Brown Gap

Brown Gap

Happy hiker

Happy hikers

Happy hikers

Hikers in the Saturday evening chow line (in the rain)

View of Brown Gap as the Northbound hiker sees it

To see the complete set of photo`s from this years event, please visit our Photo Gallery here.

View looking into NC towards Mt. Mitchell from Big Bald

Looking back at our starting point, Big Bald

View from the trail near Big Bald looking into NC towards Mt. Mitchell

View from near Big Bald looking towards Johnson City

View from near Big Bald looking into NC

View from near Big Bald looking towards the Blue Ridge in NC

Looking towards Little Bald. You can see Flattop, Unaka, and Roan Mountains (among others) in the background

Another view of Little Bald, Flattop, Unaka, etc.

Doug and I hiked together the 2 miles  to the summit of Little Bald where we take our lunch break on the summit rock there before he heads back to do his section and I begin my descent to do mine. I really appreciate his going the extra miles to give me a ride to the top as it makes the difference in me being able to do all of the section at one time and all it has cost me so far is to share my knowledge of trail maintenance techniques with him. Pretty good deal I say. There were some decent views off the TN side of the summit of Little Bald.

Hiking along the ridge towards Little Bald (Big Harry)

View from TN side of summit of Little Bald (looking towards High Rocks, Flattop, Unaka, Roan, etc.

Looking off TN side of summit of Little Bald towards Temple Hill, Erwin, which is just to left of Flattop, Unaka mountains etc.

Lookoff on the top of Little Bald (TN side)

More of the view from the lookoff on Little Bald

I just can`t get enough of this view

Zoomed view of High Rocks taken from summit of Little Bald

Doug and myself at the lunch spot on the NC side of the summit of Little Bald. (used to be able to see Big Bald from here but now its just a shadow in the trees behind us)

There were lots of limbs and debris to clear out of the trail and there were at least 10 decent sized downed trees that would require the chain saw crew but I was able to remove many small ones and saw some obstacles off the others to make the trail more passable until they could get to my section. They have all since been removed since I was there. The white blazes we painted last year are still looking very good and can be seen from long distances. I am hoping my new choice of paint holds up for several years.

Snow on Little Bald

widow maker on Little Bald

Start of the new relo on upper part of Little Bald

Cool looking moss and stuff

Close up of moss and stuff

The hardest part of this trip was cleaning out the numerous waterbars. This requires a lot of digging with a fire rake which really takes a toll on my diseased back but, I managed to get them all done from Little Bald down to Whistling Gap and the saw crews finished them from there on to Spivey Gap a week or so later. I really appreciate the help from those guys for sure. I also took a lot of time to snip a lot of woody growth that grows down at boot level which causes a lot of issues when weed whacking in the summer time along with trimming back several trees and laurels. If not for volunteer trail work, Mother Nature would quickly make the trail disappear regardless of how many hikers continue to hike on it.

blow down on Little Bald

Blow down after I managed to move it. Doesn`t look big but it was very heavy and by myself it was tough, like moving a telephone pole.

Looking back at Little Bald and the stretch of trail where Bol’Dar and I first met the ‘Children of the Trail’ (Jonny and Mary Bluegrass) I marked the spot with a Quartz rock.

White Quartz rock I marked the spot with. Hairnt !

The infamous AT Rock

By the time I made it to Whistling Gap I was pretty much worn out so I took a long rest break there and admired the blue blazes that Linda had repainted there last year before beginning the climb up towards High Rocks. I had already decided that I was not going to be able to dig out any more water bars and was hoping that once I completed the long climb up to High Rocks that I could rest up there awhile and then cruise the last 2 miles downhill to the car hopefully without incident. Of course that was not to be as just up the first hill I came across a mangled mess of a large blow down that had the trail more or less blocked. Hikers had been making their way around it, and it was way too large for me to cut, but I was able to cut enough limbs and drag several more out of the way to open up the trail until it could be removed. This took a few minutes !

Major blow downs found just as I neared Whistling Gap

Campsite at Whistling Gap.

Old bucket at Whistling Gap

Downed tree on the trail going North out of Whistling Gap

Downed tree after I cleared what I could to open the trail up. Note: you still have to walk under it !)

After that was done, I trudged on up the rest of the hills to High Rocks.

Tombstone shaped rock near High Rocks. Be a good place for some of my ashes !

Approaching High Rocks. (my double blazes are looking good !)

The trail goes left that way and goes under High Rocks but the blue blaze goes straight ahead and climbs to the top

Blue blazed trail up to High Rocks

Some of the rocks beside High Rocks. You can tell how all the rocks here were thrust upwards on the same angle.

Looking at Little Bald (where I was at noon that day) from High Rocks

View from High Rocks looking towards the West

View from High Rocks looking Northeast between Unaka and Roan Mountains

Looking off High Rocks towards No Business Knob

Looking over the edge of High Rocks at the trail below

After spending some time up on High Rocks, I climbed down and around the bottom of them to continue my journey as there was still 2 miles of trail to check.

Rock steps along the trail that lead up to the base of High Rocks. I built these many years ago by myself. No wonder I have back troubles !

The base of High Rocks

Base of High Rocks

Blow down just the other side of High Rocks. This was removed the following week along with all the rest.

There was actually two trees !

I was happy when I made it to the lower relo where the trail is way more level and better graded which makes for much easier hiking. There has been a lot of hikers through here already as the trail looked very clean and worn as if it had just been dug !

Hiking along the new lower relo, Flattop Mountain in the background

I am always tempted to take some shortcuts when doing this part of my section but I needed to check all of the trail so I had to stick to the main trail the rest of the way out. When I reached the bog bridges I found the water had made its way out of the branch and was running right down the trail making a mucky mess. I did some digging to reroute it back into where it belongs. These will soon dry up anyway but this is the first time I have ever seen it out into the trail but we have had one of the wettest years on record.

Water running right down the trail from the bog bridges

View of the ridge I was just on from the bottom part of the lower relo

From there is was just a matter of going down the serpentine stairway we built years ago and then down through the old hemlock forest , now all dead due to the pine bark beetles until I reached the creek crossing and the car. It was 7:30pm when I saw the car and it was a welcome sight as I was pretty much dragging along at this point and was hurting in more places than I care to mention. It had been a great day in the mountains and I was happy that my part of the trail work was done until it comes time to cut the summer growth which I usually do sometime in late June.

The serpentine stairway I helped build with the Konnarock Crews back in 1993.

Walking through the dead hemlock forest

More of the dead hemlocks. I remember when these were alive

Finally, the end of the day, I made it to the rock bridge at Spivey Gap where the road and my car was !

View of Viking Mountain from the grassy fields near Kennedy Cabin area

It warmed up to the 50`s and the snow was very slushy and melting. I was happy that most of the route would be on the sunny sides where there was not much snow. As I mentioned already, at the Bullen Hollow intersection, there is another road that continues straight and then goes left and down into that side of the mountain and one must be careful not to go that way as you will need to follow the main road we came in on which turns to the left before the Bullen Hollow Trail that will lead you over to Green Mountain. There is not a lot of signs here but you will see a few old metal yellow diamonds. Continuing out this road (signed 358A ) you will go another mile through several mud holes and an exposed ridge where the pine bark beetle damage have left mostly dead trees both downed and standing until you come to yet another intersection of an old forest road that is gated and leads off to your left. I am fairly certain this just leads over to the main ridge on Green Mountain and the trail there but I advise passing that and continuing straight where you will soon find a large campsite and an intersections of trails. This is what is known as Kennedy Cabin although there is no cabin there nor any remnants of one that I could find. We took a long break here to decide our next move. The Greene Mountain Trail (will be a sign here) leads off to your left along the main ridge of Greene Mountain. The road continues to the right uphill to the first of three grassy fields. Straight ahead is a old grassy road that is now nothing but a trail that leads across the ridge and descends down off the Camp Creek side of Greene Mountain down to another intersection where you bear left and follow the narrowing side hill trail DOWN. This is the Camp Creek Trail. The trail  is in surprisingly good shape as it appears it does see its share of travel.

Beginning of the Greene Mountain Trail (we were greeted by this cute little snowman)

There are several mud holes along this road

reflection shot

Making my way around the mud hole (Photo by Bol’Dar)

View of Viking Mountain (where the towers and AT is)

Frog eggs waiting to hatch out

View of Blackstack Cliffs and Viking Mountain as seen from the Bullen Hollow Trail intersection

RAT hiking along the road in the snow (Photo by Bol’Dar)

Now that we knew the trail did in fact exist and since it was still early in the day, we made the decision to poke our noses down it for a ways. Of course this meant going down a very steep hill which we knew we would have to hike back up so we would have to pace ourselves and not go too far down or else the trip back would be tough. Just how far we would go down would determine just how bad this would be. The trail was really very nice and is fairly well graded with switchbacks but, it was steep. On my previous trip to the base of the Camp Creek Falls I could see glimpses of this trail both visually and on maps, and I had this gut feeling that I would be able to get a birds eye view of the falls in their entirety from an angle that I have never seen any pics from. This gut feeling would end up causing us to go over a mile down this extremely steep side of the mountain.  We eventually came to a point where the trail seemed to go way out to the right in one of the larger switchbacks and then straight down into what I knew was the wrong hollow as far as the falls were concerned. At this point there was a pig trail leading off to the left in the direction I knew the falls would be, and having just passed by the head water of the North Fork of Camp Creek at the last switchback, we chose to take this piece of a trail in hopes it would be a shortcut back to the same trail and save us the time of  continuing on the good trail way out and back, or at least put us on the right ridge where we could hopefully see the falls. Of course this would turn out to be correct however, the downside would be that the trail quickly fizzled out and ended up in one of the worst meat-grinders I have been on in a long time.

Looking back up the Camp Creek Trail knowing we would have to climb this to get back

Standing in a switchback along the Camp Creek Trail

Found this little side trail leading in the right direction so we took it to save some time (looks like a shortcut to me)

Not the first time a shortcut trail led to oblivion

Yeah, it got worse, but it got us to where we needed to be

Looking over at Greene Mountain from the meatgrinder ridge. The falls are over there somewhere, I can hear them !

There they are !!! (Camp Creek Falls)

We could soon hear the falls and right afterwards we got our first glimpse of them. I would end up a bloody mess before we reached our destination but at the time I did not care although I did get a nosebleed caused by a briar that stuck me inside my nose ! Once we found the falls it became apparent that there was not any clear views of them. This meant bushwhacking our way through more of this dense growth of briars and downed pine trees until we finally got a small break in the trees where I did some work clearing out some stuff in order to get a view of what would turn out to be the top 150 feet of the 200 foot tall falls. I only wish we would have had more time and energy to take the Camp Creek Trail further down which I am positive would end up in the perfect spot on the ridge where one would have a clear view of the falls in their entirety but there was no way we could do that on this trip so we would save that for a later time and come in from the bottom to do so. For now we were happy that we could at least see the falls. We could hear huge pieces of ice falling off of them while we sat there on that ridge taking pics.

Bol’Dar looking at the Camp Creek Falls from our perch on the overgrown ridge (it took some work to get this small view)

After much work we managed to get a small view of the upper part of the Camp Creek Falls (these falls are 200 ft high and you are seeing maybe 3/4 of them)

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

I setup my new camera and got what shots I could. The filter helps some but the falls were still a long way off and the light and snow was very bright plus we did not have much of a view of the falls but,,,,

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls (zoomed – keep in mind this is at least 100 feet of the falls height as they are 200 feet high)

Camp Creek Falls

Bol’Dar and RAT with Camp Creek Falls in background

Looking down at Camp Creek from our perch on the overgrown ridge

Looking down at Camp Creek from our precarious position on the ridge (the large white building is Vanguard Co. near where the route to the falls from the bottom is located)

After while it became apparent that we would have to leave and begin the long, steep climb back up the mountain the way we had came down. I was not looking forward to it, but I certainly did not want to do it in the dark, so we packed up and made our way back through the ocean of briars, scrub growth and downed pine trees to get back to the little shortcut trail we had found. It was short but definitely not sweet as that was some really overgrown and rough terrain. I was very happy to be back on an unobstructed trail. It was a long mile back up to the top but it was not as bad as I had expected. We took a short break at a small falls just below where the North Fork of Camp Creek starts (the falls are on the South Fork) before continuing our climb. Once we reached the top we took another long break at the Kennedy Cabin campsite before we decided to explore the fields. The fields were nice but the trees along the edge obscured any good views but it was still a nice place to hang out.

Bol’Dar looking for the path of least resistance (hint: there is none)

Climbing back up the steep Camp Creek Trail

Small falls where the North Fork of Camp Creek begins

A conglomerate rock

Checking out the fields near the Kennedy Cabin area

Checking out the fields near Kennedy Cabin area

Gnarley trees growing around the fields near the Kennedy Cabin area

RAT taking pics in the fields near Kennedy Cabin area (Photo by Bol’Dar)

After we left the fields it was much easier walking on the old road all the way back to the gate where we had started that morning on the Viking Mountain Road. We still had to walk the extra mile back down the road to get to the car and all the snow that had prevented us from getting any higher on the mountain was gone by this time. It had been a great day of hiking and I can`t wait to explore more of the Camp Creek Trail and falls, next time it will be from the bottom !

View from Greene Mtn. of the road we would use to get back on with Viking Mtn. in the background. (yes, we have to walk all the way back over there !)

I walk a lonely road The only one that I have ever known,,,,

Cool twisty tree

Old rusty metal trail marker

Once back to the Viking Mtn. Road, we still had another mile to walk back to the car (yes it is WAY down there !)

Where the rubber meets Viking Mtn. Road (whole new meaning to ‘making tracks’)

To see the complete set of pictures of the Camp Creeks Falls which includes those taken from the base of the falls, please visit our Photo Gallery here.

Wintergreen Falls (Photo by Dave Aldridge)

There was still snow and cold temps in East TN. when we left, and Sam`s Gap had at least a foot of snow still on the mountains there, but by the time we reached Asheville, NC, there was not a trace of snow and the skies were clearing. By the time we reached the Hendersonville area, it was sunny and nearly 50 degrees. There was some wind but it was perfect weather for hiking. Only the clear blue skies and bright sun would prevent getting any good waterfall pictures. It did not take long to find the road we were looking for and in a short time we were at Wintergreen Falls. We got what pics we could and then began looking for a way to get upstream to hopefully find the other falls.

Wintergreen Falls (as seen from below, you can see barely the top of the main part of the falls)

Wintergreen Falls

Wintergreen Falls

Wintergreen Falls (this is what is at the top of the falls,,, a foot rock ? a hand pointing ?)

There was a small goat path of a trail that continued beyond the falls on the left side which did lead fairly easily to the top of the falls, but got smaller and more faint beyond that point. We continued making our way along a series of rabbit trails trying to take the path of least resistance. There were some tricky spots where it was difficult to get through but overall we were able to continue upstream at a steady pace maneuvering around each obstacle we came to. The whole time I had this feeling that there was a better way up higher on the ridge above us and even after the return trip where I climbed up to investigate, I still believe this. Now that we know how far it is to the falls, I am sure I will take that route when I come back to this place in the future. We could not see anything due to the thick growth so we had to venture out into the creek to try and get a visual upstream and eventually we did see the base of the falls off in the far distance, which are at least .2 from the Wintergreen Falls. After one more thick spot complete with briars, I found a small trail that led me to a fairly large sandy beach right at the base of these falls. It was obvious that a few others had been here but I can assure you that not many know about these falls or would go through the trouble even if they did.

Looking back at Dave while following the rabbit trail in search of the falls

Grassy Creek about .2 above Wintergreen Falls (here we had to get out of the thickets to see where we were and could finally see a glimpse of the base of the falls off in the distance)

After some more time in the thicket, is that a sandy beach I see ? (we could hear large falls at this time)

Yes ! It IS a sandy beach at the base of the falls we were looking for !!

It was nice to be out of the bramble and be out in the open. The falls were much larger than I expected and Dave measured them at 82 feet high. It was around 1pm by this time and the sun was directly overhead and washing out any chances we had of getting any decent photos but, the falls were very impressive and the water levels were incredible. We really enjoyed being at these falls for awhile as it was obvious they are completely off trail, not listed on any maps, no info at all about them and very few people know they exist. That is always a good thing for a waterfall lover.

The 82 feet high falls Dave found,, he calls them ‘X RAY Falls’

unnamed falls ( we call, X RAY Falls)

unnamed falls we call X RAY Falls

unnamed falls we call X RAY Falls

unnamed falls we call X RAY Falls

unnamed falls we call X RAY Falls

unnamed falls we call, X RAY Falls

From there we made our way back kinda the way we had came but, I did venture higher on the ridge in search of a better path which I did find. I was soon looking down on Wintergreen Falls from high above just before reaching the old road trail we came in on. After doing the mile and a half of that road, we were back at the car and decided to see if we could make it to the Triple Falls and High Falls before we ran out of time. It is possible to see the 6 listed waterfalls of DuPont State Forest in one day but, you would have to hustle and not spend much time at any of them. I would recommend taking some time to enjoy them all, perhaps a camping trip for a few days. It was a short drive around to the parking lot where Hooker Falls is and a short walk to the Triple Falls. These are always crowded with people due to the easy access but, they are very impressive. Triple Falls is listed as 125 feet high but there are three tiers so it seems much higher to me. We did not take the time to measure any of them on this trip as we were pressed for time. The water level was definitely at a record high so it was breathtaking to see despite the bright sun that made any attempt of a good photo to fail. I got the best i could of the three falls from the trail before continuing up the hill to where the wooden steps lead down to the base of the upper set of falls.

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls (Photo by Dave Aldridge)

Triple Falls (Photo by Dave Aldridge)

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

Triple Falls

There was lots of people there so it was almost impossible to get a shot without someone in it but I was very impressed and will definitely be coming back here on a cloudy day. After getting a few pics we climbed the stairs back to the trail and made the decision to continue the half mile further to what is called the High Falls.  This is an impressive 100 foot high falls. It is a nice hike and did not take long to get there. We stayed there for about a half hour to get a few shots but ran out of time and soon had to leave. The trail does continue further to the top of the falls where there is a covered bridge that goes right over the top of the falls ! It leads a short distance further to another parking area there.  We would save that for another time.

Approaching High Falls

High Falls

High Falls

High Falls

High Falls

High Falls (Photo by Dave Aldridge)

High Falls

It was level and then downhill back to the car so it was not long before we were back on the road heading to one of the best Bar B Q  joints in the South, ‘Bad Wolf BBQ’. We had some really good Q there with some excellent sauces and sides before hitting the road again. It is a over an hour and a half drive to get back home and I had to work soon as I got back so it would be another long day and night for me considering I had not been to sleep since working the last shift but it was worth it to get to see that many waterfalls in one day. I can`t wait to come back.

Bad Wolf Bar B Que

To see the complete collections of photos of all these magnificent waterfalls, please look for them in our Photo Gallery here.

Some information about the DuPont State Forest:

The DuPont State Forest is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina. Its 10,400 acres of forest feature four major waterfalls on the Little River and several on the Grassy Creek. The 10,300 acre DuPont State Forest was acquired in three major phases, spanning from 1995 to 2000. The 7600 acre forest was purchased by the State of North Carolina in 1996 and 1997 after DuPont sold its industrial operation and surrounding land holdings. The 2700 acres surrounding the industrial facility was sold to Sterling Diagnostic Imaging in 1996. The Conservation Fund, a national non-profit organization, negotiated an agreement between DuPont and North Carolina officials which facilitated the public purchase. More info can be found here: http://www.dupontforest.com/history.html

The park was used to shoot scenes from the 1992 film “The Last of the Mohicans” and the 2012 box office hit, “The Hunger Games”.

Other points of interest:

On the way back we passed through Etowah, NC and into Hendersonville, which has some interesting historical features. Besides the home of Carl Sandburg, there is also the Thomas Wolfe’s Angel located at the Oakdale Cemetery on Old Hwy 64. Author Thomas Wolfe’s first novel was Look Homeward, Angel. In the book there are constant references to an angel statue carved from Italian marble. This is the angel Wolfe placed in American literature. Thomas Wolfe’s father, W.O. Wolfe, sold the statue to the Johnson family to mark the family plot in Oakdale Cemetery. The angel is holding a lily in her left hand and extending her right hand upward. Oakdale Cemetery is located on Hwy. 64 W., just a short distance from downtown. The statue is protected by a wrought iron fence, and there is a historical marker located on the highway.

Thomas Wolfe Angel

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, childhood home of Thomas Wolfe is located 22 north of Hendersonville, in Asheville.

Squibb Creek Falls

After forgetting my smaller camera and having to turn around about 7 miles from home to retrieve it we finally got to the trail head at Horse Creek by a little after 10am. There was no snow on the trail there but, we could see an inch or less on the steep mountain hillsides all around us. Horse creek was rolling pretty good and I was glad we would be crossing it over a bridge. Just on the other side within a short distance you come to the Sampson Mountain Wilderness boundary where Squibb Creek enters into Horse Creek. The water level was fairly high for it too but not so much that it would cause any difficulty in crossing it. This was a good thing as we would cross this creek too many times to count before reaching the falls.

Squibb Creek (left) entering into Horse Creek (right)

The trail makes its way into the Squibb Creek Valley passing over two large wooden bridges before reaching the A-Frame chalet style (private house) that has been there for as long as I can remember. We could not help but notice many ‘stoners‘ (unusual man-made stacks of stones) along the way in various locations, some of which were very unique in that the shape of the rocks and the way they were placed defied the laws of gravity and others were just plain stacks of rocks with no artistic or unusual qualities to them. On our way back we seen a guy actually creating these in this area but I am sure others practice this and also add stones to the ones already there.

‘Stoners’ (rock art?)

Mrs. Butterworth ?

A bunny rabbit ?

‘Stoner’ near the private house

After the private house the trail narrows but is still nice as it makes its way across the creek a few more times and passes by the Turkeypen Cove Trail on the left and then the Middle Spring Ridge Trail also on the left as it continues its way further into the Squibb Creek Valley. I noticed that some nice wooden signs had been added to all three trails at these points which I am sure were not there in 2010. For years the Turkeypen Trail was marked only by a small piece of paper stuck to a tree which is still there by the way. I was happy to see that the numerous blow downs that were present on my last trip here had been removed and the trail was in great shape. There was also a switchback that had been installed in one place where before one had to cross a deep gully that the creek had flooded out. There is no comparison in how good the trail was on this trip compared to my last time through here. Many thanks to whoever was responsible for this.

The private house

Middle Spring Ridge Trail (left) and Squibb Creek Trail (right)

Squibb Creek Trail

The trail does gain some elevation as it continues following the creek upstream which does create some very nice cascades and small falls along the way. The snow did get deeper as we went along but it never got much over an inch to two inches so it was not an issue at all. There were several ice formations to be enjoyed as well, many of which had melted and gone by the return trip later that afternoon.

Getting into some deeper snow along the Squibb Creek Trail

Ice formations hanging over the creek

One of the many crossings of Squibb Creek

Hiking along the upper part of Squibb Creek Trail (find Bol’Dar)

One of the last few creek crossings before reaching the falls

The valley does get much narrower as you near the falls but with the improved trail conditions it did not take long to cover the nearly two miles to the falls. You will know when you are there because the trail basically ends at the falls and getting beyond them would require going off trail and climbing some steep and tricky terrain. I have done this many years ago and I might have been tempted to venture further on this day had it not been for the snow and ice and my being a bit out of shape ! I was happy to see the falls because on my last trip there was so many downed trees, snow, debris that you could hardly tell they were there. Everything was in good shape this time and the water was flowing really good so we dropped our packs and took a good long break to enjoy this beautiful place.

The Squibb Creek Valley getting narrow just before reaching the falls (find Bol’Dar)

Cool looking ice along the Squibb Creek Trail not far from the falls

Just around this corner and through the creek is the falls

First view of the falls. Bol’Dar was already there !

Bol’Dar at the falls. They are slightly hidden behind the rocks and laurels until you get right to them.

The falls do not look very high at first as there are trees that have fallen, lots of rocks have accumulated at the base and, the  laurels on the right side have grown out in front which hides part of them until you get right up to the base of the falls when you can then tell they are much taller than they look from a distance. They are 25 feet in height. There is a narrow but tall feeder falls on the left side that is normally dry in the summer months but was flowing on this trip. Both sides of these falls are pretty steep and very rocky, forming a spine-like barricade that does prevent one from easily going beyond the falls. I recall climbing around the cliffs on the right side some 25 years ago and continuing up the valley until the creek splits in order to know where we were on the map (before the age of GPS and such) but I do not remember any other waterfalls however, going beyond the split up either branch would become very steep so who knows what might be hiding in there. The sun was shining very brightly and as usual was right in the camera lens but we got what pics we could and ate our lunch before it became time to begin the trek back the way we had came. “Love the sound of that shuttah mate ! “

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

Squibb Creek Falls

It is mostly downhill going back so hiking is easier and quicker but we did take some time to stop at many of the small falls and cascades that we had passed on our way up, some of which require climbing down a steep bank to get to. Of course this is the only way to get any good views and pics of them so we did take the time to do so and it was well worth it. The first of which is a falls that is almost as high as the main falls which we estimate between 15 and 20 feet. The others are less than this but are all beautiful none the less.

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Second largest falls on Squibb Creek

Continuing back down the creek, we stopped to check out more of the small falls and cascades. I took several pics as they are so awesome to photograph.

Small falls along Squibb Creek

Small falls on Squibb Creek

Small falls along Squibb Creek

Small falls along Squibb Creek

Small falls along Squibb Creek

Small falls along Squibb Creek

More small falls on Squibb Creek

More falls along Squibb Creek

More small falls on Squibb Creek

Waterfalls on Squibb Creek

More small falls along Squibb Creek

Small falls on Squibb Creek

We took our time going back but soon were out of the snow zone and back to the dry trail. Soon after that we were at the private house and the trail head. We saw a guy building more ‘stoners’ as his large dog sat in the creek and watched him as we passed by. One was right in the middle of the trail and resembled a bunny rabbit. Another one in a more obscure location beside the creek looked to me like Mrs. Butterworth ! Just after this we were back at the confluence where Squibb Creek enters into Horse Creek and the bridge over Horse Creek where it is then a short walk down the rocky forest road to the car. It had been a great day to be in the woods and we had seen some awesome falls and cascades. I can not wait until the next adventure,,,,,

Customized barrel found near the trail

Tree hugging tree

Private house on Squibb Creek

The Squibb Creek Trail goes over Horse Creek on this bridge (find Bol’Dar)

Horse Creek

To see the complete collection of photo`s from the Squibb Creek Falls, please visit our Photo Gallery here.

Camp Creek Falls (231 feet)

There was a large bulldozer on the property so needless to say there was a very nice trail from there all the way to the forest service property boundary. That point is just after crossing Camp Creek however at that crossing, there is no water. That`s right, not a single drop ! This is an odd phenomena, but I have seen it before. For some reason, the creek actually goes into the ground about a quarter mile or more before it reaches the private property not to be seen again. The old trail that leads up the left side of the creek is not too bad at this point and soon intersects other trails coming in from the left that are all completely on forest service land and will be the way that will have to be taken in the future. One of which is in really bad shape with recent tornado damage and you would not want to use it. The old Camp Creek Trail is just above on the pine tree covered ridge which leads to the top of Greene Mountain where it joins the Greene Mountain Trail but the other end is also very hard to find and will involve private property once again. Just after passing by those other trails, you will hear water in the creek and can follow it all the way to the falls. There is never a lot of water in this creek so I was hoping that due to the current higher water levels that it would make the falls more enjoyable but I was still slightly disappointed at how low the water actually was so the best time would obviously be right after or during a really wet period.

View of Green Mtn. from the parking lot of the church camp.

Trail across the private property

Last section of the private property before reaching the forest land

The trail quickly disintegrates

More of the trail to the falls

One of the smoother parts of the way to the falls

The creek is just to the left here but it is apparent how much water has been through here in the past !

It does not get much better from here

almost to the split

Large grapevine we came across

Small cascades on Camp Creek

As you can see from the pictures, the trail quickly disintegrates into the creek but there is another piece of trail just over to the left which will allow another quarter mile or so further before eventually crossing the creek is inevitable where you will have to make your way the best you can up the right side across some smooth and some rough sections passing by a large hollow on the right which had no water in it until it feeds you right back into the creek and massive devastation just before reaching what I call ‘the split’ where the second large hollow to the right is which is that of the falls. At this place the creek you have been following will continue straight ahead but the creek coming in to the right is the one the falls are actually on. We could look up and see the bright white of the ice that was frozen in the trees on the high tops of the Greene Mountain above us. There is nothing but huge piles of rocks and boulders and log jams of trees at ‘the split’ and there is no trail on either side of the hollow to the right as the sides are near vertical steep and covered with thick growth including laurel hells, briars and trees of all types. The best choice from here is to simply get in the creek and follow it up all the way to the falls. This is very doable but you must be very careful and choose each step as if it might be your last as some rocks are slick and it is significantly steep for the two tenths of a mile to the base of the falls.

Looking back at Dave making his way through his favorite,,,laurels !

Making our way up the creek bed almost to the split

Almost to the split

The split. Looking towards the right fork which is the way to the falls and you can see Camp Creek coming down from the left fork.

Looking up Camp Creek (left fork of the split) as I cross it to get to the right fork which will lead to the falls

Looking at the right fork at all the devastation we must maneuver around to go that way (Dave said this was not there 2 years ago)

Making my way up the right fork after breaking my hiking stick trying to climb around this on the left side which was too steep and full of laurels. The sun was blinding us

Looking back at Dave after I had gotten around the devastation at the split and was making my way up the right fork towards the falls. Note: The old Camp Cr. Trail is on that green ridge in the background.

hiking up the right fork towards the falls. You could see them from here if not for the blinding sun.

I attempted to get around the cluster of boulders and trees at the split that was obviously a result of recent massive flooding by climbing up the steep ridge on the left hand side. It was there where I ended up breaking my hiking stick which saved me from plummeting down the incredibly steep bank to the creek below. I aborted that direction and found a way to slide down to the creek and realized hiking up the creek was indeed the easiest and safest way to get to the falls. The sun was shining right over the top of the falls in that direction and blinded us anytime we attempted to look up that way. We had to keep our heads down and choose each step wisely as we made out way up and around all the large boulders and huge blow downs that one must manage in order to climb this deep ravine. At this point I was kinda glad there was not a lot of water flowing as it would make it much harder and you would get wet. I was already planning in my mind how I was going to find a better way to reach these falls on any return trips. After climbing a ways we could begin to see the falls and it became apparent that the sun was soon going to move behind the rocky cliffs that sit on the high ridge just to the right side of the top of the falls. This was a relief and as soon as that happened we could finally see the falls.

Approaching a HUGE blow down (you can see the base of the falls in the background)

Making my way under the HUGE downed tree (falls in background)

View of falls from standing under the HUGE downed tree in the creek

Looking back at Dave as he makes his way up the creek towards the downed tree and the falls. You can see how steep it is as Dave is far below me in such a short distance away.

Cliffs coming into view on the right side of the falls (despite the bright sun)

Continuing up the creek we can see the falls as the sun is starting to go behind the ridge

Getting closer and closer to the falls and thankful the sun is out of our eyes finally.

Looking back down at Dave and the downed tree as he climbs up the right side of the creek in order to get a better view of the falls

Due to the extreme steepness and rough terrain, there is really no good or level spots to stand to get a unobstructed view of the falls. I experimented with several places on my way up as I climbed higher and higher and Dave was following along behind me. I ended up near the base on a large downed tree where Dave found a spot just over from me high up on the right side bank. We both setup our tripods and got what pictures we could while we ate our lunch but it was very cold in that ravine now being out of the sun and I could feel the numbness quickly entering my feet and hands to the point where it was hard to operate the camera.  Dave took the time to measure the height of the falls using his hypsometer as they are listed on Landforms at 150 feet but we both knew they were higher. They turned out to be 231 feet of vertical height. While Dave was packing up to get back down to the sunshine at the bottom, I climbed up closer to the base of the falls to get some shots from there where I then made the decision to climb up onto the steep left side ridge and traverse it back down to the split.

Almost to the falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

Camp Creek Falls

I got lucky and found an animal trail of sorts and since I was up much higher on that ridge than I was at the bottom where I had aborted that route earlier, I was able to make my way quickly and easily back down to where Dave was at the split in less than 5 minutes. From there we both had a long rest and snack break while we warmed our cold bodies in the warm sunshine before heading back down the creek the way we had came. I explored a little further up the other creek a ways as I thought I had seen another small frozen falls that morning but it turned out to be nothing and it dead ended at a very steep butt end of a hollow that I would not want to climb. It did not take as long to get back down the creek to the private property since it is all downhill, and we realized just how steep we had climbed all morning. Although it is just over a mile to the split, it is all uphill and the majority is pretty rough going so it feels like you have hiked much farther. It will be even more so the next time since we will not have the luxury of accessing the private property.

Looking down the creek bed from the base of the falls. It is 2 tenths to the sunny spot which is the split

Bee`s nest seen looking up Camp Creek from the split (looking up the left fork)

Large tree we seen on the way back with many old carved initials

Crossing Camp Creek back at the private property where it is dry since it goes completely underground just before this point

Walking back through the church camp almost to our vehicle

View of Greene Mountain as seen from the parking lot at the church camp

Beautiful tabernacle at the church camp

View of Green Mountain where we had been all day from the road below the church camp

Closer view of Greene Mountain and the hollow where Camp Cr Falls is located

Zoomed view of Greene Mountain and the the rugged hollow where the Camp Creek Falls are located (Note: you can see the old Camp Creek Trail switch-backing on the pine covered ridge to the left)

Zoomed view of the hollow on Greene Mountain where Camp Creek Falls is located

We arrived back at the car by 4pm and after a short conversation with one of the managers there, we drove around to the children’s group home and checked out a few roads there to see if we could find where the other trails start. We did get a good view of the entire mountain from the road on our way out but it is hard to tell exactly which hollow the falls are on but I think I figured it out and will continue to research other ways to reach the falls for any trips in the future. I will definitely be coming back here as I was unable to get any photos that I was happy with on this trip. Until next time,,,,

To see the complete collection of photos of the Camp Creek Falls, please visit our Photo Gallery here.

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking at Sampson Mountain)

Taking the secret hidden ninja trail up to the ridge where the MonkeyHead Rocks reside took over an hour including some rest breaks and then a little longer to make our way off trail across the meat-grinder growth to get over to the highest and most prominent of the statuesque rock formations there for the incredible views they offer. This is by far one of my all time favorite places. From there we always make our way (carefully) further out the ridge  to the many other rock cliffs and formations that are there until you eventually get out near the end where there is a nice place to hang out under some small pine trees that also provides a good view looking down on the Lower Sill Branch Falls (although you will need a good zoom to get any decent photo`s of them from that angle). I got some much better photos of them on my last trip here. We could hear both the North and South Forks of the Sill Branch Creeks roaring loudly far below us. Although the sun was intensely bright, the views were great and we had a great time chilling out there enjoying the immense beauty although I can not be there without thinking of the first time I ever was there when we climbed up the ‘meat-grinder’ and had the ‘stealth-pack incident’.

Small falls found along the branch beside the secret ninja trail that we use to access the Sill Branch Overlook ridge

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking over Sill Br. towards Sampson Mtn and the Clark Creek Valley)

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking at the ‘Volcano’ with Sampson Mtn on the right and glimpses of Rich Mtn all the way to near Wilson Knob on the left) (note the snow near Wilson Knob)

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking towards the left side of the ‘volcano’ with ‘the land bridge’ and South Fork of Sill Branch with Rich Mtn and Wilson Knob in background)

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking into the North Fork of Sill Branch)

View from the Sill Branch Overlook (looking down on the lower end of Sill Branch and yes we would be going down that)

Bol’Dar atop one of the rock formations of the Sill Branch Overlook

View of the Lower Sill Falls from one of the cliffs of the Sill branch Overlook (click pic to see larger and labeled image)

Zoomed shot of the Lower Sill Branch Falls as seen from the Sill Branch Overlook

Zoomed view of the Lower Sill branch Falls as seen from the Sill Branch Overlook

Here are some photo`s I took from my last trip here:

Lower Sill Branch Falls as seen from the Sill Branch Overlook Taken 3-19-2010

Zoomed shot of Lower Sill Branch Falls as seen from the Sill Branch Overlook Taken 3-19-2010

After a good long break there, we went back across the rocks to where we started, only this time went under some of the larger ones to get a view from there as the rocks take on more of a character from that angle as the faces and shapes form various looks such as birds, monkeys, etc. From there we went back to the ridge to find the way we would take down that steep side to get to Sill Branch that was way down below us. While back on the ridge we came across a salt block, a stealth-camera, and a tree-stand which we thought was odd since hunting season ended over a month ago. We soon found ourselves standing on a hill so steep it was difficult to even stand on, making our way slowly down the spine of the ridge, sliding on our butts at least 10 or 20 feet each time one of us fell ! There was some good views of Longarm Ridge and the Clark Creek Valley, Sampson, etc., from there and I could even make out the rocks on the steep North side of Longarm Ridge. It does not look that far to get down but, the distance is VERY deceptive. It takes some time to reach the creek at the bottom as it is much further than it seems. There is no trail and would be too steep to build one so you just have to find the path of least resistance and make your way down. We did locate some more very nice rock formations on the way down that made the effort well worth it as I doubt many have ever seen these.

Standing under one of the large rock formations of the Sill Branch Overlook

Looking up at one of the large rock formations of the Sill Branch Overlook from below

Bright yellow fungus on a rock found below the cliffs (we have passed by this rock many times before)

We begin the steep descent (Find Bol’Dar)

My view from the steep hillside (note: Longarm Ridge in center off in distance)

Cool rock formation we found on our descent

Another really cool rock formation we found while descending down into lower Sill Branch (you do see the face right ?)

Another view of the really cool rock formation we found going down into Sill Branch (now do you see the face? )

Not quite halfway down looking straight down the way we were going (you know how cameras can not show depth/steepness ? Well this looks steep in the pic so that goes to show how steep this descent really was !

Looking to my right while descending the steep ridge

Looking back up the way I had just came down

After what seemed like forever we finally reached the creek which was running really good so we had to locate a decent place to cross without getting our feet wet. We all prevailed and soon were hiking up the old road trail towards the trail to the Lower Falls. We did not have time go see them so we passed them by continuing on the old road past what we call the Snakehead Rock where Dan-O and myself stopped for lunch as it seems there was a misunderstanding which caused Bol’Dar to go non-stop all the way to the trail that leads to the Upper Falls.  He went all the way to the ‘Umba Bagumba’ spot and was waiting on us wondering what had happened ! We were eating lunch on the Snakehead Rock wondering where he was ! We took a short lunch so we could catch up to him soon as we could and it did not take too long to get to the exit off the old road where the not very well known trail is that leads to the Upper Sill Branch Falls. We found Bol’Dar sitting at the spot looking over, eye to eye with the MonkeyHead Rocks which is where we first discovered them nearly 30 years ago.

Finally we can see the creek and old road trail below !! We have made it down !

Crossing Sill Branch (Find Dan-O)

Small section of the snake rocks

Dan-O coming down from our lunch spot atop the SnakeRock (you can see the Sill Branch Overlook high above in the background)

Looking up at the Sill Branch Overlook from the SnakeRock

Looking up at the Sill Branch Overlook and the steep ridge we just came down from the SnakeRock

Small falls along South Fork of Sill Branch just above the SnakeRocks

The old arm tree located along the South Fork of Sill Branch Trail

Many years ago the trail used to be clean as pin as it made its way up through pine trees, it was very shady and the trail was carpeted with moss and pine needles, it was smooth and a real pleasure to hike and back then it did not take near as long to get to the upper falls but, now due to the recent pine bark beetle damage, the trail is pretty much destroyed with blow-downs as the entire ridge is now open with all the pine trees being downed and everything is dead looking. Lots of sun now allowed in which is causing some really thick growth to replace what once was all trees. You now have to climb over and under several blow-downs but I will say that it was easier this time than my last trip here back in November of 2010 when I took my friend Dave to them. Seems there have been quite a few people stomping through here to the falls. Too bad none of them took the time to do any trail work !

Trail leading up to the ‘Umba BaGumBa’ spot and eventually to the upper Sill Branch Falls

Looking over at the Sill Branch Overlook (MonkeyHead Rocks) from the ‘UmBa BaGumBa Spot’

Looking over at the Sill Branch Overlook (MonkeyHead Rocks) from the ‘UmBa BaGumBa Spot’

Looking over at the Sill Branch Overlook (MonkeyHead Rocks) from the ‘UmBa BaGumBa Spot’

Eventually the trail descends down to the creek above the lower falls and follows it all the way to the upper falls crossing a few other wet weather streams that come in from the right side along the way. There was some small snow traces there and it was MUCH colder as this is on the North side of the mountain and the sun does not shine in there. You will pass several small falls and cascades there. After a while you come to where the creek splits at a large washed out area.  The main branch stays to the left to continue on up to the upper falls and beyond to many other falls and the one to the right (which is smaller) leads up into the steep hollow there that leads to the rocky ridge above. There are a few old log roads there once you cross the creek. The lower one that follows the main branch leads to the bottom of the Upper Falls and the upper road will take you to the top of the falls where you can get a higher view and be able to use it to cross the top of the feeder falls there and get beyond the upper falls.

Trail view after the ‘UmBa BaGumBa’ spot looking into the North Fork of Sill Branch towards the upper falls and Rich Mtn

Dan-O and Bol’Dar on the trail beside the North Fork of Sill Branch

Dan-O and Bol’Dar on the trail to the upper falls (Dan-O noticing that the ‘stoners’ and ‘the pink flag badger’ had already been through here sometime in the past)

Small waterfall along the North Fork of Sill Branch

Another small cascading falls found along the North Fork of Sill Branch

Another shot of the cascading falls found along the North Fork of Sill Branch

One of the larger falls found along the North Fork of Sill Branch

Another one of many of the small falls and cascades found along the North Fork of Sill Branch

Another shot of the same falls

Another angle on those same falls

Another shot of those same falls

Cascading stream that enters into the North Fork of Sill Branch along the route to the upper Sill Branch Falls

We took the low road in order to get the best pictures as we were pressed for time and would not be going any further on this trip. The falls were really nice with the extra water flowing over them. We hung out there at the base for as long as we could taking in the awesomeness before we finally had to leave. DISCLAIMER: Please note that I did not take my new camera nor did I carry a tripod on this trip so the pictures did suffer from it !!!

First view of the Upper Sill Branch Falls

Feeder falls that come in to the right side of the Upper Sill Branch Falls (the upper trail crosses at the top of these)

Upper Sill Branch Falls

Upper Sill Branch Falls

Upper Sill Branch Falls

Upper Sill Branch Falls

It is mostly downhill going back so we made better time and were soon back to the warm sun at the ‘Umba Bagumba’ spot. I was glad to be out of the cold refrigerator-like canyon. We rested there for awhile checking out the views of the nearby mountains and the MonkeyHead Rocks before continuing on down to the old road down below.

Section of trail leading back up to the ‘UmBa BaGumBa’ spot

Looking over at the Sill Branch Overlook

View looking out over Sill Branch towards Clark Creek with Sampson Mtn in background

View looking out over Sill Branch to Clark Creek and Sampson mtn (you can see the steep ridge of the ‘volcano’ starting on the left side

Looking over the South Fork of Sill Branch at the ‘volcano’ with Sampson Mtn behind it from the ‘UmBa BaGumBa’ spot

From there it did not take long to get back down the rest of the trail and back down the old road and past the Snakehead Rocks to the trail-head where we started that morning. We were out by 4:30pm so Dan-O was on schedule ! It had been a great day in the mountains and I had gotten some good exercise. So much in fact, that my legs were already hurting and it would end up taking me a couple days to recover. It was only a little over 5 miles total so, that goes to show just how steep and gnarly the route was ! I am already looking forward to the next trip hopefully soon while the water levels are up.

Hiking the last leg of the upper falls trail. You can see Dan-O and Bol’Dar below me and that is the ‘pyramid’ and ‘land bridge’ looming above us in the distance as we descend into the South Fork of Sill Branch below

Small part of the upper falls trail that is still awesome like it used to be many years ago

Small cascade along Sill Branch

Series of cascades along Sill Branch

To see the complete collection of photos of the Sill Branch Overlook (MonkeyHead Rocks) please visit our Photo Gallery here.

To see the complete collection of photos of the Lower and Upper Sill Branch Falls please visit our Photo Gallery here.

Bol’Dar, RAT, and Dave on Chigger Ridge with Buckeye Falls and Wilson Knob in the background

The first creek crossing at the trail head was over the makeshift plywood bridge there which was frozen with some very slick ice and due to its sloping nature, we had to be extra careful getting across it. From there it was an easy hike to the first steep hill that leads up beside the Lower Higgins Falls which is always impressive to see with the high water levels. After that hill it levels out some and crosses the creek several times as the old road winds around the mountain past the Birchfield Camp Branch intersection and beyond. There used to be log and plank bridges here as it was a 4wd forest road but floods have washed out all of those over the years but there are still remnants of the old bridges from days gone by.

Lower Higgins Creek Falls as seen from the trail above

Waterfalls found on upper part of Higgins Creek (zoomed from above)

From there the old road trail goes uphill again passing by several more waterfalls in the Upper Higgins Creek area, all of which were looking good but, these are all way down below and require a steep descent and some laurel hells to get to along with a steep climb to get back up so, we did not have time to visit those but,  we did locate some large falls above those that we plan to come back to in the near future. Just after those, the trail levels out again for a ways and crosses the Higgins Creek again where the Higgins Creek Valley turns to the left as it heads towards Wilson Knob. Just after this last creek crossing you will soon reach a locked blue gate that blocks the forest road which leads into the Higgins Creek Valley. This brought back several old memories of our many trips to the Wilson Knob area some 20+ years ago. The old road goes uphill again past this gate where you soon reach another locked blue gate at Bearwallow Gap. We had a good long rest break there.

Trail that leads up the Higgins Creek Hollow near where the upper falls are

Dave crossing Higgins Creek

Bol’Dar resting at the first blue gate (that road follows the Higgins Creek to Wilson Knob)

Second blue gate located just past the first one, you can see Bearwallow Gap just beyond and above the gate

Bearwallow Gap is very cool place as it is where five (actually six) trails/old roads intersect from all directions and you can go to so many different places from there. There is the old forest road we came up that goes up the Higgins Creek Valley that will not only take you up/down all of Higgins Creek but also can go up Higgins Creek further to Wilson Knob (easiest method by far)  not to mention, to Rocky Fork, and the Birchfield Camp Branch valley, but there is also the Boundary Ridge Trail that leads up a steeper more difficult route to Wilson Knob, plus the old road that leads over to Longarm Ridge and eventually to near Chigger Ridge, the Longarm Ridge Trail that leads back down to Clark Creek, and last but not least, the old forest road #190 that goes by the many California Fields as it makes it way eventually to Bumpass Cove. There is a small ridge trail between the last two mentioned that will take you to one of the grassy fields along FR#190. We set our sites on Chigger Ridge and went down the old road that leads in that direction. I remember driving down this all the way to end some 20 years ago but now you would not get very far as after a short ways it becomes a foot trail only before you cross Longarm Ridge. There are some great views in the wintertime of the Clark Creek Valley below and the Sampson Mountain Range on the other side.

Looking over Longarm Ridge with Sampson in background

Dave hiking down the old trail out of Bearwallow Gap towards Longarm ridge (below the boundary trail)

We made good time and soon enough we were at the next to last of the four small branches that leads down into the Chigger Valley which helps feed the waterfalls way down below (Delsatch aka Milky Way Cascades). From this point the old road continues to make a hard right hand turn where we could see fresh pink flagging and recent trail clearing obviously done the weekend before by our friend Melissa ‘Badger’ Braswell and her crew as they cleared that route and flagged it pink for a hike she was leading for the Johnson City Hiking Club on the following Saturday to the same destination. Knowing it was significantly farther to go that way with more climbing and laurels involved, we opted to take our shortcut, the blue-flagged route to the left which is a bit tricky (since there is no trail and it is not marked)  if you do not know where you are going but, is more direct and much easier overall to get over the gnarly ridge and where you can hopefully find the secret ninja trail that leads over to the gap on Chigger Ridge where it is then about a 300 yards to the overlook. It is a short but steep climb and it definitely winded Dave so, we took our time and had us a good long rest once we reached the ridge top. After that it was much easier once we found the secret gap trail and we soon were on Chigger Ridge looking over at the frozen ice on Buckeye Falls.

Looking up a deep hollow below the boundary trail near the secret ninja trail that leads towards Chigger Ridge

Looking back down from almost the top of the ridge along the secret ninja trail (find Bol’Dar)

Looking up on the secret ninja trail, I am almost to the top !!!

There was not as much water flowing down the falls as I had hoped and as usual the sun was so bright and intense that it made it impossible to get any good photo`s just like our last trip here. It does not matter though, because it is always such a pleasure just to be there and see the beauty and wildness of these falls since they are some of the hardest to get to (and tallest) of any in this area. We could hear them as well as the other falls that lie hidden in the deep hollow below which is adjacent to Buckeye that you look over when viewing the falls. We could hear huge ice chunks falling and falling as they made their way down this 400′ + falls. It reminded me of the many times I have stood at the base of the falls on top of huge piles of frozen ice chunks as large as cars like a huge glacier where the ice freezes and falls constantly during the Winter season.  The base is a very dangerous place to be at anytime of year but especially if there is any ice overhead. We stayed on the ridge for a couple hours enjoying this tranquil, serene place (hoping some clouds would come over) until we eventually had to pack it up and begin the long hike back.

View of Buckeye Falls from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

View of Buckeye Falls (zoomed) from Chigger Ridge

Dave and I out voted Bol’Dar so the decision was made to go back a different way and follow Mel’s pink flags further down Chigger Ridge and then off the ridge down a steep descent to where the old forest road ends/begins at the last of the small branches that leads down to feed the Chigger Falls (Delsatch) below. This did follow the old ridge trail for a short ways that used to be an actual numbered trail with metal yellow diamonds that used to be passable all the way from the Boundary Trail down to Clark Creek many years ago, but now would be a meat-grinder to get through. We did see one of the old metal yellow diamonds before going off the ridge towards the old road. The bushwhack trail that Mel cleared out and flagged with pink flagging was steep, but direct and to the point and comes out right where the old road ends at the small stream. From there it was fairly easy walking due to the amount of trail clearing they had done a few days earlier but,  it did add an extra half mile to our day compared to our ‘blue’ way ! We eventually connected back to the intersection and began the gradual climb back up to Longarm Ridge and getting back to Bearwallow Gap seemed like forever. It was obvious that we were getting tired. Rightfully so as the round trip would end up being just over 7 miles with much of that being uphill. We took another long break at Bearwallow Gap before beginning the hike back down Higgins Creek.

Old metal yellow diamond trail marker on Chigger Ridge

Mel`s pink flagging on makeshift trail leading off Chigger Ridge down to where the old road is

Mel and her crew`s handy work along the old road

Looks like Mel and her crew missed a spot !!

Old horseshoe I found in the trail and posed for this shot

Dave crossing Higgins Creek where another creek that comes from Rich Mtn. intersects

I noticed there was an ample amount of water flowing out of the Birchfield Camp Branch as we passed by and had to wonder what the falls looked like up there and how nice the Hidden Lake must be this time of year. After two more creek crossings where the old bridges are long gone, we made it to the top of the Lower Higgins Falls.  The ‘feeder falls‘ that come out at the bottom of the Lower Higgins Falls were flowing very well and I did get a decent shot of those. The sun was now behind the clouds which made pics better but, it was getting late and I did not take too much time in getting them but did manage to snap a few as I passed by.

Birchfield Camp Branch entering into Higgins Creek

Dave crossing Higgins Creek just below Birchfield Camp Branch and just above the top of Lower Higgins Creek Falls

Top of Lower Higgins Creek Falls

Some of the upper parts of the Lower Higgins Creek Falls

Gnarly twisted tree at the top of the Lower Higgins Creek Falls

Higgins Creek

Higgins Creek

Higgins Creek

Going back down was easier than coming up but crossing the creeks with tired legs is much more challenging. There were no incidents thankfully and we made it back across all the creek crossing and by all the falls and down the steep hill to the car by a little after 5pm. This was a good thing since I had to work at 6pm and also my friend Legs from Wilmington was already at my house waiting to visit me. It had been a long, hard day but the reward of being on Chigger Ridge looking over at Buckeye Falls was more than worth it. Also, it was Dave`s first time and it is always a pleasure when someone new who really appreciates it can get to be there. I hope to get back there on a cloudier day with more water flowing over the falls to get a better picture for my collection soon. I also hope that we can complete another expedition to the base of the falls before Spring is full blown to get Dave there as well. The water levels are up right now so hoping to get in some good hikes to various waterfalls in the coming days. Until next time,,,

To see the complete collection of photo`s of Buckeye Falls, please visit our Photo Gallery here.

Plaque at the Jerry Miller trail-head

From there the trail crosses a well built wooden (and very slick)  footbridge over Big Creek and proceeds to follow the creek downstream until it soon climbs up to the narrow ridge above. Once on the spine of the ridge, it switches back to the right and crosses over where it follows that other side overlooking the ‘Whiteoak Flats’ Branch and hollow located there. We could hear both creeks roaring on either side while standing on the crest of the ridge. The trail continues uphill, well above the creek for at least a mile until you come to the waterfalls which will be on your left. They are very nice falls especially when there is ample water flowing over them, but they are not 100 feet in height by no stretch of the imagination. We did not climb down to the base of the falls on our way up, but did stop on our way back where Dave used his laser ‘hypsometer’ to measure the falls at about 60 feet.

Crossing over Big Creek near the trail-head

Waterfalls on the Jerry Miller Trail

Waterfall along the Jerry Miller Trail

Bol’Dar and Dave viewing the falls along the Jerry Miller Trail

Upper part of the falls as seen from above on the Jerry Miller Trail

The trail passes by above the falls and continues to climb steeply to the top of them and beyond until it begins to level out on the old road (now just a trail) as it approaches the ‘Whiteoak Flats’. We could see the old trail that goes down steeply to the creek but that will end up in someones backyard where you can hear dogs barking so we will have to make sure and not make that mistake coming back. I had to wonder how many have done that ? You will cross the Whiteoak Flats Branch a couple times before you reach the flats and there are other tributaries you will find once you get there that also feed into this stream. The flats are nice and you can tell this must have been an old homestead of sorts back in the old days. Apparently some sort of cultivation was done here although trees have taken over the biggest part of it and we did not explore much off trail to see if there are any remnants of old buildings. I have been unable to locate any history of this area so one would need to speak with the locals to get any accurate details.

Hiking the Jerry Miller Trail just above the falls

Jerry Miller Trail almost to Whiteoak Flats

Tree art ?

The beginning of Whiteoak Flats

Whiteoak Flats

Whiteoak Flats

The old road trail continues through the flats and soon enters back into the woods. We stopped at a nice campsite for lunch just before the trail curved around and came to a split where going to the right, the yellow blazes continue to the end of the road where the Jerry Miller Trail goes into the woods and begins the steep ascent to come out at ‘Bearwallow Gap’ on the Appalachian Trail just before the ‘Blackstack and Whiterock Cliffs’. Choosing to go left instead,  it splits again into several directions but the main road goes over the ridge there and descends down into the Little Prong Valley on forest road #465. This is listed as the ‘Whiteoak Flats’ Trail but after a mile or more you will have the chance to turn right and go up Hickey Fork Branch or go almost another mile and take a steep ridge trail to the right instead, which both leads to the Pounding Mill Trail that comes up from the West Prong of Hickey Fork (on forest road #465) and leads all the way to the AT on ‘Seng Ridge’ near the Viking Mountain towers. There are many cascades and waterfalls in the upper regions of the West Prong of Hickey Fork but the laurels are thick and it is not an easy trail. I hope to check that out sometime soon.

Bol’Dar making his way at the upper end of Whiteoak Flats

Large rock found near end of road to right like going towards trail to the AT

Standing near Big Knob looking down into the Little Prong Valley. The Viking Mountain towers are on mountain in far distance.

We decided to stop at the top of the ridge where the road splits off into several directions near Big Knob for a long break before returning back the way we came. We could see the Viking Mountain towers off in the distance and knew we were just below the Baxter and Whiterock Cliffs.  We could see the steep ridge leading that way above us. I hope to be able to do a loop hike in this area again sometime in the near future. There are so many trails in this area that one could spend several days hiking and camping and still not see it all. It is truly a vast back-country area worth the time and effort to explore it. We did meet two guys doing just that. They had hiked up the Fork Ridge Trail the day before and spent the night at Jerry Cabin Shelter on the AT and had hiked across ‘Firescald Ridge’ and were coming down the Jerry Miller Trail. While we were talking to them another guy was on his way up, out for a day hike. After a while we resumed our hike back down the mountain.

View from our stopping point near Big Knob. The pointy mtn off in the distance is where the Viking Mtn towers are and the steep ridge to the right leads up to the Whiterock and Baxter Cliffs

Waterfalls as seen from above along the Whiteoak Flats Trail

Going back was easier being downhill so we soon were back at the falls where we climbed down to the base and attempted to get some pictures. Even though it was a very cloudy day and had actually been sprinkling rain, it was still brighter than what was needed to get any decent shots even by using filters but, we did what we could before climbing back up to the trail and making our way back down the ridge to the car. I have read several times that these falls are not that nice and not worth making a special trip to see and I might could agree with that if it was very dry with no water flowing, but during decent water levels, I would recommend going to these falls anytime.

View of falls from below

View of falls from below

Bol’Dar beside the falls

Falls as seen from below

Falls seen from below

Falls seen from below

Falls as seen from a distance

We could see Big Bald shining in the sun off in the distance on our way back down.  I zoomed in to see if it was snow or just the sun shining on the grass. It had been a great day of hiking with at least 4 miles round trip with some good steep climbing for a good workout. The water levels were still decent which made for a nice waterfall which made the trip worthwhile. I can now check ‘Whiteoak Flats’ off ‘the list’ and I can`t wait for the next adventure.

Large ‘whale-rock’

Looking at Coldspring Mountain where the A.T. runs (near Shelton Memorial Gravesite) (Rocky Fork is on the other side)

To see the complete set of photos of the Jerry Miller (Whiteoak Flats) Falls, please visit the Photo Gallery here.