TO HELEN BACK
I
had a work assignment in Atlanta last week, which is probably my all-time least
favorite place to go. The traffic there
is charming, and the air probably shouldn’t be inhaled by anybody. Unfortunately, I get sent there several
times a year. This time though, I
decided to make the best of the situation.
I
was feeling grumpy about driving down there on Monday morning, when it occurred
to me that there was another option.
Rather than hiking somewhere in the mountains on Sunday, and then returning
home Sunday evening, I could combine everything to my advantage. After a bit of scheming, I decided to do a
hike in north Georgia on Sunday. From
there, it would be a fairly easy drive to the hotel. This plan gave me a chance to hike somewhere new, and enabled me
to avoid the Monday morning drive. It
also meant that I’d get to work earlier on Monday morning, which offered
additional advantages. Perhaps best of
all, I’d get reimbursed for my mileage.
With gas over $3 a gallon, that was a nice little perk.
Of
course, there were a few drawbacks. I
hate being away from my wife on the weekends, particularly when I’m out of town
the week before and the week after. On
this Sunday though, she was planning on attending a bridal show with her sister. I certainly wasn’t about to go to that, so I
didn’t feel too guilty about leaving Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the dog didn’t understand why she didn’t get to go
hiking this time. She was up waiting
for me by the front door by the time I got dressed. She was quite disappointed when I explained that she had to stay
with Mommy this time.
I
drove to Helen, Georgia, which is a Bavarian-themed tourist town near the
headwaters of the Chattahoochee River.
This was the second Bavarian-themed town I’d seen in less than a year,
after passing through Leavenworth, Washington on the way to a backpacking trip
last August. I didn’t see much of Helen
except for the view from my windshield.
After a long drive, I was ready for some hiking.
Originally
I had planned on hiking Tray Mountain.
However, it was a cool, overcast, drizzly morning, and a high-elevation
hike seemed unappealing. Instead, I
decided to check out a few of the many waterfalls in the area. The dreary weather wouldn’t matter much down
in the woods, and the recent rains promised extra water flow. I started out by driving a few miles north
of Helen to Anna Ruby Falls. The
trailhead and falls are on National Forest property, but you have to drive
through a state park to get there.
Beyond the state park, I reached a toll booth, where I paid $1 to
continue on to the trailhead. I was
surprised they actually had someone there to collect my dollar. I wonder how many cars per hour have to pass
through just to cover the tollbooth operator’s salary. Perhaps he’s a volunteer?
From
there, I drove a few more miles to the parking area and visitor center. I was hoping that the marginal weather would
minimize the crowds, but I had no such luck.
The area was quite busy, although I’m sure it could’ve been much
worse. I weaved my way through traffic,
following the easy, paved path up to the falls.
Anna
Ruby Falls is actually a double waterfall, as two separate creeks plunge over
the same cliff. Unfortunately, the only
viewpoints are from those God-forsaken man-made platforms that seem to be
popping up all over the place (you’re $1 entry fee at work!). It’s nearly impossible to take a decent
photo from those platforms (at least with my rather short tripod), but that didn’t
stop me from trying. After a few minutes
of that, I was ready to get on with the main event.
I
returned to the car, and made the 10-minute drive to the Dukes Creek Falls
Trailhead. Here I had to pay $3 to
park. The trailhead featured pit
toilets and picnic tables. This was
quite a drop off from the visitor’s center at Anna Ruby Falls, and it cost $2
more. This was not an encouraging
trend.
This
trailhead was less busy than the previous one, but that didn’t stop me from
getting behind a huge family featuring multiple children, dogs, and
grandparents. I eventually got passed
them, and descended a series of boardwalks and stairs (you’re $3 at work) to an
overlook. Here I had a nice view across
the gorge to the high cascades of Dukes Creek Falls. This waterfall is actually on a tributary, Davis Creek. To add to the confusion, there are at least
two waterfalls on Dukes Creek in the same general area. At least those aren’t called Davis Creek
Falls.
I
reached a switchback, and descended to join an old road bed or railroad
grade. This route continues upstream
and down along and above Dukes Creek.
I’m not sure where that route begins and ends, but it might be worth
checking out some day.
After
a long, nearly flat stretch of trail, I reached another switchback and began
descending towards the creek. A few
minutes later, I reached the first of three viewing platforms (groan). The first is right at the confluence of
Davis Creek and Dukes Creek. It’s
located at the base of Dukes Creek Falls (on Davis Creek), but the view isn’t
ideal. The falls are partially obscured
by trees. I actually enjoyed the view
of the cascades on Dukes Creek more.
I
ate lunch quickly, and walked up to the other overlooks. The last one provided a nice view of a 20’
waterfall on Dukes Creek. Although it’s
much smaller than the featured waterfall, I probably enjoyed this one more.
I
returned by the same route, but made a detour on the way. I had noticed a waterfall below the trail on
the way down, and decided to check it out.
The path down was steep and slippery, but it wasn’t too
treacherous. Once at the base, I was
glad I’d made the effort. It was
another 20’ fall, and this one was quite attractive. In fact, it was probably my favorite waterfall of the trip. I spent several minutes here taking photos,
before returning to the car.
From
there, I drove a couple miles farther up the road to the Raven Cliff Falls
trailhead. This was my main hike for
the day, as the earlier walks had totaled less than 3 miles. The hike to Raven Cliff Falls isn’t a
massive undertaking, as it is only a 5-mile round trip. It did promise more of a real hike though,
and at least a brief foray into an actual wilderness area.
I
picked up the trail, which follows Dodd Creek closely the entire way. The whole hike had nice creekside scenery,
and I noticed a number of attractive campsites along the way. Although it was 2 ½ miles to Raven Cliff
Falls, I didn’t have to wait that long to see falling water. After a mile or so, I reached the first
unnamed waterfall on Dodd Creek. I
followed a fairly easy side path down to a nice 15’ drop. After checking that one out, I returned to
the trail. A couple of minutes later, I
spotted a larger waterfall down below the trail. Accessing this one was more difficult, but a cautious descent on
a use path delivered me to the base.
This was another beauty – it ranks up there with the unnamed waterfall
on Dukes Creek as the prettiest I’d see on this day.
From
there, I returned to the trail and continued on to Raven Cliffs. Eventually the woods opened up, providing a
breathtaking view of the 100’ cliffs above me.
I scrambled up the last part of the trail to check out the falls.
Raven
Cliff Falls is unique. Rather than
spilling over the cliffs, it has worn down through them. The result is high waterfall spilling down
into a grotto between the cliff walls.
The waterfall almost looks like a short, vertical slot canyon. Due to its nature, making a good photograph
here is nearly impossible, but that didn’t stop me from trying. Afterwards, I took a break and enjoyed the
spot. It’s truly one of the more
fascinating waterfalls I’ve seen.
There’s definitely some interesting geology going on here.
After
my break, I decided to explore. Beyond
and above the grotto, I could see more of the falls in the distance. I thought I might be able to get a better
look by climbing up and around the cliffs.
First I attempted to continue up the gully above the trail. Many people have gone this way, but it was
very muddy from the recent rains. I
didn’t want to contribute further to the erosion there, so I returned to the
base of the falls. Then I noticed a
faint path on the opposite side of the creek.
It looked like it might provide a route around the cliffs on the
opposite side.
I
rock-hopped the creek, and climbed the steep hillside beyond. Eventually I reached a break in the cliffs,
and traversed back to the right to breach them. This proved to be easier than it looked, and a minute later, I
found myself looking down on Raven Cliff Falls from above. This was an interesting perspective, as the
creek drops down between the narrow walls into the grotto. I could’ve gotten a better photo here if I’d
gotten just a few steps closer to the edge.
I decided I didn’t care that much about a photo.
I
explore upstream from there, following the stream through tunnels of
rhododendron. Eventually the path
petered out, and I turned back. It was
already after 4pm, and it was past time to head back.
The
hike out was uneventful. I reached the
car a bit after 5:30. Regrettably, I
didn’t really have enough time for the last hike on my agenda, to Helton Creek
Falls. My information indicated that
driving to that trailhead requires fording two rivers though, and I wasn’t sure
that would even be an option after the recent rains. Instead, I was content to head on to Atlanta, having seen a total
of 7 impressive waterfalls in a single afternoon.
The
rest of my week went fairly well. I
only had to spend 2 days in Atlanta, and I managed to escape there without
being in a horrific car accident. From
Atlanta, I drove to Columbia for another 2-day assignment. On the way, I stopped off in Augusta to
visit the Augusta Canal Headwaters Park.
This is a neat little area at a dam on the Savannah River, where the
water is diverted into the historic canal.
The canal towpath provides an excellent place to run, and I took
advantage of that despite the surprising heat and bugs.
After
running, I wandered around the park and took a few photos. I found a nice waterfall on a side stream
just before in empties into the canal.
It would be a stretch to call these cascades a waterfall if this in the
mountains, but in Augusta, I think it qualifies. Unfortunately, the sun came out just in time to ruin what
might’ve been a nice photo. I also
found some early spring wildflowers and lots of Spanish Moss. I’ll definitely plan on returning there the
next time I’m in the area.
Back to Georgia
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!