RETURN TO MUSCLE SHOALS

Back in 2006 I had a work assignment near Muscle Shoals, in northwestern Alabama. I finished that job early, and was able to take some time to hike in the Sipsey Wilderness Area. The hikes were really nice, with waterfalls, large trees, caves, and wildlife sightings. My favorite hike was a short stroll to an obscure waterfall on Caney Creek. The waterfall isn’t very big, but it sure is pretty. It’s situated down in a grotto, and features a sizeable cave behind the waterfall. I think it is one of the prettiest waterfalls I’ve ever seen.

Last week brought another work trip to the Muscle Shoals area. I brought my camera and tripod with me, just in case I was able to squeeze in a short hike after work one evening. That actually worked out. I chose to revisit Caney Creek since it is a short hike and I wouldn’t have much daylight to work with.

I found the trailhead, which is in a rural but residential area. In fact, there is a house directly across the street from the parking area. I thought that the hike started on private property, but the gated road beyond the parking area featured a Bankhead National Forest sign that said that Caney Creek Falls was 1.5 miles away. I have my doubts. Despite a leisurely pace, I reached the upper falls in less than 20 minutes.

Water levels were much lower than at my previous visit. That detracted from the beauty of the falls, but it was still nice. I spent a fair bit of time photographing the falls, as there are a number of interesting compositions. My favorites were the shots from the cave behind and below the falls.

Afterwards, I decided to hike downstream to the lower falls. I hadn’t visited it previously, and the hike was a bit more adventurous than the old road I’d followed most of the way to the upper falls. There were several creek crossings, but they were trivial due to the low water levels. I reached the top of the falls just as dusk was beginning to settle. Getting to the base would’ve required a tricky scramble, and I still needed to hike back before dark. I hurried back, and reached the car a few minutes after dark.

The next afternoon I went for a run in a TVA recreation area on the south side of the Tennessee River. The highlight was an old railroad bridge that is partially open to pedestrians. However, the bridge ends about halfway across the river. The remainder of the span was a drawbridge, which was removed years ago.

The rest of the trip was spent working and enjoying Florence and Muscle Shoals. Muscle Shoals is a bit rough around the edges, but Florence has a really nice downtown. It’s definitely one of those places that exceeded my expectations!

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