Falling Waters

Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee.  Fall Creek, one of many watersheds into the mighty Tennessee River.  And falls. There are many waterfalls in this, Tennessee’s largest state park. But the most impressive are Cane Creek, Falls Creek, and Piney Creek falls.  We headed out this morning to see all three.

Before we hit the falls we found Cane Creek and a swimming hole in it called George.  I don’t know why they called it George, but since a mountain valley overlook to the west is named after a fellow who died rock climbing there, I don’t want to really know the details of George and this naming.

  

This beautiful site was home to some brave swimmers today.  Not because it was particularly dangerous, but because the water was so COLD! We stayed well above the water on the banks and the swing bridge that brought back childhood memories for Ramona of walking, running, and bouncing on a similar bridge over her hometown, Brookville, PA’s, Red Bank Creek.

The Nature center featured a movie on the park history and other diplays.  The shop also had a staff docent who was from Brooklyn.  In fact, at the age of about 70, was proud to be a graduate of Sheepshead Bay High. We told her of our dear friends, Gal Grady and Audrey Dunekack who had lived their before coming to Douglassville, Pa and Hope Church.  She didn’t know the names but was so happy to talk to folks about her home town. 

She wondered if Lundy’s Seafood Restaurant was still there.  I told her I thought so as Gail and Audrey had shown a great seafood place to me in Sheepshead Bay when I was up with her several years ago. Meeting new people is ½ the fun of this life.

Cane Creek Falls is close by and is a pair of lovely bridal veils plunging through their sandstone millennia.

Fall Creek Falls is next.  Named for the primary stream through the park, this deep well is the tallest free falling waterfall in the US east of the Rocky Mountains.

 In addition to the falls overlook there is a strenuous half mile walk down into the basin that is intimidating by itself for its large overhanging cliffs and beautiful for its completely natural setting.

One of the George Hole swimmers decided to walk behind the falls and found there is a real reason for the sign that says ‘Do not…’.  He found the rocks very slippery and fell, as he told me, ‘Flat on my a—‘. But he and the rocks survived.

On the way up from the basin I met fellow hikers Vicki, Eddy, Mary and Dave.  Vicki and Eddy are from northeast Louisiana, near the Arkansas border. They are just completing a several week long vacation encircling the northeast US by way of Canada and the Great Lakes.  Mary and Dave are on vacation from Indiana.  All of us agreed that the trek down and back was worth it, and that the benches we had just found along it were well placed, just in time.

Mona and I kept meeting several other folk who were going our way around the different falls, but there were really very few people about at all.  Like the campground, this is the QUIET time of year to visit FCFSP.  Why wouldn’t winter be, you might ask?  Snowmobiles is that simple answer. This park is called a ‘resort’ park so there is a golf course, inn, cabins and camping year round.

The road to Piney Creek Falls takes you along the south edge of the Falls Creek Gorge and at one point to that overlook named to the fallen climber’s legacy, Milliken’s. There are several rock walls that are, we are told, famous among eastern US rock climbers. Ted Coffelt, do you agree?

This last falls is often called the prettiest in the park and I can believe it is. But I chose to not leave Mona behind to wait for me while I walked down to its base.  And she was just as glad for it was about 2:30pm and our picnic lunch was awaiting consumption in the cooler. Why so late a lunch?  Because breakfast in our happy day is rarely before 9:00am.  Yawn!

We are still amazed, when we stop to consider, that we are not on vacation. This is our life.  So long as Mona can keep my desire to spend money under control (good job so far, dear!) and we can live inexpensively enough, this WILL work. And why shouldn’t it?  Our joy is in the memories we make each day, not in the things we purchase, or the places we pay to enter.

Hmmm.  Speaking of memories… we find ourselves forgetting where we were last week already.  We are very glad for the digital photography we can use to jog those wonderful memories to life again!

-Ken