Kenny and I went away for the weekend exploring out in the Cumberland Plateau. We saw and did things that were so amazing it felt like a dream. Four caves. Six waterfalls.
Amazing stuff. Found and visited the first underground waterfall ever for us. I've see Silver Falls in Tuckaleechee Caverns, but that doesn't count as it is a guided tourist cave.
Very nice video. You make me jelous sometimes. Your pics and vids are such cool places and so often I am satisfied with the old railroad grade by the crick in the woods across the street or another system of trails out the road. I am so glad you had a fun time and chose to share. I liked the first falls with the shale and couldn't help but wonder if the big rocks in the forground were once on the top and fell down as the shale fell apart. The rock in the second one that has fallen now has the water crashing down on it to weather it in whatever shape it chooses. God and nature give us such changing beauty. Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks Oldnolder. I am fortunate to have my health and an unending supply of wander thirst. I am blessed to have a partner who loves it as well and loves me enough to go even when he's not that interested by the surroundings. We live in a beautiful state with lots ofcool stuff to see. I agree the rocks in the video of the first falls appear to have fractured and fallen. You can see a big fault line in the cliff. Good water flow for this to be a headwaters! For a good 1/4 mile or more prior to this falls the terrain was almost completely flat. I had some major misgivings as to our finding this falls. As you said in your post....... about being satisfied with the railroad track and the creek outback. I've found that I bloom where I am planted. On a recent visit back to Va. to our farm......... I wandered all over the farm in the woods. Out the lane, out to the hard road... down to the folks a couple miles from me and up in their woods where I had permission to go any time. I do this because it is my nature. Its where I here the Lord's voice. And as wicked an old sinner as I am...... I probably need to listen to that more than most. Beautiful sentiments. Thank you for sharing and for the kindness reflected in those sentiments. It means a lot to me.
Hey Bigload! Good to hear from you man! Well I hate it that Mrs Bigload won't get to tour the cool stuff. I know she'd like it better than towns and work related things. safe travels and smooth trip wishes for her though!
eyebp, Thanks. I LOVE it that you saw "Bigfoot" up there. That was the first thing that came to mind when I was videotaping. My loveable goofball hubby. He does have big feet. Long arms too. He's my silverback.
Big ole galoot went on up ahead to see if the upper falls were there. He cannot resist throwing rocks and sticks and carrying on to photo/video bomb me. IF he ever goes to doing those bigfoot calls in the wild ......... LMBO!
Hey Bigload! Good to hear from you man! Well I hate it that Mrs Bigload won't get to tour the cool stuff. I know she'd like it better than towns and work related things. safe travels and smooth trip wishes for her though!
eyebp, Thanks. I LOVE it that you saw "Bigfoot" up there. That was the first thing that came to mind when I was videotaping. My loveable goofball hubby. He does have big feet. Long arms too. He's my silverback.
Big ole galoot went on up ahead to see if the upper falls were there. He cannot resist throwing rocks and sticks and carrying on to photo/video bomb me. IF he ever goes to doing those bigfoot calls in the wild ......... LMBO!
That is so great.
-------------- Of all the ridiculous things to micromanage. Even for a lunatic megalomaniac.
Thanks man. By the way.. I just realized I mentioned we found an underground waterfall blah blah blah....... but I didn't say what! We found the UNDERGROUND portion of Lost Creek Falls! Where it goes subterranean! That well known 80 ft falls goes into the ground and flows into a cave. We knew this, but had no clue we'd ever be fortunate enough to SEE it underground. Here is the video of it, but it is very poor quality owing to the darkness. At least you can glimpse it and the roar of it in the cave is impressive. We are just learning about caving and we will have to improve our lighting equipment.
Ashe, it is not secret. It was hard to get to.... yes. I have misgivings about directions posted on here for it. Just because it is under ground in a cave. AND it involved some risk taking by us that turned out ok, but could have turned out bad. Not in Scotts Gulf. Lost Creek is off to itself.
Great video. Always amazes me how densely packed some of the scenery in the Cumberland Plateau can be. It's especially a treat when you find the scenery tucked away in an unlikely place. I've had similar experiences with hiking through flat or not-too-exciting terrain and then seemingly out of nowhere there's an arch or waterfall.
Thanks Mark. Yes! I know what you mean. Arches,caves and other interesting rock forms are especially nice to visit during times when the waterfalls are not flowing and the wildflowers are not there to entertain me. :-) Thought of you while out this weekend and hoped you were enjoying some time outdoors!
Sounds like a great time. I've got gear for climbing(toproping, anyway), and a couple of static lines for rappels that I'd like to give some use cascading, too. It's a pain to haul gear for one-time use, but opens some things up, since getting down to something is often the most dangerous part. I'd love to see some of those places the creeks go underground!
Owen, I have done the roped climbed to waterfalls thing. It has ended up always being worth it. What has not gone well was the times we failed to take rope. There was this woman and her man who climbed to the base of a waterfall one time only to get home and find out the guidebook says "There is no route to the base".
Who does a thing like that?
The Plateau has tons of this odd plumbing. Makes hunting waterfalls really challenging since you may be looking for one that emerges totally without the benefit of a creek on the map! This was part of our frustration in looking for Dry Creek Falls.
Owen, I have done the roped climbed to waterfalls thing. It has ended up always being worth it. What has not gone well was the times we failed to take rope. There was this woman and her man who climbed to the base of a waterfall one time only to get home and find out the guidebook says "There is no route to the base".
Who does a thing like that?
I don't know. Would "this woman and her man" be anyone we might have heard of around here?
How hard is this underground fall to find? This is part of the area taken in by Fall Creek Falls State Park? I'll hopefully either be finishing off Savage Gulf, or going to Virgin Falls plus a quick daytrip to Rock Island next week, but will doubtless make several more trips to that area throughout the year.
Owen, I don't know anyone who would do anything so stupid. I mean really?
Underground fall ... not posting directions to it. I've done worse, but honestly we found it by dumb luck. I don't know for sure that I could direct someone to it again. Other than the 1st step and that is about it. Not being facetious. Being completely honest.
That area is not part of Fall Creek Falls. it is off to itself. Not part of anything official.
Rock Island......... Oy. That's another story. Don't let the rangers there give you any wooden nickels or talk you into taking any $1 per person pontoon boat rides. Shooooes!
I'm too pressed for time on these short out of state trips to do much exploring, anyway. Pretty much hiking the whole time I'm not driving or sleeping, and will be sticking to routes that can be planned out for the time being. Rock Island-just looking at the waterfalls, hiking those few short trails they have, and leaving! The pics I found online were impossible to ignore.
That is so great. 
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