I'd pass that area and grab a few more recent photos of the one little water feature along the way.   I debated did I want to turn the hike into a loop and hit up Indian Grave Gap and walk the road back to my vehicle?  I would decide when I got there.   I checked out my map that is mounted on the wall at home.  It has the trails I have completed highlighted.  It showed Indian Grave Gap completely filled in with orange marker.  I have done it, but I only remember parts of it.  It must not have been too eventful.   

             I saw one other car at the trailhead when I parked to begin my hike.  The trailhead is

100 yards up Rich Mountain Road and the gate that closes it off in Winter.  Up and up I climbed.

It is all uphill to the campsite but it is a good, gradual work out.  Nothing too sudden or extreme.

The views were indeed pretty.  The sun was shining. I was in shirt sleeves.  I had a light pack.

I was feeling pretty groovy.   The air was fresh and clean and I savored the scent of pine and dried oak leaves.   Now and then I got a whiff of the sweetest scent but I could not figure where it was coming from.    A short distance up the trail I heard something rattling around in the leaves on the slope to my left.   I figured a deer, but something made me stop and take a look. It sounded too big to be a deer. It was a big male black bear rumbling and grumbling and digging for bugs and grubs on the slopes of the mountain.   I was wondering did I want to bother trying to sneak the camera out of my pack and get photos of him?  I figured by the time I did he'd have run off.   He must have heard or smelled me because he sat up and took notice and ran like thunder!  Git on outta hyere! I hollered.

Dickie Bradley Jr. All mountain men have that holler they use to throw up the window at night and bellow at their coon dogs or the neighbors dogs to get them to shaddup!  

               

Sunshine felt mighty good today. 

 One of the prettier views framed by pines. Looking toward Cades Cove.

I always love the look of the trails when they are lined with that neon green moss! It just shimmers! 

Though my photo here doesn't show it very well I took this because below me is a real scooped out bowl in the land. It feels neat to stand on the trail and see the mountains off in the distance and the land curve below you. 

  I took a few minute rest at the park boundary. There is a spot where you can start to see off the other side of the mountain into Dry Valley.  I sat down and ate a quick snack and drank some water.  I got up to continue.  I noticed below me a wide road about fifteen feet below the level of the trail.  

I don't recall seeing that before.   I rambled on up the trail. I saw a downy woodpecker and a pileated woodpecker.  Trails with lots of pine trees are good places to see them.  They need pines for their nests.   The forest was quiet except for the breeze now and then which I was grateful for on my climb. One thing about climbing......... as you gain elevation you do get cooler air and it helps when you are exerting yourself.

The little sit down spot to rest and refresh.  The old road was below this. 

       

   I knew from where I took my little break I didn't have that far to go to reach my final destination.

I could now hear Hesse Creek below me to my right as it flowed down the mountain.   It helped spur me on in my progress.   I finally got up there and at one point could hear a cascade, but I sure couldn't see it.  I don't know why I am ever surprised at rhododendron and how fast it grows and obscures things from view.   I hoped I was mistaken and had just not come to the cascade yet.  I decided I would go on toward the camp site and surely I'd run into it yet.  It was not the case.  I crossed over the little stream that flows over the trail.  I went on ahead.  

Tiny stream as you get closer to the campsite. 

            I finally turned around and headed back down the trail.  I have never been a big fan of CS #5, but it is not too bad. Just not that appealing.   I was having to admit that I wasn't going to magically see the little cascade somewhere else. It was down there in the rhodo where I heard it.  I started back in that direction.  I would climb down through that mess and see what it was like now?

Looking up at the sun through the gloom in the mountain gap where CS 5 sits.  I always remember this view for some reason.  

Lamentations!  
I sat my butt down here by the trail to ponder before entering this tangle to find the little cascade.

It seems to help me to let a Curtis Travis style whine before going in. Whose idea was this anyway?  I didn't sign up for this!   It was my idea? Oh.  Ok then.  

   Down through the rhodo she went like a D9 bulldozer.  It wasn't far down there to the little cascade and it did tickle me to see that it was still there looking like I remembered it.  

Pitiful, but its the only one around.  You have to take it as it comes.    

Hesse Creek Cascade

4 1/2 feet high.  And I checked below this.  There is nothing else visible except a trickle and some more blown down trees and rhodo and doghobble.  

This is looking back in the direction of the trail.You can see light, but you sure can't see the trail.  

   

Below is a short video clip of it.  In case you don't want to climb down in there to see it for yourself.

          I started my hike back out.  I ran into only one other hiker. He was heading up the mountain as I was coming down.  Another local getting some exercise and enjoying the day.  I did see a couple things on the way out which I did not pay attention to on the way in. mine pits!  One of them made my skin crawl just thinking about getting near it. The sink hole woman......... but she didn't want any part of that.  There was one on either side of the trail in a particularly rocky stretch.


             Down down down to the jeep.  A very mellow afternoon drive home to supper all ready in the crock pot.   One of those days I feel especially blessed to live where I do.

Middle Prong Trail and Panther Creek Trail

 Middle Prong Trail and Panther Creek Trail 

Feb. 28, 2016

Dana Koogler solo

5.6 miles RT 

Pictures are here: Middle Prong and Panther Creek Trail Pix

Middle Prong Trail Area Map

   I got up Sunday and decided I wanted to go on a redemption hike.  I wanted to be out on a pretty day.  I wanted to take pictures. I wanted to clear my head.   I wanted to feel like I could do something.    At first I could not think of where I wanted to go, but then my list keeping came in handy.  I had wanted to get back up Panther Creek to see some of the small falls along that.  

I wanted to see if the water in Lynn Camp Prong had gone down some.  I wanted to take a second look for Stone Camp Branch where it enters the Lynn Camp Prong.   I didn't want to drive a long way and I didn't want to have to get up so early. I have fallen into a pattern of getting up early nearly every day regardless. It's as if I'm still bound to a job. Today I would break that pattern.

I wanted to give myself time to sleep. I wanted to have time to eat breakfast and let the day warm up a little before heading out.  

         I hit the trail around 10:30 am and by then it was sunny and I was in shirt sleeves.
I started up the trail and turned aside today to take photos of whatever struck my fancy.  I photographed some of the beautiful cascades on the Lynn Camp Prong and shot video clips of them.
The stream was beautiful. High water today with lots of foam and tranquil pools of aquamarine water from snow run off.    I saw a fair number of people today, but I had no trouble finding a parking spot and it was not so many people as to be distracting.    I checked out the ford for Marks Creek today and today would not have been concerned about crossing.   Good thing too because I was going to have to cross later today.   Twice.   I scouted the far bank of the river on the way up looking to figure out where Stone Camp Branch was. Today I for sure found it.  I was able to glimpse through the trees that what I saw was indeed a separate stream entering the Lynn Camp Prong and not just the same stream split around an island.   I saw signs of what appears to be folks going down the bank near it and the ground tramped down on the other side.


One of many pretty cascades on Lynn Camp Prong near the beginning of the hike


This photo shows the aqua tint of the water.



Yet another beautiful cascade and blue hole of water. I love this time of year.

         I pushed on up the trail and finally arrived at the junction with Panther Creek Trail.
I took a look at the ford and it was not bad.. I was hungry, but I wanted to get the first ford of the prong over with before eating.  I donned my water shoes and scanned the stream. I could see bottom all the way across. I picked my route and got over there without the first difficulty.

Looking back across the Lynn Camp Prong at where I just came from.  I put my boots back on and hoped the next few creek crossings up Panther Creek Trail would be rock hops.  I wanted a sunny spot to sit down and eat lunch. I figured the slopes on up the trail would be good.  I was not disappointed.   The stream was pretty, but not too high volume.  I rock hopped twice and shortly found a sunny rock to sit on with a view of the creek below me.  Lunch never tasted so good.  I've been dieting so it all tastes good to me.


Second creek crossing of the day.  Panther Creek trail goes thru this stream and in fifty feet you get to do it again!  


   Once I had eaten some lunch and rested and soaked up some sun I pressed on up the creek. I decided that I'd hike up the trail and then work my way back down taking photos and video as I went.
Panther Creek had plenty water today.  The trail only had one blow down that I saw, but I only went about 3/4 mile up it. It was what I call a lap.. where it is the top of the tree down across the trail.
I knew going in that the falls along Panther Creek were down over the bank with no trail to any of them.   I had photographed some of them before while hiking with Dan Heimsoth in the past.  I was just wanting to revisit some of them.  Today though I was alone.  I had to come to grips with the fact that I was liable to be the only person on this trail today.  I decided to photograph the cascade that I could reach without too much risk. I would be smart about it and avoid climbing down over the bank in some of the other spots where it was more treacherous and slippery. The bad part about some of these falls? While they look pretty from the trail.. if you manage to climb down the bank they are choked in rhodo and downfall.  You have to stand right in the creek to photograph them because there is no place else to stand.   Good way to slip. Good way to go to a lot of effort and get some bad photos and possibly get injured.   Not worth it.     Back down the trail I went to spend some time
photographing the ones I could see and set up to get decent shots.

A glimpse of what Panther Creek Trail looks like near its start. Snow still on the ground
in the spots that don't get lots of sun.


Glimpse of the summit of Blanket Mountain above me viewed from the trail.


A pretty set of cascades just off Panther Creek Trail.  Had I not be solo I'd like to have climbed down to tried to photograph these. You can see what I'm saying about being heavily encroached by rhodo and not much place to stand except the stream.  Down thru the doghobble and rhodo trying to reach these were boulders that dropped off sharply.


  I was able to get to the cascades pictured below without any difficulty. It is rocky but the Winter has the vegetation cut back and the ground is open.

        

First part of the cascade which was very green, mossy and attractive.

Second part of the falls which was a pretty, mossy slide.

Here is a short video clip of this lovely cascade that is a lot less visited than some.


   I enjoyed my photography and took my time. I had some things I wanted to see back along Lynn Camp that I did not photograph on the way in so I did not tarry too long.   I headed back and was met at the ford by people. The first person was a young man playing in the water at the far side of the stream.  Catching sight of me he decided he was done.   He rejoined his group at the trail sign.
I sat down to put on my water shoes and prep to cross the stream.   A lady walked up and saw what I was getting ready to do and her eyes grew wide.   She got her husband and they sat down on a rock to watch and eat a snack.  You'd have thought Karl Wallenda was going to do a tight rope act.
I forded the stream with no problems and once across they laughed and applauded. I got tickled at them and at myself and laughed with them.  I took my bow.  Good spirit of fun today in the woods and good folks around. Very chill.   The man teased me about how cold the water must be.  I told him it was not that bad since it was 68 degrees today.   It was a long way from the heart.

         I parted from them and headed back down the trail.  I only had that 2.3 miles to cover so I lollygagged and took lots of photos and video.  It was fun and relaxing.  I greeted other hikers and visited with a few.   Today was what I needed to ease my mind and soul.

 

Pretty side stream coming down off the bank and flowing under the trail and into Lynn Camp Prong.


Below is a short video of some of the cascades along Lynn Camp Prong today.

First Attempt at Reaching Sugar Cove Branch Falls --Off Trail with Mike Maples

First Attempt at Reaching Sugar Cove Branch Falls --Off Trail with Mike Maples

Saturday February 27, 2016

Dana Koogler and Mike Maples

4 miles RT off  trail approx. 

  The best way to describe this adventure is with a little scripture. I apply it to me.. not Mike.

Proverbs 16:18 says: 
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

   Sometimes I need to be schooled. Today I got schooled. I had it in my head to go to see Sugar Cove Branch Falls by way of the old wagon roads behind the Lawson place. The original plan for today was to bushwhack to Marks Creek Falls. The heavy rains the previous days made us decide it was not the time to try it. We were planning on fording Lynn Camp Prong to go back there and consequently it was as Mike calls it "Big water" today. ;The fall back plan was ok with Mike Maples love his heart. He agreed so sweetly that we'd give it a try. We met up at the Townsend Wye early Saturday morning. I was really looking forward to this adventure and was so hopeful we'd get to see that beautiful falls that not too many visit.

   A week earlier Bobbie and Ron Hubbard had shown me the way to start in there.I reproduced that part of the journey flawlessly. Our day was off to a good start. We were both having fun. We saw some old pioneer junk and some home sites. The day was warming up and was blue skies and sunshine and fresh air. The woods were opening up and making the travel easier once we were back in there. We had maps and waypoints and the GPS. I had been concerned about some nebulous things prior to setting out, but I was so sure we'd find it. Once back in there and into the unknown, unexplored territory for me the concerns in the back of my mind began to take shape and make themselves known. I was concerned about being able to tell with any certainty if we were in the correct drainage. Without any major mountain peaks and landforms to anchor you ... all of it begins to look the same. The terrain back there is a maze of small hills, gullies, and low ridges that interlace crazily. The map cannot show all the streams that emerge from those hills and truly some of them were not on there since they are headwaters springs. We got to the top of a ridge and I remarked that I felt like we were not in the right place.The old wagon trace or manway is shown being slightly to the right side of a ridge. We were almost directly atop the ridge. Turned out to be right. Mike Maples was so wonderfully patient with me.I finally got upset and said I was beginning to feel like we were just wandering around aimlessly. Yes, I wanted to see the falls, but I was not willing to become lost in the process of trying to see them. We were back in the terrain where Mike Gourley got lost. That had been on my mind strongly and the thought was gnawing away at me. I did have the sense to put a way point on the spot where we stopped and decided to turn around. I figured I could look at it later and perhaps it would help me figure what had gone wrong? I had also taken Tom Dunigan's advice and put a way point in the GPS at the spot where we parked and named it simply JEEP. I began tracking us back to that JEEP waypoint.

    Once we were back into the gap where we lost the wagon roads and old trails..... I felt better. We decided to wander down Whistling Branch toward the Cades Cove Road in order to at least see something different. It got really snarled up in rhodo so Mike turned us down a gully and then another with his amazing sense of direction. I knew what way the loop road was and generally what direction to aim for in order to get back to Cades Branch, but not like him. We came out exactly where he said we would. I had placed a couple ribbons of neon orange survey tape at a home site.We came out right at those ribbons. I was quiet. I was relieved but I felt like a whipped cur.  It is going to take me a spell to get over this. I know Mike Gourley well enough to say while he would never judge me ........ He knows how to deal with me gently. Usually the best way is to just let me do my thing however wrong it may be........ and I will learn. I enjoyed hiking with Mike Maples. He never says an ill word about anyone at least not that I have heard. He is funny and interesting. I feel blessed to have him as a friend. We stopped by one roadside cascade and took a photo. There really wasn't time to get into anything else. I hope he'll go with me again sometime and things will be better.

       Later that evening at home I plugged in the way point for where we stopped and turned around.
I sent it to Mike Maples.. we were off.  To his tremendous credit........ had I listened to him we'd have come out in the correct drainage though.  We were along Whistling Branch above Whistling Gap.
Mike Gourley ultimately was correct though.  The route up into the main drainage from Forge Creek is the best way to go.   It may not be as close as the crow flies, but we aren't crows.