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(Click on any image to open up a really cool slideshow!)
I began my journey at the Ranger Station on Hwy 64, checking in with them to let them know where I'd be and when I'd be back. That way, if I didn't check in on time, they'd know where to look for me.
While I was there, one of the rangers told me about a beautiful waterfall that I needed to go see... 30 feet tall with a deep, clear blue pool at the bottom. The perfect swimming hole. She said it was a bit out of the way, but a short hike, and easy to find, as long as the area hadn't grown up too much.
So, the waterfall dictated my first destination (Point 1 on the map). I left the station in the Defender and drove up Forest Road 77 toward FR 185, where I would meet up with the turnoff to the waterfall (the turnoff being an abandoned fire road).
Along the FR 77 route are several places to pull over and admire the view... perfect photo opportunities.
The road to the top of the ridge was paved, right up until the turnoff for the first campground. About a mile farther, on gravel road, was FR 185, a sharp switchback heading back downhill. The old fire road was easy to find, and was tucked away enough to be out of the way of most human visitors. (During the first few hours of my travel, I passed 13 cars coming and going through the forest. Fortunately, this number decreased dramatically as I made my way farther in.)
The fire road was gated and locked, so I parked the Defender near the gate, and set up camp about 20 yards away. First things first, I prepared (but didn't light) a fire, set up the tent, and grabbed a bit to eat. Since I was in black bear country, and didn't want to encourage any visits, I made sure to eat away from my campsite, not spill anything, and hang the rest of my food and utensils 200 feet away between two trees.
After I was full and everything was ready for the evening, I set out on the fire road to scout for the waterfall. About 1/4 mile down the abandoned road was a gorgeous meadow full of ferns (wait 'till you see the video on THAT one!), and about 100 yards from that was the first stream. Both sides of the stream were thick with underbrush, so I stayed on the fire road looking for the second stream that the ranger told me about (hoping it would be easier to navigate). Well, getting to the second stream was a feat in itself. Fallen trees, young pine saplings, and thick growth made this stretch of the fire road very difficult to pass. But, I continued on to see where it would lead.
After about an hour of hacking and climbing my way through Nature's takeover, I ran out of trail. I'm sure it continued somewhere, but it was virtually impassable, and I was running out of daylight. So, rather than get my sorry butt lost on my first day, I headed back to camp to rest and give the waterfall a search tomorrow.
Unfortunately, sleep was difficult. Though I didn't hear any "bear-like" noises, I had a tough time getting any rest in what amounted to a bear's backyard. All I could think of was that old joke about a guy sleeping in a tent being the bear's equivalent of a burrito.
So, I awoke bright and early the next morning, cooked some oatmeal on the fire and got ready to find the waterfall. While I was eating, I was visited by a couple of bee-like creatures. One persistent little fellow looked like a giant wasp with a menacing-looking appendage hanging where his stinger would be. For some reason, he was hanging around the Defender and wouldn't leave. He was annoying, but for the most part, wasn't bothersome. The white-faced hornet that came by, on the other hand, was a different story. That little son-of-a-gun seemed like he was daring me to pick a fight with him. He'd come by, hover in front of my face, move from side to side, come back to my face, and generally harrass me as long as I would take it. So, not wanting to take it anymore, I grabbed my machete and, with the broad side, swatted the crap out of that little monster, sending him off into the woods with a metallic "plink" like the sound of a baseball off an aluminum bat. "Well, that'll take care of him", I think were my exact words. Little did I know how resourceful those little buggers are... (more on that in the next blog).
After I regained my composure and confidence for beating up a bee, I headed out to find the waterfall. I was told I could hike upstream about 1/4 mile and find this natural wonder. Well, if the overgrown fire road with its downed trees and saplings was difficult, hiking this stream was a true test of Mankind's fortitude (again, wait until you see the video on THIS hike!)
I hiked IN the stream, alongside the stream, on the ridge above the stream... anywhere that remotely suggested it might be passable. I hacked and clawed and crawled for over an hour and a half, sweating my little tail off and exhausing my stamina and my patience in the process. I thought I was making progress as the slopes on either side of the stream continued to grow in height. But, when I reached a tree that looked like Father Nature personified, I considered it a sign and sat down for a rest. I eventually came to the decision that I wasn't going to find the mysterious little waterfall, so, I turned around... and had to repeat the entire grueling one and a half hour ordeal again. Since I was alone in the forest, I stopped along the way to take a naked dip in a cute little pool of very cold, but incredibly invigorating, mountain water (who's going to see me way out here anyway?). And, let me tell you, that was one of the most refreshing baths I've ever taken! The pool was only a foot deep, and the waterfall off the rocks, though fast, was only about three feet high, but in my situation (hot, sweaty, thirsty, tired), it was pure heaven. I can still feel the cold water rushing over me right now...
When I finally made my way back to the fire road, I packed up my gear, grabbed some lunch, tried to navigate the second stream (only getting about five yards in before turning back), hiked back to the gate, got in the car and drove to destination number two. I'll have to have a little talk with that ranger... wouldn't it be just my luck that I was in the wrong place? I'm determined to find that swimming hole, so I may be making a second trip to the Cherokee National Forest before the summer is over. I want my swim!!
Next time... Destination Number Two -- the fog sets in.
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