DEEP CREEK NATIONAL PARK WATERFALLS

THREE WATERFALLS ON ONE HIKE

 Any trip to Bryson City, North Carolina should include a ride on the Great Smokey Mountain Railway, a tube ride down Deep Creek and a visit to three wonderful waterfalls.  We only had time for one of the three, so we chose to chase waterfalls!

Located just a few miles from downtown Bryson City, North Carolina is the Deep Creek National Park.  Too visit all three waterfalls is a 2.5 mile moderately easy trail.  Nearest the trailhead is the unusually name Juney Whanks waterfall, along the Deep Creek tubing trek is the Tom Branch Falls and at the head of the Deep Creek rapids is the majestic Indian Creek Falls.  The map at the trailhead is helpful but only if you modify it a bit for comfort and convenience, something the Fat Bald White Guy is pretty good at.

 JUNEY WHANKS WATER FALL:

The trailhead for the Juney Whanks waterfall is located right beside the trailhead map. It is a surprisingly steep hike to start the day.  The trail switches back to join the horse trail that loops around the park. It is a well maintained and well marked trek of no more than a third of a mile.

A small bridge takes you across in front of the Juney Whanks falls allowing the Fat Bald White Guy to get close to the waterfall.  It is a relatively small waterfall but a waterfall nonetheless. 

 The falls are named for Junaluska Whanks who was a settler who is thought to be buried nearby. Or perhaps it is really named for the Cherokee phrase "juney whank" which means "where the bear passes".  Who knows? It is a narrow fast moving cascade of about 30 feet in height.  Cool spray greets you as you cross the bridge at its mid point.

 

                          

 Leaving the waterfall, the trail leads down to the banks of the Deep Creek to a wide gravel path just a few hundred yards from the second waterfall of the day the Tom Branch Falls.

 

TOM BRANCH WATERFALL:

The Tom Branch waterfall is located adjacent to Deep Creek.  Several trail benches are arrayed for the enjoyment of all. Sit and watch the falls when it is quiet or enjoy the passing tubers.  When we arrived, there were no tubers, so we enjoyed the quiet view.

The falls are framed by a large tree on the opposite bank.  No matter where I moved this tree or its limbs were a part of every photograph.  Then it dawned on me that this waterfall existed when this tree was but an acorn.  Now the tree is a silent sentinel to the beauty of the waterfall.  So I decided to make the tree part of the picture.

 INDIAN CREEK WATERFALL:

The last waterfall of our trip was the Indian Creek Waterfall.  It is located about a mile from the Tom Branch Waterfall.  The trail is wonderfully alongside the fast flowing Deep Creek which increasingly becomes alive with tubers carrying orange, blue, red and yellow tubes, eagerly jumping in a floating happily down the river.

 Most tubers will put in at the first bridge which is about halfway between the Tom Branch Falls and the Indian Creek Falls.  But the experienced tubers will trudge up the trail almost all the way to Indian Falls to get the fastest and longest rides.

 

 The Indian Creek Falls is by far the best waterfall of Deep Creek National Park. It is over forty feet tall with active multiple cascades.  When we arrived a family was spending extra time swimming at the base of the falls and lest I disturb them I moved up the trail to get some pictures above the falls.  About 300 yards is a bridge that crosses Indian Creek.  The upstream view above the falls was nice and calm.

 

 Returning downstream to the falls, I discovered the family still playing in the water and pointing to the top of the falls.  There stood one of their own, a teenaged girl trying her best either to be a river nymph or a member of the Darwin Awards for 2020.  Oblivious to the danger she walked along the top of the falls posing for her adoring family. Thankfully, she left no worse for her indiscretions.  

 Soon she climbed down and the family left and the Fat Bald White Guy had the falls to himself! I took several pictures and a couple of selfies.  This is a great waterfall and one I could see inspiring lots of play in the water at its base. I was even told that back in the day a friend of mine slid down the slick side of the falls..."wearing jeans" he noted!

 

Before we left we ran into a couple visiting the North Carolina mountains for the first time.  Jim and Kelly were from Corpus Christi Texas.  When I told them I was the Fat Bald White Guy and wanted to make them famous, they eagerly posed for a picture! Great folks from a great state...glad to have met them!

 

 What a great hike?!  We put in a pretty easy 2.5 miles and got to see three great waterfalls and enjoy the bankside hike along a mountain river.  Got to come back and do some tubing and ride the Great Smokey Mountain Railway. The trail was a 9, well marked and maintained, trail head was easy to find, even though finding the park proved to be a bit of challenge due to lack of cell service for Waze App. Scenery is a solid 9.  Cumulatively three waterfalls in 2.5 miles is a real find.  Effort to view was about right.  Overall a solid grade 9 hike and one most everyone can easily manage. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHEROHALA SKYWAY - BALD RIVER FALLS

BALD RIVER FALLS

 My Faithful Hiking Companion and I have longed to take the drive along the Cherohala Skyway, one of the most famous stretches of roadway in the southeastern part of the United States.   Completed in 1996, the 43 mile long Skyway connects Robbinsville North Carolina with Tellico Plains Tennessee.  The road crosses the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, thus the name "Chero" "Hala".

The Skyway is known for its curving mountain road and its scenic views.  Folks from across the country will bring their motorcycles and sports cars to test their nerve as they weave through the mile high skyway.

While the Fat Bald White Guy was driving a Ford Expedition, we still enjoyed the drive nonetheless mainly because we had three destinations along the Skyway to enjoy. Leaving from the North Carolina side we drove straight through to do lunch at the Tellico Kat Deli.

On a wide spot in Tennessee Highway 165 is the popular Tellico Kats Deli.  There is nothing fancy about this place which is part of its charm. On the day we visited we joined bikers from Michigan and a few locals partaking in hot off the outdoor grill hamburgers.  We were lucky to wait around long enough to have the back deck to ourselves.

The Deli is built on the banks of the Tellico River and it is worth the trip just to sit, eat and watch the river flow by.  I had a patty melt while my Faithful Hiking Companion had homemade chicken salad.

Traveling back up the mountain, we spied the sign for the "Bald River Falls".  Now what self respecting Fat Bald White Guy would not stop to take a look at some waterfalls so eloquently named? 

 It is a long six mile trek off the skyway halfway between Indian Boundary and Tellico Kats.  It is reasonably marked. If you see nothing else on your trip along the Cherohala Skyway, go see these falls! 

No hiking is required.  The falls are adjacent to a bridge with ample parking nearby. You may want to bring your swim trunks!

Few waterfalls I have visited are as compelling at this magnificent cascade.  The falls are easily 100 feet tall with multiple cascades flowing over a series of rock ledges.  Part of the water flowing into a large pool with the remaining streams pouring off the mountain with a load roar.

The falls were well attended by onlookers and swimmers.  The Fat Bald White Guy resisted the temptation to jump in as we had a long day ahead of us but on a hot August day, the cool water had to be nice.

My eyes were drawn to the large pool located halfway up the falls. The cascade in that part of the falls seemed to disappear, the pool must be the size of a large swimming pool and deep enough to accommodate a lot of water. The water there gently flows out in the main cascade rather than over the side.  Oh to take a swim in that pool?!

Leaving the waterfall, we proceeded up the mountain along the Skyway. Tellico Plains elevation is less than 1000 feet and our destination, Huckleberry Bald, is 5300 feet.  Along the way we stopped to enjoy the scenery among the many overlooks.  Majestic are the mountains of the Lord!

One disappointment is that the roadsides have been allowed to grow to the point that views from the Skyway that existed years ago are no longer there. Unlike portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway, there are few views from the drive. So be sure to stop at the overlooks!

Reaching our third destination of the drive late in the afternoon, we eagerly hiked up a fire road at the Huckleberry Bald trailhead to the 5600 foot highest peak on the Skyway.

Details of this hike will be covered in a separate blog entitled Huckleberry Bald.  While the Cherohala Skyway is a nice drive, I was very disappointed in the lack of vistas along the drive.  If you are motorcycle enthusiast this has to be a bucket list for you.  Give me a Porsche or a Corvette and I might not leave that road regardless of the lack of spectacular views.  Nevertheless take the drive in whatever car you have because the Tellico Kats Deli and the Bald River Falls are worth the drive.  And if you really want to make the trip special take the 2.5 mile round trip hike to the summit of Huckleberry Bald!

MINGUS MILL

      MINGUS MILL IN SWAIN COUNTY 

On a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina chasing waterfalls, we stopped at the Oconalufte Visitor's Center and picked up a map.  While looking on the map for directions to the Mingo Falls in the Tribal Lands of the Eastern Cherokee Nation, we spied a reference to the Mingus Mill.  Thanks to the timely directions of a Park Ranger, we found the Mill just a half mile down the road from the Visitor's Center.  What a treat?!

Built in 1886, the mill is powered by a turbine located beneath the mill.  This turbine is fed by one one of the longest mill races I have seen. It is currently a operational mill and visitors can purchase freshly ground corn from the on site miller.

The Mingus family was one of the earliest settlers in this remote mountain valley dating their presence there to the early 1700's.  It is believed that this is the second mill to operate on this site.  

This mill was constructed in 1886 by millwright Sion Thomas Early. It is operated by a rare water powered steel turbine.  Restored in 1968 by the National Park Service, the mill is operational to this day.  Visitors can watch the miller grind cornmeal. The guy operating this mill is straight out of central casting.  

The grist mill was often the center of social and commercial activity in these remote farming communities.  Farmers from miles away would travel great distances to have wheat and corn ground into meal.  This mill may have supported 200 families.

Bartering was the typical method of commercial exchange, the "Miller's Toll" was usually about 1/8th of the farmer's ground meal.  The mill site was a gathering place for trade and community.

 To operate the mill, a small dam upstream was built on Mingus creek and the water diverted along two mill races to the mill.  This mill race is made from hemlock boards. The elevated flume narrows the stream and increases the elevation drop to raise the water pressure entering the mill. Excess water is allowed to spill over the sides as the water enters through a "chunk rack" where debris is removed.

The water then flows into a "pen stock" which is a 4 foot square box.  At this point the water pressure is about 22 foot/pounds and is sufficient to turn the angled blades in the steel turbine which in turn operates an iron bar that turns the grinding stones inside the mill.

  I was unable to take a good picture of the steel turbine during my visit but found a good picture on http://blueridgemountianlife.com from which I have taken the above account of the history and operation of the Mingus mill

 The Mingus Mill is a wonderful site. The restoration of a turn of the century grist mill tells the story of the ingenuity of early settlers of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Any visit to this area of the Great Smokey Mountains should include a visit to the mountain farm and Mingus Mill as hosted by the Oconalufte Visitor Center operated by the National Park Service off NC 441 near Cherokee, NC.  

Pigeon Forge -Old Lewis Mill

Virginian Mordecai Lewis was one of the earliest settlers along the Little Pigeon River in Sevier County Tennessee.  Acquiring 150 acres along the river in 1796, Lewis made this area his home, raising a large family there. At his death in 1817, his son in law, Issac Love built a forge to smelt the iron ore found in the region. His son, William constructed this mill, and it has operated continuously since 1830.

William Love was appointed the postmaster of the region and the Mill became the Pigeon Forge Post Office. The area surrounding the mill the central business area of the community. In 1859, covered bridge builder, John Sevier Trotter became the owner of the mill, expanding it into a saw mill and iron forge.

The mill is now a part of the Pigeon Forge Old Mill tourist village. Next door is a restaurant and surrounding it are shops, restaurants and various amusements.

photo from Old Mill website 

The Mill is open year round and is a great place to visit while in the area. 
https://old-mill.com/old-mill-events/

GATLINBURG

CHRISTMAS IN GATLINBURG

Visiting Gatlinburg, Tennessee for an anniversary weekend, the Fat Bald Guy and his Faithful Hiking Companion did not get a hike in...but we sure did walk a lot... and really had a great time.  The village does not disappoint...it is what it is...a tourist village full of shops, amusements and lots of people.  We did get some great photographs and had lots of fun too!

We stayed at the Park Vista Hotel...high above the town...it is an older hotel 15 stories high...and provides great views not only of the town but of the surrounding mountains.

At Christmas, the village is alive with lights and festive spirits.  The Park Vista and other hotels are served with a convenient 50 cent a ride trolley service.  And believe me, you do not want to drive in Gatlinburg on Saturday night before Christmas.  

Along the street are countless Christmas displays of color and traditional stories.  Stopping by toy drumming soldiers and a 1950 Chevrolet pickup truck loaded with Christmas Trees, I got a pretty nice shot "Cruising Gatlinburg".

Eating at Blake Shelton's Restaurant "Ole Red". Not only did we get some good eats, we were entertained by a rising country music star Emily Miller.  Five Star country eating right there but I tell you be careful with the "Tennessee Buckshot", it is a mighty powerful alcholic concoction. 

Not far up the street from Ole Red Restaurant is the best kept secret of Gatlinburg, the moonshine distillery of Doc Collyer. In an unique marketing tactic, the distillery offers samples for a mere $5.00.  I enticed my Faithful Hiking Companion to join me by telling her that the samples were in plastic communion cups...but did not tell her that there were 18 varieties of Doc Collyer moonshine to sample...as Uncle Claude once said: "I are having a good time!"

Along with great Christmas Lights and stores, you can for a considerable fee partake in many of the amusements.  A chairlift ride to the top of Crockett Mountain will get you to a swinging bridge, another chairlift ride will take you to the mountain top

Anakeesta Village. A fancy cable car will take you to Ober Gatlinburg for skiing fun.  There are arcades on every corner and several haunted houses.  Restaurants and drinking establishments of every taste. And nice people everywhere you look.

We were pretty pedestrian in our tastes walking around taking photographs and watching the people...we did go up on the Space Needle for a bird's eye view of the village and took pictures of the swinging bridge and the beautifully decorated Christ Museum.

Right outside the city limits of Gatlinburg is the Great Smoky National Forest, the crown jewel of which is Clingman's Dome, the 

second tallest mountain east of the Mississippi.  A thirty minute drive up the mountain gets you there but between December and March, the access road is closed.  But the Blue Ridge Mountains never disappoint and we received a great Christmas Tree view of Newfound Gap. 

Also nearby is Dolly Parton's commercial enterprise located at Pigeon Forge.  Where Gatlinburg has contained its commercial charm within the compact valley where the village in located, Pigeon Forge has become a continuous strip of commercial enterprise, the likes of which would make Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce envious. Nevertheless hidden within Pigeon Forge is an old grist mill...that the Fat Bald White Guy had to photograph.

Leaving Gatlinburg we took a drive along the motor vehicle nature trail of the Great Smoky National Park.  There we found  the homestead of Noah "Bud" Ogle. It made us appreciate the life of early mountain settlers.

No doubt Gatlinburg will see us again soon.  There is too much left to explore.  Take a trip there too, there is really something there for everyone. But watch out for the bears!