OK don't ask me why they call it Virgin Falls, I'm sure a man named it though and had some reason. The falls is over 80 feet high and it emerges from a cave at the top of a bluff and it falls into another cave at the base so there is no stream leading to or from the falls just the cascade itself. In order to get to the falls you have a "moderate" hike crossing a creek/branch/stream four times, (this photo of a creek crossing requiring a steel cable to get over it should have been MY FIRST CLUE that their moderate was a bit different than my moderate) This is my fellow hiker Archie perhaps looking at me a bit balefully prior to our crossing here. We did NOT get wet for those who are curious. This is one of the loveliest hikes in TN, it has everything: babbling brook, cascades, three big waterfalls, caves and spectacular 
overlooks, oh yeah and it's "moderate". It is actually rated in the top 10 hikes in TN definitely worth the trip. To the left is Big Laurel Falls, now this falls has a stream leading to it but the water falls into a cave underneath the falls and the stream disappears. I'm sure this is lovely in the spring but there would be ticks, snakes, spiders and chiggers here in droves in warm weather. I can almost feel them coming out of hibernation at the thought of me possibly venturing into the woods.If you are intrepid (is that another word for goofy?) and willing to climb straight up like a billy goat for a 
little bit (straight up the "moderate" trail) you can reach a couple of spectacular overlooks called either the Caney Fork Overlook or "Martha's Pretty Point". Don't know who Martha was unless she was one of those hiker's buried underneath rock cairns along the moderate way. A little jokey joke there were no burial sites but there were some odd looking rock cairns that really reminded me of cowboys piling rocks up over their 
buddies who passed on the trail. Here we are cheesing it up at the overlook. We had lunch at the overlook some pretty tasty roast beef , cheddar 
cheese and protein bars. While I wasn't a girl scout, I have always believed in being prepared. Good thing too as we were just short of halfway into this hike at lunch time. I think when I realized that was when I sat down in the middle of the trail after I slipped and sort of laughed insanely with tears running down my face for about 5 minutes. Archie quipped,"Save yourself, it's too late for me" several times on the trail, and I am still cracking up over that. You had to be there or had to reach that level of tired maybe for it to be as funny as it was and still is to me.
little bit (straight up the "moderate" trail) you can reach a couple of spectacular overlooks called either the Caney Fork Overlook or "Martha's Pretty Point". Don't know who Martha was unless she was one of those hiker's buried underneath rock cairns along the moderate way. A little jokey joke there were no burial sites but there were some odd looking rock cairns that really reminded me of cowboys piling rocks up over their 
buddies who passed on the trail. Here we are cheesing it up at the overlook. We had lunch at the overlook some pretty tasty roast beef , cheddar 
cheese and protein bars. While I wasn't a girl scout, I have always believed in being prepared. Good thing too as we were just short of halfway into this hike at lunch time. I think when I realized that was when I sat down in the middle of the trail after I slipped and sort of laughed insanely with tears running down my face for about 5 minutes. Archie quipped,"Save yourself, it's too late for me" several times on the trail, and I am still cracking up over that. You had to be there or had to reach that level of tired maybe for it to be as funny as it was and still is to me.Ta da the falls, we made it now to turn around and hike 5 miles out of 
here after an appropriate amount of time 
oohing and ahing (maybe next time a hike in and some brief cave exploration but at this point DARK WAS COMING!) Had to get a couple of obligatory shots at the falls, hey I'm a tourist wherever I go, and then out of there we shot. Did I forget to tell you that hiking IN the trail is 70% DOWNhill? Guess what hiking out is like? Now guess about it in the dark. Fortunately Archie was a boy scout and had brought LIGHT because the last two hours of this hike was spent in pitch black easing along looking for the woefully 
inadequate signage. The trail markings here are not regularly spaced nor are they regularly marked sometimes it's 50 feet usually it's more like 150 and occasionally 200, sometimes they are white circles on trees, sometimes they are green circles on rocks. Either the trail blazers hit the ethanol a little early or this is some sort of alien landing zone. We actually did really well I thought considering ALL FOUR CREEK CROSSINGS HAD TO BE MADE IN THE DARK!! Eee Yowzah! We were victorious though and pretty much danced a jig when we finally reached the trail head.
here after an appropriate amount of time 
oohing and ahing (maybe next time a hike in and some brief cave exploration but at this point DARK WAS COMING!) Had to get a couple of obligatory shots at the falls, hey I'm a tourist wherever I go, and then out of there we shot. Did I forget to tell you that hiking IN the trail is 70% DOWNhill? Guess what hiking out is like? Now guess about it in the dark. Fortunately Archie was a boy scout and had brought LIGHT because the last two hours of this hike was spent in pitch black easing along looking for the woefully 
inadequate signage. The trail markings here are not regularly spaced nor are they regularly marked sometimes it's 50 feet usually it's more like 150 and occasionally 200, sometimes they are white circles on trees, sometimes they are green circles on rocks. Either the trail blazers hit the ethanol a little early or this is some sort of alien landing zone. We actually did really well I thought considering ALL FOUR CREEK CROSSINGS HAD TO BE MADE IN THE DARK!! Eee Yowzah! We were victorious though and pretty much danced a jig when we finally reached the trail head.
No comments:
Post a Comment