THAO IN WONDERLAND
We headed for Virgin Falls
the next day. Unfortunately, we didn’t
get off to an early start. A chilly
night left me shivering in my 25-degree bag, and it was hard getting up first
thing in the morning. Hot cocoa and egg
and bagel sandwiches helped though. We
drove through Sparta and up onto the plateau, where it was downright cold. The Xterra’s thermometer claimed it was 37
degrees at 11am (EDT). What was going
on around here? I thought it was
supposed to be spring!
We started down the trail,
but stopped to register. Shortly
beyond, Christy spotted an old turtle shell, which Thao and Saucony both found
fascinating. Saucony was moving well,
which was a relief. Lately she has
taken to limping after any sort of strenuous exercise.
Over the first mile we
wandered through an open forest as yet untouched by spring. We followed a small stream, crossing it
three times, before beginning a steep descent towards Laurel Creek. Along the way, we stopped briefly at Big
Branch Falls, which isn’t big. It is
kind of cute, but it seems awfully insignificant compared with what was ahead.
A steep descent on
switchbacks brought us to Laurel Creek, where we discovered that the water was
up. This was a concern, as Thao’s boots
are not waterproof. A dry crossing was
tricky, but we were able to use a log and a cable spanning the creek to get
across. From there, we followed Laurel
Creek downstream below high, sheer cliffs.
We passed high above the sink, where Laurel Creek disappears underground,
and a few minutes later, the rise, where it reappears. Beyond were countless cascades and
pools. Some of the pools looked like
inviting swimming holes on a warmer day.
A steep, rocky descent
brought us to the base of Big Laurel Falls.
I’ve never managed a particularly good photo of this waterfall, and
today promised nothing different. It
was another bright, sunny day. Where
are the clouds when you need them? The
last time I’d been there, it had been snowing, which wrecked it’s own kind of
havoc with my pictures. Conditions had
been perfect on my first visit, when my camera was off being repaired.
Conditions were poor for
photography, but excellent for lunch.
It had warmed a little, and the sun helped. After lunch we explored the cave behind the falls. Big Laurel Falls is quite unusual, as the
creek spills over the waterfall, before running back into a deep cave
underneath itself. At the back of the
cave, the creek disappears underground, never to be seen again. Nobody really knows where the water
goes. One theory is that is re-emerges
from Sheep Cave, in the next drainage to the west. There’s less water coming out of Sheep Cave than there is in
Laurel Creek though. I’m inclined to
believe that the water runs underground before surfacing directly in the Caney
Fork River.
We entered the cave, and I
immediately noticed that something was different. The last two times I had visited, the creek had run to the back
of the cave and disappeared down a single sink. Today though, much of the water bypassed the sink, following the
back of the cave wall around in a long curve.
There were several more sinks along the way, before the creek ran back
out towards the mouth of the cave. Just
before the mouth, the remainder of the stream disappeared down a final
sink. While I was exploring, it
occurred to me that the stream was still carving out this cave. It was already huge, and it would only get
bigger.
We spent quite a bit of time
in the cave. First, it’s a fascinating
spot. It’s one immense cavern,
featuring a high, colorful ceiling. The
view out, through the falls to the green forest, is unforgettable. Best of all, it was much warmer in the cave
than it was outside. I think that tells
you everything you need to know about how cold it was out there!
Eventually we had to leave,
as we still had Sheep Cave and Virgin Falls on the day’s agenda. We followed an easy stretch of trail down
the gorge above the dry creek bed. Along
the way we passed another cave entrance, and thousands of wildflowers. Spring had arrived down here in the
gorge! Phlox was blooming everywhere,
and Dwarf Iris and the occasional Trillium added color. There were countless other varieties that I couldn’t
identify as we trekked towards Sheep Cave.
We reached Sheep Cave and Sheep
Cave Falls some time later. This one is
also fascinating, as the creek emerges from the cave, cascades down a pretty
waterfall, and freefalls into an abyss, never to be seen again. If you’re paying any sort of attention,
you’ve probably picked up on a theme here.
Viewing the lower part of
the falls and the sinkhole is rather hazardous, so we followed the trail up to
the cave. On my first visit here, I had
hiked a fair distance into the cave in my boots. On that visit, the water was just shallow enough that I could do
so and keep my feet dry. Once I got
into the dark though, I couldn’t be sure that I wouldn’t step into a deeper
hole. On that visit I’d gone far enough
to get into total darkness, but hadn’t pressed my luck any further. I’d vowed to come back though, and bring
sandals so I could wade.
I had my Tevas this time,
but there was one problem. That water
was cold! I waded a short distance
before realizing the absurdity of my plan.
I hurried back out of the cave, defeated again. I wonder if that water gets any warmer in
the summer? I wouldn’t bet on it. I guess I need some sort of waders to fully
explore Sheep Cave. Before we left, we
watched Thao explore on her own. She
climbed up to the cliffs above the mouth of the cave. For someone that had never been hiking before, she certainly
wasn’t tentative. It seemed like our
biggest challenge with Thao might be reigning in her enthusiasm.
From there it was a short
hike to Virgin Falls. Along the way we
passed more wildflowers, and two other hikers.
They were the only other people we’d see all day. This was a little surprising, considering
the popularity of the area. It was a
Thursday, but it was the Thursday before Easter. Perhaps the cold weather scared off the crowds.
We arrived at Virgin Falls,
and Christy and Thao were blown away.
Virgin Falls has that affect on people.
In fact, I hardly cared that I couldn’t get a decent photograph. I spent my time enjoying the falls, and
checking out the adjacent hillside, which was covered in blooming Great White
Trillium.
After our break, we climbed
to the top of the falls to explore. At
the top, the river emerges from a cave, runs peacefully for 100’ or so, and
plunges off a cliff. 110’ of roaring
foam later, the river disappears underground.
(I told you there was a pattern!)
I led Christy and Thao to a small cave adjacent to where the river
emerges, which leads back to a viewpoint of the subterranean river. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to proceed
from that point, without jumping into the river (which I definitely don’t
recommend). While we were exploring
outside the cave, Christy followed a path up above the river. The path ends at a cliff, where there is a
large cave entrance. This one looks
quite appealing, as there is no water.
Getting down into it looked a little tricky though, and it was getting
late. It was already 4pm, and we still
had a 4-mile uphill hike between us and the car. Once again, it looks like I’ll have to save this cave for another
time.
The hike back was fairly
uneventful. We were running late, so we
didn’t fool around. I was worried that
Thao might run out of gas on the way out.
After all, an 8-10 mile hike on rocky trails over rugged terrain is a
lot for someone that had never been hiking before. She’s in good shape though, and I needn’t have worried. In fact, my biggest concern was keeping up
with her!
Just past Big Laurel Falls,
we reached a signed junction with a side trail to an overlook of Scotts
Gulf. I’d never hiked to the overlook
before, as I’d always been in a hurry to get back to the car (another
theme). Today though, I was
determined. My plans to explore Sheep
Cave had been thwarted, and I wanted to see something new on this trip. I told Christy and Thao to continue on to
the car. I’d hike to the overlook, and
pick up the loop trail that would be bring me back down to the main route near
the crossing of Laurel Creek. If I
pushed it, I might catch them before they reached the car.
The climb to the overlook
proved to be long and steep. In a
couple of places, steep staircases (almost ladders) enabled me to climb the
cliffs. Saucony found a way around
those, with some difficulty. The path finally brought me to the top, where I
found campsites and a fine view. The
view stretches the length of Scotts Gulf, which is the gorge carved by the
Caney Fork River. I enjoyed it for a
couple of minutes, before hurrying to catch up with Christy and Thao.
My plan derailed on the way
down. I couldn’t find the connecting
loop trail. There were paths running
all over the place, but none went the direction I wanted to go. Eventually I ended up back down where I’d
started, 30 minutes behind Christy and Thao.
Sigh. The women weren’t going to
be happy about this.
I hurried up the trail,
hoping to make up some time. I kept a
brisk pace all the way back, even up the steep hill beyond the creek
crossing. I reached the car 10 minutes
after they did, just in time to claim the last of the tortilla chips and
salsa.
We headed back to camp,
which we reached just before dark.
While the women showered, I started the fire and the charcoal. That evening, we enjoyed steak, potatoes,
and salad. Thao garnished her steak
with sweet pickles. Apparently, she
enjoys pickles with pretty much everything.
I’d heard that Vietnamese people eat some strange food, but this wasn’t
what I expected!
That evening, Thao bailed
out on us again before the smores were ready.
Clearly, she didn’t know what she was missing. That evening, I made the mistake of turning on my weather
radio. A few days earlier, the forecast
had called for highs each day in the upper 50’s, with lows in the lower
30’s. What a difference a few days
makes! The latest forecast was calling
for highs in the lower 40’s, with lows in the upper teens! Clearly, the forecasters had been way
off. This didn’t go over well with
Christy, who doesn’t enjoy being cold.
Thao was in one of our old winter bags, which are rated to zero degrees. They have a lot of wear and tear on them
though, and they are probably only good to 20 degrees at this point. Plus those bags are huge, and Thao is
tiny. Thao didn’t exactly have a lot of
warm winter clothing, either. I was
also concerned about my bag, which is only rated to 25 degrees, too. Clearly, we would all have some challenges
staying warm through the rest of the weekend.
Back to Tennessee
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!