Road Trip #1: High Falls and Triple Falls at Dupont State Forest

It's the time of year when we're getting winter weather advisories for the northern part of the county... the mountains have had some snow fall, and we in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge are feeling the chill. So, sometimes a day hike isn't always in the cards.

My husband and I have, however, managed to wedge in some really special day trips into North Carolina as the weather cools, the first being about a month ago with my parents into Dupont State Forest. Dupont is located outside of Brevard, NC, on 276 on the way north out of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area towards Pisgah National Forest.

Dupont State Forest is home to some really majestic waterfalls, two of which we were able to visit with my folks that cloudy Sunday... with my parents' family dog: Sasha. Sasha is not your average dog. Indeed, she's comparable to Dee Dee in Dexter's Laboratory, complete with pink collar and leash. Sasha is part lab, and she is not going to be a hiking dog, as her energy level far exceeds that of the well trained dogs I've seen carrying their own packs across their backs, wandering after their master obediently along the trail without even a leash. Dupont State Forest's main attractions are accessible from really well maintained service roads and dirt roads for trails that are perfect for large groups and hyper puppies!

After a slight detour (we were almost to Asheville because apparently Dad's GPS decided to be hateful after Dad drove us north of Lyman because I naively assumed he remembered his way to Highway 11 and 276's intersection) that made our hour car trip two and a half hours, our baby Sasha was ready to go (literally and figuratively)! Mom took a potty break in the toilets available by the Buck Forest Road parking lot off Staton Road, while Sasha took hers in the grass next to the car. Dupont is well marked along 276, so just follow the signs once you're north of Caesar's Head State Park.

We headed down Buck Forest Road, which is a dirt service road that guests to the park can not take their own vehicles down. We caught sight of the covered bridge that goes over Little River at the head of High Falls. It's quite picturesque!

We snapped a few photos and let Sasha splash in the shallows of Little River, then it was up to the High Falls Trail that leads to a convenient overlook, which is very family friendly; however, the smaller, more narrow trail that heads down to the base of the falls is much more strenuous, and I can imagine incredibly dangerous after rainfall or if the weather has iced things over. There were some steps down part way, but mostly we scrambled down using tree and rhododendron roots as foot and hand holds; whilst poor Dad fought the war of the leash with excited Sasha! Steven helped my Mom down, as it is quite a balancing act! What a gentleman! Once down there though, we were blown away!

This was my shot from the base of High Falls, where we let Sasha jump head first into the water (lunatic dog) and all stopped to enjoy the enormity of this falls. It really is awe inspiring. Hopefully you'll be able to go see for yourself!

This was the view of High Falls and the covered bridge from the overlook; again, the overlook is probably the most appropriate vantage point for people with small kids, handicapped, or elderly folk with them, and let's admit it... that's an awesome sight no matter which way you look at it!

After enjoying High Falls, and convincing Sasha to get out of the kiddy pool/Little River, we headed further up into the park along the major trail that heads along the surprisingly calm Little River. Sometime in the future, though, I'll be sure to head west over the covered bridge along Buck Forest Road, where the meat of the Forest trails are and one could hike to Wintergreen Falls and Grassy Creek Falls as a good day hike.

The High Falls Trail has a pretty minor gain in elevation; it's a very easy trail though, as it's maintained for the large groups that flock to Triple Falls and High Falls. We approached Triple Falls from upstream, and reached the stairwell to access the base of the middle section of Triple Falls; and that stairwell was not a joke. All the way down we were thinking, "Climbing these stairs back up will be awesome!" The only one of our party not phased was of course Sasha!

Who blames the sweet puppy, when these views are at the end of your leash! She knows what's important!

This photo just captures the middle and upper section of Triple Falls, where the stairwell sets you down amidst this lovely feature. There are usually tons of people all over Triple Falls; it's pretty easy to climb along all three sections of the falls, for those fit and careful enough to attempt it. My husband and I climbed to the top, while Mom, Dad, and Sasha just took the opportunity to take it all in!

This is a close up of the upper falls. There are innumerable beautiful angles to see this sight from!

This last shot is of the lower falls, which we didn't climb down to as the rain was coming. We barely had time to climb back up the stairwell and snap a shot from the Triple Falls overview before the downpour began, but here is that photo!

We headed back to the Buck Forest Road parking area by taking the Triple Falls Trail from the Triple Falls overview, to cut off some ground and make a little better time; not that it helped us when the rain started. What began as a few drops became a typical Carolina afternoon downpour! By the time we got back to the car twenty minutes later, we all smelled like wet puppy; certainly couldn't blame it all on Sasha, though!

Another point of interest in Dupont State Forest is Hooker Falls, and you can easily access this falls from another short trail from the Triple Falls area, but we got rained out! It just gives us an excuse to head back up to the beautiful, well maintained area of Dupont State Forest sometime in the spring! Bring a sandwich, as it is about two miles of easy hiking from the Buck Forest Road parking area to High and Triple Falls. Elevation isn't really an issue, and the overlooks are very accessible for those who don't consider themselves hikers or climbers. We were lucky that we were in such shape that we could all go to the base of the falls we visited and get closer up the grandeur of it all! I highly recommend Dupont to those who find themselves near Brevard, as a pit stop on your way to Asheville or Hendersonville! Check out this link for a really simple map of the trails that lead to the three most popular falls in the park! Waterfalls of Dupont State Forest

I dedicate this post to my Mom, who braved a day at a State Forest with her crazies... because Mom knows better than any one that Sasha is in fact the most sane of us all! I love you, Mom!


To my readers and solitary follower (thanks, Dad!), I haven't forgotten my nerdy post about healthy eating and hiking as new lifestyle choices for myself. Life is getting very hectic, and I'm trying to keep a balance, and my sanity! Thanks for all of your patience, prayers, and feedback. Hopefully my husband and I will have a chance this weekend to visit Chimney Rock State Park, and I will have a new Road Trip post, in lieu of a day hike with my Dad. I'll keep doing my best to make interesting, informative posts.

Formerly, Friday: Falls Creek Falls

It's sad that it's taken me nearly two weeks to make this post. Between a week with the flu and the inevitable onslaught of pre-Holiday madness, my life in retail has stepped it up a notch! What crushes me, though, is not the duration of time between my last posts, but the duration of time between my last hikes. It's going to be a struggle, as well, for me to find the time to go camping with my Dad. This breaks my heart, because my adventures with Dad were to be the anecdotes that fed this blog. Rest assured that ideas, past trips, and day hikes will keep  flowing; and hopefully, I can build up some comments and feedback to keep the cogs turning! That being said, don't be shy!

My best friend and Dad went with me on this trail a couple of Sundays ago. The weather was great; a little cool in the morning, with only a couple of clouds to bar the sun from shining through the leaves that were beginning to turn along the trail. We started at about 10:00 am. Falls Creek Falls Trail is a really rewarding, challenge of a trail! The Jones Gap State Park trailhead is accessible at the Palmetto Bible Camp. It was a bit interesting following the signs for the Bible Camp to get there, as you're headed in an odd direction away from the main access of the State Park.

That being said, once you find the trailhead by following the road that leads directly through the Bible Camp area, you are met with considerable warning about the strenuous nature of this trail. It's an area notorious for rain washouts, and the trail sometimes involves a fair amount of scrambling and hand holds. Bring a ton of water, as always, and wear good shoes with ankle support. This was a trail that made me wish I had all ready picked up walking sticks!

We didn't see any one out on this trail until the very end; it's a quiet, relaxing day, but the isolation of this trail makes it that much more important to have a first aid kit and to be prepared for an emergency. It can be very lonely up there.

You dive straight in to the elevation gain; this purple blazed trail is not a joke! Any one familiar with the Dismal Trail in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area will forgive my newfound habit of grumbling about purple blazes! My calves were burning, and we were barely a third of the way into this! It's fun, though; there's tons of huge boulders along the trail, and great large rocks hanging overhead.

The further up the trail you get, the more you see the evidence of washouts. I will use the word "scramble" lightly. We two girls were, at times, on all fours trying to get around some of the switchbacks, while my Dad flew up ahead of us and delighted in turning around to giggle at our clumsy attempts! What can I say... we are truly novices! The trail follows up the ridge amongst thick plant life, and the closer you get to the waterfall, the steeper and more thick the trail gets. It is very rocky on the approach to the falls, and dangerous because the spray from the falls keeps everything slick and damp. The view, yet again, though, is spectacular.

We snacked and enjoyed the view, because, what else should you do? It was fantastic. The colors of the trees around the falls framed it perfectly; a beautiful autumn day. We climbed out for better views, thankful for shoes with good traction.

Again, be careful of the slippery rocks. We went further up from the right side of the falls along a really rough trail; this part could be dangerous, as it is so washed out and overgrown. The upper falls are equally beautiful, and provide a pretty amazing look out of the area!

We were probably up at the falls for about an hour, taking time with both parts of the falls and snacking on peanuts (thanks for the provisions, Dad).

If you felt it was a bit intense climbing up, it's probably worse headed back down. Scrambling is the word I use lightly! Go slow, and take your time on the climb down. It's really easy to slip or loose your footing. We were back to the trailhead by about noon; it's a quick hike, but well worth the effort. This trail isn't for the faint of heart, nor the faint of lungs! We got lucky with our timing; the fresh fall foliage hadn't faded brown and made the trees look sparse. We had a great morning, and I hope any body who has the time can make a day out of enjoying the beautiful Fallls Creek Falls!

Thanks to Elizabeth and Dad for joining me on this particular trail!

Formerly, Friday: Raven Cliff Falls, SC

My favorite hike so far was with my dad; the Raven Cliff Falls loop at Caesar's Head State Park in South Carolina. It's a nearly nine mile loop that serves as an incredible sampling of the versatility to be found in the scenery at Caesar's Head!

Dad and I parked near the trailhead where you can access the Coldspring Branch Trail and Tom Miller Trail for access to the Jones Gap Trail! The sign is a bit odd, though; the sign on the side of the parking lot that you take for the Raven Cliff Falls trail to the overlook says Foothills Trail.

The Natureland Trust Trail continues west as the Foothills Trail; as always, keep your eyes open for your blazes!

 

Head out on the red blazed Raven Cliff Falls Trail (#11) for a pretty moderate hike that has some stellar views of the Blue Ridge! If you choose to continue along the red blazes to the overlook for Raven Cliff Falls about a mile further. If you're interested in the loop we did, take the Gum Gap Trail (blue blazes, #13)! This is where the trail gets fun! There's a moderate stretch for the first chunk of the Gum Gap Trail, but the closer you get to the water, the more you have to scramble downwards towards the creek that feeds Raven Cliff Falls. There was some moderate bushwhacking; nothing serious, just some intensely overgrown rhododendrons! We followed along the Matthews Creek and passed some pretty cascades!

Gum Gap Trail meets the Natureland Trust Trail (pink blazes, #14) and the Foothills trail at the suspension bridge that goes over the top of Raven Cliff Falls. Dad and I took the pink blazes for our loop... and this is where you really have to scramble down the mountain, but not after some spectacular views! 

As I said, after the suspension bridge, be prepared to use all fours to wedge your way down the rocky trail that goes down into the cliffs. This part of the trail seriously slowed us down, and really tested my leg strength. As always, bring plenty of water. At this point, Dad and I were throwing back handfuls of trail mix to help us keep at our best!

The Natureland Trust Trail is a beautiful trail... there are so many huge boulders, and once you get down into the cliffs, your mind should be thoroughly blown!

Honestly, this was one of my favorite moments from this loop. I just was not expecting such an impressive sight! I'd love one day to hike the entire Natureland Trust Trail, and spend more time down in woods like this spot! Unfortunately for us, though, our last mile on the Natureland Trust Trail was only the beginning of our work! Before we moved on to the next segment of our hike, we had the pleasure of climbing across a pretty stream by two tow lines tied to trees about four feet above the surface of the water... FUN!

 
It was a ton of fun once I got over my slight fear... note the death grip! The key was to slide your feet, not step with them, and alternate moving your feet, then your hands [thanks for sharing this piece of information with me before I attempted it and landed in the stream, Dad(and yes, he's typically capable of such tomfoolery)]. I don't necessarily think this tactic of getting across the water is necessary; the water isn't that deep and certainly wasn't moving very quickly while we were at this spot. I suppose it's mostly a convenience factor, as not every one plans on wearing water sport socks. Next up was the Dismal Trail!

The Dismal Trail (purple blazes, #12) is quite dismal indeed! All of that elevation that we'd lost headed down to the suspension bridge, and then even further down into the cliffs (over 1000 feet) we had to make up: in half a mile.Wow. Yap. Dismal.

While Dad and I struggled up this part of our loop, Dad noticed some rocks to our left that looked out over the park; and behold! Dad found an awesome overlook to the Falls minus the crowd at the official overlook!

We had some water, one by one snuck behind some bushes to take care of business, ate some more trail mix, and headed back to the Raven Cliff Trail to hike the nearly two miles back to the parking lot; after such a convenient yet private overlook, who needs to go to the public spot?!

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. This trail was my favorite, and mostly just because it was with Dad! We had so much to talk about! For Dad, hiking is a familial association, as his father taught him to respect the outdoors. There is a lot of peace for Dad in being on a hike or camping, and I'm grateful to have been welcomed into the fold!

Aside from me walking straight into the mud on the trail while Dad walks around into the bushes to avoid the mud, he also had to point out that the "bear tracks" were in fact dog tracks. Yap. We talked about how much water you took out on the trail with you sometimes depended on the temperature; this came up as a way to lecture me about how it wasn't always a grand idea for me to fill my water bottles on the rocks of waterfalls, like I have been known to do on hikes with my husband. Thus my new camel bag for my pack, and Dad's ownership of a water filter! We've also discussed picking up walking sticks for me; I have a weak ankle from an incident I had when I was a kid, and that ankle still turns dangerously on a dime when I'm climbing.

All in all, this fabulous day spent with Dad back in August is truly what got my brain so fixated on camping, backpacking, and hiking with my Dad. I'm glad he's so excited to take me along, as I know I have so much to learn!

Trail Recap to get the most out of the fantastic Raven Cliff Falls area:
Raven Cliff Falls Trail (red blazes, #11)
Gum Gap Trail (blue blazes, #13)
Natureland Trust Trail (pink blazes, #14)
Dismal Trail (purple blazes, #12)
Raven Cliff Falls Trail (red blazes, #11)

Well, Sunday's hike to Falls Creek Falls is still a go, but that may be our last one for a few weeks. Work schedules are not cooperating. On the flip side, though, my husband and I will have a chance to take a little day trip to some waterfall hubs that involve far less intensive hiking! I'll try to post again soon; either a recap of Falls Creek Falls, or a post I've been pondering for a few days about healthy eating habits while on and off the trail. This could be interesting, as while I don't claim to be a nutrition whiz at all, I seem to be in the best shape of my life, without really trying... could be an interesting conversation!