The Trout Zone: Waterfall

Showing posts with label Waterfall. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Hiking Season

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, then you probably know that I enjoy hiking almost as much as fishing. Photography is a close second as well. For the past handful of years, I've been running into a good problem to have. My fly fishing guide business here in middle and east Tennessee keeps me busy enough that it can be tough finding time for other things that I enjoy.

While you won't hear me complaining about having enough work, it can be a challenge to stay in shape. As my business has grown, more and more of those trips have been float trips. I enjoy working out of the drift boat, but being a fly fishing guide on the waterways of east and middle Tennessee also means spending large parts of my year in rather sedentary fashion for me. I probably need to devote more time to running or jogging, but it can be hard to find motivation at the end of a long day when I just want to get some supper and spend time with my family. Thus, as trips start to slow down a little in the cold months, I enter into what I like to call hiking season.

In addition to having plenty of time on my hands, it also helps that it is generally cold or at least cool out. Another big reason I don't hike more in the warm months is that I really hate getting thoroughly drenched. If you've ever hiked in the southeast in summer, you know that you'll end up sweating buckets. The humidity is impossible to get away from. This time of year, with the weather being cooler, I get out for exercise and enjoy not overheating. On some days, there can be a fine line between being too cold and too hot, but that is easier to figure out for me than when there is just the option of being too hot.

Recently, with the guide calendar opening up just a little and the weather finally cooling down, I've started spending time hiking more again. The first trip was a big treat.

Hiking Virgin Falls Alone

Over the years, I have hiked the Virgin Falls trail many, many times. I've even hiked it at night. It is one of my favorite trails in the area and at just 30 minutes from my front door, it is easy to get away for a few hours. Recently, I've hiked it twice. The first time was epic. I got to the trailhead, and there was NO ONE THERE. Seriously, no vehicles, no Park rangers, no one. That trail has become popular enough that it is almost impossible to enjoy it that way, but I seriously had the whole entire place to myself.

I've taken to carrying some of my camera gear when I hike. Some days it just serves as weight in my pack as I try to get in better shape. On other days, it actually gets used. When I had all of Virgin Falls to myself, you better believe I used my camera gear. Capturing several of the area falls without anyone intruding into the picture is challenging normally. On this day, it was simply a bonus.

The majority of my "picture" time was spent at Big Laurel Falls. The light was perfect for this time of year and flows were low enough that I could shoot from much closer than normal without covering my lens in spray from the falls. Here are several of my favorite shots of Big Laurel Falls.

After noticing that time was ticking away, I quickly packed up and hustled over to Sheep Cave and then on to Virgin Falls. I still haven't been inspired to shoot Sheep Cave. Maybe I just haven't considered my angles enough yet, but either way I just took a quick selfie on my cellphone to show I had been there, and then kept trucking.

Virgin Falls was another story. I wanted to find some hepatica blooming and knew that the top of the falls was a good bet. I took pictures of the falls (for perspective, it is 110 feet tall) itself, then climbed up to enjoy the top (and a few hepatica!). Every year, I try to find hepatica blooming for as many consecutive months as possible. Virgin Falls and one or two other caves are my best bet for finding them in December and January. By February, the opportunities start to expand and by March, we are at peak bloom for the early spring wildflowers. I got my pictures of the falls, found my wildflowers, then realized the day was growing late.

On the way out, I kept expecting to run into some other hikers, but it just never happened. In fact, when I got back to the trailhead, it was still empty. That is possibly the first time I've ever done that, and certainly the first time in a good long while. I don't expect to enjoy that again too often, so I savored the moment. My tired legs were glad to sit down and point the truck back towards home. I am in poor enough shape that I was dealing with some leg cramps for the last couple of miles of the hike. Thankfully, on my next visit, that problem was almost nonexistent.

Hiking Dry Creek Falls Trail

After that first Virgin Falls hike for this cool season, I made a second return visit a week later. On that trip, there were a few other hikers around, reminding me yet again how special the last visit had been. Thankfully, on this next visit, I didn't have as much trouble with my legs wanting to cramp. A few more hikes and that problem should be in the review mirror for a while at least.

Then, just yesterday, with super nice weather and the threat of some serious winter cold coming soon, we took a family trip down to the Lost Creek vicinity. I talked my dad into joining and we decided to hike the Dry Creek Falls Trail from Lost Creek to Dog Cove. Having been up to Dry Creek Falls via Rylander Cascade one other time but no further, I was excited to hike some new to me trail.

The climb from Lost Creek up to Dry Creek Falls was longer and more sustained than we remembered. Once the trail topped out on the Plateau, I realized why it had felt like such a climb. Still, the hike was pleasant with perfect weather in the 50s with mostly sunny skies.

Once we hit the top of the Plateau, it was easy to make good time. We cruised along until we saw Meditation Rock which required a brief stop. I didn't spend any time there with my camera, but we did enjoy the trail much more from that point on down to Dog Cove. The trail started descending not much farther past Meditation Rock. The trail builders did an excellent job of making the trail as interesting as possible. In one spot, it looped around a GIANT boulder, just because. In another, it sent under a pile of boulders that created an arch of sports, apparently just because again. I like trails that have character and interesting features, so I was glad that they incorporated these interesting sections into the trail.

Just before we started to seriously drop off of the Plateau, I looked around and wondered why there was no sign of any rock climbing. We discovered the reason not too much farther down the trail. Apparently it incorporates a lot of Nature Conservancy land, and rock climbing (among other activities) was expressly forbidden. That is both good and bad. Good because, well, this area will stay wild and protected. Bad because, there are some awesome rocks that would be fun to climb. I haven't climbed much in many years, though, so it isn't much loss for me.

Overall, this is definitely a trail I would hike again. I think next time I'm going to get dropped off in Dog Cove, then hike to Virgin Falls, and get picked up at the Virgin Falls trailhead up on the Plateau. That would be a great day hike!

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Glacier Day Seven: Hiking to Gunsight Lake and Florence Falls

Our trip to Glacier was definitely winding down, but we still had to great adventures. Thankfully, the best was saved for last although not intentionally. The next to last day was pretty good also.

When we had first started planning this trip, my good friend Roger told me about an epic day hike he had done in Glacier National Park. The Gunsight Pass Trail is around 20 miles from end to end and connects the east and west side of the park. That sounded like a worthwhile goal to aim for while we were there, but then COVID hit. With the shuttle system shut down, we needed to stick to the same or at least close trailheads. Thus, we chose to do Sperry Glacier which followed part of that original route from the west end. Late in our trip, we decided to head up to Gunsight Lake to do part of the other end. Sometime, eventually, we want to do the rest of this hike. I have some fishing I want to do right about in the middle.

The early start routine got us to the trailhead at a good time, but then I needed to take a pitstop. We headed down the hill to find a convenient place for my much needed "break," then quickly drove back up. Thankfully, there were still a few parking spots even with the detour. We were in luck. The plan was to hike out to Gunsight Lake, take a quick detour to Florence Falls, and back. The trail elevation profile looked manageable, and if we did everything, would be over 14 miles for the day. In other words, we had a good solid day of hiking ahead of us. At 14 miles, I figured there might be some time to fish. My Tenkara rod was stashed in my pack along with camera and a couple of lenses. Lunches were packed as well as water and a filter.

Starting Our Hike to Gunsight Lake

Even with the extra events and longer drive, we were still hiking well before 8:00 am. Soon, our pace slowed down significantly. Wildflowers were blooming everywhere. I wanted to document as many as possible although I wasn't taking the time to try and identify them on the spot for the most part. Cellphone pictures sufficed since we were still trying to move along at least a little.

Streambank Globemallow on the Gunsight Pass Trail

Thimbleberry flowers on Gunsight Pass Trail

Down at the lowest elevation of the trail, we had to cross Reynolds Creek. Shortly before the crossing, Deadwood Falls provided our first real stop. We hadn't made it very far, but the scene was beautiful. Both my wife and myself wanted to document things with our "good" cameras instead of just cellphone pictures.

Deadwood Falls Panorama on the Gunsight Pass Trail

Finally, after a little water to drink and more pictures than necessary, we hit the trail again. Shortly after the falls, we crossed Reynolds Creek itself. This was a really nice suspension style swinging bridge that was super stable. It was one of the nicest bridges like this I've been on in fact.

Reynolds Creek Bridge on Gunsight Pass Trail

Crossing Reynolds Creek on the Gunsight Pass Trail

In the early morning sunlight, we found some other interesting details. Often, the details are what makes things interesting. When light is added, you get magic. Unless you have arachnophobia that is...

Scenery on the Gunsight Pass Trail

After crossing the creek, the trail wound through the woods but started trending slowly uphill. The keyword here is slowly. This trail is a long slow climb for the first few miles. In fact, you barely even notice that you are climbing. It really isn't much work. Occasional meadow views give glimpses of the high country ahead. The trail parallels the Saint Mary River. One particularly stunning view is at Mirror Pond, but great views become more and more prevalent as you trek ever higher.

Mountain views on the Gunsight Pass Trail

By this point in the hike, a theme began to develop. We weren't spending very long on breaks because the mosquitoes and biting flies found us. Up until this point on our trip, the bugs had been present but generally manageable and bearable. This hike would seriously put us to the test, however.

Florence Falls Trail

Not too much farther up the valley, we came to a trail junction by a small bridge over a creek. The trail sign said Florence Falls. After a quick discussion, we agreed it made sense to run up there quickly. It really wasn't too far out of the way, but the thick growth almost made us turn back. This was an extremely lush area, and we were talking loudly and making plenty of noise. Thankfully, no bears surprised us nor we them, and we soon found ourselves enjoying a beautiful waterfall.

Thick growth on the trail to Florence Falls

Florence Falls was larger than I expected and difficult to photograph completely from the rather close overlook. Finally, I resorted to taking a series of pictures that could later be stitched together in Photoshop. I think it turned out well!

Back on the Gunsight Pass Trail to Gunsight Lake

We soon headed back down the trail and continued towards our main goal, Gunsight Lake. The trail began ascending through increasingly open terrain. Fire had burned much of the forest through this hike and the warm summer sun had us wishing for shade. We both had hats on by this point to protect our heads a little. The views were getting better and better. This trip was just whetting our appetite for more Glacier National Park trips sometime in the future. Seriously, this was some of the best hiking I've ever enjoyed. The scenery and wildflowers were spectacular. I could have spent a lot more time on just the wildflowers, but at some point you have to keep walking.

The trail really began to climb, finally. We were making good headway towards the lake but this last ascent up to Gunsight Lake was narrow. The terrain was steep and brush both above and below. In other words, this was yet another good area to keep up the noise and let the bears know you were around. Finally, things began to open up and level off and we figured the lake was just over the next rise. That was more or less accurate.

Taking Pictures on the Gunsight Pass Trail

Wildflowers were all around, but at this point I was beginning to have a problem that kept me from going too crazy with the camera. Bugs. You see, the bugs were about as bad as anything on our trip. Okay, they actually were the worst of our whole trip, easily. The original plan was to enjoy our lunch on the shores of Gunsight Lake before adventuring around a little more, taking some pictures, and otherwise enjoying our time in this beautiful place. Unfortunately, the biting flies in particular as well as mosquitoes had other plans for us. We decided to basically look at the lake and turn around. I only shot a handful of pictures of this gorgeous scene. This is definitely one we'll be back to. I might actually take a bug head net with me though.

On the last short approach to the lake, there had been some flowers that I found interesting. Clintonia uniflora or bride's bonnet was a new one for me, but I recognized it as Clintonia. We have Clintonia borealis here in the Smokies and the similarities were strong.

Clintonia uniflora or bride's bonnet near Gunsight Lake

Heading Back to the Trailhead

After a quick picture, we hit the downhill trail hard. I was getting really hungry, but neither of us wanted to sit down long enough to eat our sandwiches in this fly infested environment. On the way back down the steep section, we met a pair of backpackers. It appeared to be a boy and his grandmother. The boy innocently asked if the bugs were bad at the campsite. I honestly replied that I didn't know because we hadn't gone there. However, I hate to think of how miserable it was at that campsite because it was close enough to the lake that it almost had to be bad. I would have been spending the afternoon, evening, night, and early morning all in my tent or kept on hiking. Seriously, it was some of the worst bugs I've ever experienced. Ah the price we pay for outdoor adventures.

Finally, well back down the trail, we stopped just long enough for a quick lunch. Huckleberries were blooming alongside the small stream we stopped at. I ate more than I probably should have and washed it down with freshly filtered cold water. It was one of the most satisfying lunches I've ever enjoyed.

We continued on down the trail, looking forward to finishing yet another great hike. However, there were still a couple of highlights to enjoy. The birds had been fairly quiet on our way in that morning. Now, in the warmth of the afternoon, we saw and heard quite a few. I even got a picture of one that I had been trying to photograph for several days of our trip. The western tanager was an extremely beautiful bird. Unfortunately, the closest I ever got wasn't close enough, even with my nice zoom lens. This is the best I got.

Western Tanager on the Gunsight Pass Trail

After the tanager, I decided to just carry my big camera and zoom lens. The best opportunity on the tanager had been missed because I wasn't ready. While I was glad for my consolation prize of a picture, I intended to be ready when the next moment struck. That is how I happened to be ready when this Canada jay happened by in a family group. This was the best of the few pictures I snapped before they were moving on. We were almost back at the car at this point, and the sun was still high in the sky. I started to relax a little, knowing we wouldn't be pushing daylight to get back. Looking around, I noticed a western red cedar. Again, the details were what intrigued me...

Western Red Cedar along the Gunsight Pass Trail

Monday, January 12, 2015

Icy Cold

Here on the Cumberland Plateau, we don't get as much winter as I experienced when I lived in Colorado, and I'll admit that I miss it sometimes. Recently, we did get the cold portion of winter, but unfortunately the best we could do for snow was a very light dusting. The cold temperatures did produce some beautiful ice formations however. Here are some pictures from my favorite quick woods getaway near home. Before looking at all of them, you may want to compare the scenes with my recent trip that didn't include ice...

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Full to the Brim

As has been the case for the last several months, we continue to receive a lot more rain than we probably need meaning I hike more than I fish now. The widespread moderate rainfall this past weekend caused the most recent in a long string of high water events. Here on the Cumberland Plateau, we have minimal soil. In some places, the underlying sandstone is completely exposed. All of this means that when it rains, there is not a lot of soil to soak up all that moisture and it runs off quickly.

This last rain event was not as bad as the one in early December. Here is a picture from December 6.

When I returned the other day, the water was definitely still high but I could safely maneuver up the rocks on the right side of the above picture for a better upstream shot this time. As you can see, it is full to the brim, but not as dangerous as the previous time I was there. Unfortunately, it was enough rain that I had to cancel a guide trip, something that is really tough to do financially this time of year. Safety is always a priority, however, and should be when dealing with the streams of the Smokies.

Here are a few more shots from my trip on Saturday. I've been fortunate enough to get out in the woods several times over the last few days and intend to continue to do so as I work back into good backpacking shape for the spring fishing season!

I still wish that this little stream was capable of holding trout. What a fantastic opportunity it would be for me and so close to home! Unfortunately, in the summer it gets very low and also too warm to support trout.

Check out more of my previous trips to this beautiful little stream. It just keeps producing incredible photo opportunities for me!