09-23-2014 LEE FALLS 3.2 MILES Fall is in the air! A nice cool evening hike to Lee Fall was our destination. Cool weather is the best time to go because this is quite a workout. Actually the first part is nearly flat across three wildlife fields. The fields can be anywhere from knee to chest high but luckily tonight they had been recently mowed so it was very easy walking. The climb along the creek to the falls makes up for that and puts this one at a moderately strenuous rating. Tonight Wayne Garland and Ron Aubert introduced a couple of new friends to the mix. Tally Grant and Susan Byrd. Pam Hembree, Tony Talley, Betty Smith and I rounded out the group. We laughed and talked our way across the fields and then huffed and puffed our way up the creekside. Besides the climb itself you have to contend with very thick rhododedndron to manuever through. Unless you have been on this hike before it is very difficult to figure out where to go as there are several possible trails running in different directions, plus the previously mentioned vegetation. Wayne, Ron and Susan found this out when they tried to find the falls last week and ended up nearly on route 107. That trip was even more arduous because of tons of blowdowns that they had to work over, under and around. Wayne had been led in since so he now knew the way. Pam and Betty had both been before also. As we crisscrossed the stream several times it became rockier and steeper as we went. Very carefully we manuevered ourselves until we were as near to the base of the falls as you can get. Two 100 tiers of water drop spraying the boulder jumble below before continuing in a long pretty sluice even further downstream. The whole area is a totally wilderness type experience as its nestled deep into a long, narrow ravine with high rock cliff walls towering above. One of the kinds of places that they say you have to pipe in sunshine...lol! As cautiously as we had climbed we desended with equal care and were soon back to the long fields that have a fairly simple stream crossing between each, although I have seen them deep enough to have to wade. All too soon we we were back at our vehicles and ending another good hike. Soon it will be getting too dark to do our evening hikes so come out and do the last few of the season. You wont be disappointed. We ALWAYS have fun
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 16:02:04 +0000