Bol’Dar and myself recently discovered the well hidden location of the Upper Dick Creek Falls only a week ago, but once my waterfall crazy friend Dave Aldridge found out about it, he and Lou just had to go back. I say ‘go back’ because they had went just a few days after we found them and even with some detailed directions from me and a GPS coordinate/Garmin, they were still unable to find the falls. This should give you some idea of just how hard these falls are to find. When I heard their mission had failed, I agreed to take them there the following weekend. Even though we had just been there the previous weekend, I was all to happy to go back as it is an awesome place and an incredible looking set of waterfalls. Unfortunately Bol’Dar could not go along on this trip which is too bad because we chose to go in the easy way from the Limestone Cove side and we ended up finding another route to the upper falls. The first major obstacle would be to get across the high water of North Indian Creek. It was flowing way too fast and much too deep for wading across it and would take a very high clearance vehicle with really big tires to drive across it although it is easily passable when the water levels are lower like in Summer time. This problem was solved easily by parking just down the road a ways at a large pull off where a concrete bridge crosses the creek to a large field. This is private property and we did try to find its owners to get permission but it seems a bottled water company now owns it but was unable to start a company there but there is a new bathroom built towards the end of the property with water and power so I am not sure what the future holds for it but it seemed ok to access the Dick Creek area by crossing it and entering into the woods on the left side where you have to cross Dick Creek to get to the forest road that comes in from Limestone Cove road.
Upper Dick Creek Falls
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Posted on 25 April '12 by RAT, under RATtreks. 2 Comments.
It`s that time of year again ! Time to do a walk-through of my section of the Appalachian Trail (Little Bald to Spivey Gap) to check for blow-downs that will require a chainsaw and to clear any debris and limbs from the winter season. I also clean out the water bars at this time. I try to go as early as weather permits which is usually in mid to late February but, sometimes the mountains still have deep snow then so it must wait until a later time. This year we did not get much snow and it is unseasonably warm but it was still early March before a trip could be arranged. To make things easier on myself, I always wait until my friend Doug Corkhill goes to his section (Big Bald to Little Bald) which is just South of mine as he graciously goes out of his way to drive around to Spivey Gap and pick me up where we leave my vehicle and proceed to drive his truck to the summit of Big Bald (as we have access through Wolf Laurel and a key to the gate) whereas I can walk his section over to Little Bald and then downhill one way on my section which is 5+ miles in itself. This makes my total miles to be around 7+ and eliminates hiking up the very steep 5 miles of my section and then having to hike back after working all day the way I did it for years in the old days.
Big Stamp area looking towards Little Bald
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Posted on 18 April '12 by RAT, under RATtreks. No Comments.
I have been going to the Dick Creek area for well over 30 years now and recall many trips there for off-roading, hunting, camping, and to visit the Dick Creek Falls (lower) which I think is one of the prettiest waterfalls in East Tennessee. Back then we called it ‘Dixie Creek’. I have heard many times of an Upper Dick Creek Falls and despite deer hunting in that hollow many times, I had never seen any significant waterfalls there. Of course back then I was not looking for waterfalls. After recently seeing a picture of the upper falls and hearing of many failed attempts by others to find them, I took it as a challenge to myself and my friend Bol’Dar to locate these elusive falls once and for all. This was accomplished on a Saturday, March 3, 2012.
Upper Dick Creek Falls
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Posted on 16 April '12 by RAT, under RATtreks. 1 Comment.
The Wilderness Falls were discovered by my friend Bol’Dar and we were recently given the privilege of naming these falls when they were listed on the Official Tennessee Landforms directory of Waterfalls. They are well hidden with no trails leading to them which is obvious by the fact that we have explored that area for well over 20 years and never found them until recently! They were first called ‘The Triplets’ by Bol’Dar as there is a lower falls, a much larger middle falls, and an equally large upper falls but it was later decided that we would call them all ‘The Wilderness Falls’. We had been to the lower and middle falls back on 11-29-2010 when we took Dave there to get a GPS coordinate for them so they could be listed with Landforms but, we did not get to the upper falls that day as that requires either some very serious climbing or better yet, serious descending to them from above. I had only seen a glimpse of a small part of them from a distance when I climbed up the unbelievably steep right side of the middle falls on my first trip there so, we decided to go to the upper falls from the top and climb down them all on our way out in order to document them and enjoy their immense height and beauty. I was excited as this would be my first time to the upper falls up close.
Upper Wilderness Falls
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Posted on 6 April '12 by RAT, under RATtreks. 1 Comment.
My name is 'RAT' and I love the mountains and waterfalls of the East TN. area where I live and I hope you enjoy this blog about my outdoor adventures.
