Courthouse Creek in the Snow

Sunday morning we woke up and packed up our stuff. We had to change the sheets, make the beds, and take out the trash to avoid a cleaning fee. Once finished, we headed west on US-64 to NC-215 near Rosman. Driving north for about 10 miles, we turned right onto Courthouse Creek Road (Forest Service Road 140). The forest roads do not get plowed or treated so this road was a little tricky to drive. It was going to get relatively warmer today, but it was still cold in the morning so much ice remained on the road. After about 2 miles, we got to a hill and the car was unable to drive up, so we parked at a pull-off and hiked the rest of FSR 140. It was a steep hike up the gravel road and then back down to Courthouse Creek. Across the bridge, we got on Courthouse Falls Trail (#130) and hiked to the falls. The orange-blazed trail follows Summey Cove Trail a short ways and then splits to the left, leading down to the falls. Courthouse Falls is a pretty 45-foot waterfall nestled in a cove with high rocks walls surrounding.

A thick layer of ice surrounded the narrow chute of water on both sides. We got some pictures here and then hiked back up. We continued hiking down FSR 140 to the gate and then continued past the gate. In about three-quarters of a mile, the road ends at a Middle Waterfall on Courthouse Creek. We crossed the creek to the island to see the waterfall, but it was too icy to get down for a good view.

Besides, this was not the one we were aiming for. We followed a steep path up the left side of the waterfall and then continued following a faint, overgrown path heading upstream along Courthouse Creek. There was no flagging tape and the path was little more than nothing at all. The only thing that helped was the snow - we followed where there was the most white on the ground. At one point, a small stream that flowed into Courthouse Creek was completely frozen with icicles going up the mountain as far as I could see.

We crossed the creek twice and although the rocks were icy and slippery, we didn’t have any trouble. Where two forks came together, we crossed to follow the right fork and then crossed one more time. Soon after, we came to Upper Waterfall on Courthouse Creek.

It was almost completely covered in snow and ice and we could only see the flowing water in a few places through the ice. We had a quick snack here and then started making our way back. Knowing the way to go, it was a lot quicker hiking back. Soon, we were back at the car and started making our way home. On the way, we stopped at Las Salsas in Morganton for a much-deserved feast after an exciting weekend of winter waterfalls.

Foothills Trail in the Snow

Saturday morning, we woke up relatively early. John didn’t sleep well the night before, so he decided to stay at the cabin and rest. A good thing, as this was going to be a very long and strenuous day. After a light breakfast, we headed west on US-64 to Sapphire and turned onto NC-281 south into South Carolina. Almost immediately after crossing the state line, we turned into Bad Creek Power Station and parked at the Foothills Trail access. We followed the spur to the Foothills Trail at the footbridges over Whitewater River and turned right on the trail towards Thompson River. Not long after crossing Whitewater River, we passed the spur trail to Lower Whitewater Falls, planning to hit this one on the way back. The trail headed up gradually, then dipped back down as we hiked into North Carolina.

Soon, we crossed Thompson River on a footbridge about a half-mile downstream of Big Falls. After crossing the river, we headed steeply up the ridgeline. I wasn’t expecting such a steep stretch, but I don’t think it’s ever easy climbing back up from Thompson River. The trail then started going back down. A couple spots were extremely difficult as ice covered steep steps heading down. The first set of steps had a handrail that helped tremendously in safely descending.

The second set didn’t have anything to hold on to, so we had to butt-slide down. After the “Stairs of Death”, we came out to a gated road and hiked down to Bearcamp Creek. At the creek, we hiked the short spur trail leading to Bearcamp Falls. This waterfall is also called Hilliard Falls, in honor of Glenn Hilliard, the founder of the Foothills Conference. There was a great campsite right at the base of the falls. If I ever backpacked the Foothills Trail, I would try to camp here as it was a lovely spot where you could hear the waterfall and kind of see it through the trees from a tent. Approaching the waterfall, there was a nice cascade at the base, but trees blocked a good view of the main waterfall.

Going a little further, we stopped at the base for lunch and pictures. It’s a pretty cool waterfall, with the water flowing down the rock face in several distinct streams. I was surprised that there wasn’t a lot of ice on it, though.

We didn’t linger too long, however, as we still had quite a bit of hiking to do to get back. So we started the rather long hike back towards South Carolina.

Although there was a lot of uphill on the way back, the icy steps were a lot easier going up. After a while, we got to the spur trail and headed to Lower Whitewater Falls. The trail went through the woods, then followed a gravel road, before skirting around Whitewater Mountain. It then descended steeply to a nice wooden overlook for the waterfall. The falls were a good distance away, but the overlook was positioned well for views of the 400-foot waterfall surrounded by ice.

After a few photos, we headed back and soon were back at the car. Our hike for the day ended up being more than 13 miles and we were all exhausted. But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t get a couple more (easy) waterfalls. Heading back into North Carolina on NC-281, we pulled off at the grassy spot on the side of the road at John’s Jump. First, we ran across the street and hiked up the short D.E.W. Falls Trail (#281) to this waterfall. Although the hike is short and normally easy, we had to put our Yak-Trax back on to make the final descent to see the falls. We were surprised to see another couple and their dog at the waterfall, the only other people we've seen on our hikes so far.

D.E.W. Falls is not a huge waterfall, but it’s in a really pretty setting. Even more so today with a thin layer of ice coating the pool and some nice icicles framing the waterfall. After a couple pictures we hiked back to the car and made a quick detour to John’s Jump.

It was a steep descent down to the base, but at least it was short. The snow and ice surrounding this waterfall were beautiful; I think this one had the best ice that we had seen.

Once we got some pictures, we headed back to the car and drove back to Brevard. We got take-out from Hawg Wild BBQ and ate dinner back at the cabin. We all fell asleep quickly after our very busy day.

Wintergreen Falls

This past weekend, we headed to the Brevard area for some frozen waterfalls and winter hiking. We left very early Friday morning, the very cold day, and had to pack up the car in temperatures around 7°F. Justine and John arrived just before 5 and we took off shortly afterwards. We made pretty good time heading out west, arriving at the Frozen Creek Access of Gorges State Park shortly after 10. Although the sun had come up, it was still bitterly cold. We bundled up in many layers and started hiking off along Augur Hole Road. The first stretch is uphill, leading away from the parking access and running concurrently with Canebrake Trail. After the first half-mile, the trails split and we turned right to continue on Augur Hole Road. From this point, the trail is mostly downhill, heading downstream in parallel to Augur Fork Creek. There were a few spots where small tributaries of the creek had formed some nice icicles along the trail. Snow and ice covered the road for the majority that we hiked, but it actually wasn’t too slippery.

In about 3 miles, shortly before the road fords Toxaway River, we turned right to follow another old road that runs upstream along Toxaway River. The old road was about a mile long, first heading uphill for a bit then downhill ending around river level. After this point, it became more of a trail than a road, but was pretty easy to follow along the river for about the next half-mile until we reached Panther Branch. We rock-hopped across the stream and then made it to a steep section of scrambling around some cliffs. The snow and ice made this a particularly challenging stretch and our Yak-Trax really came in handy. Once past the cliffs, it wasn’t too bad and there was flagging tape conveniently placed to keep us on the path. Soon, we came out at the huge pool at the base of Wintergreen Falls.

We had lunch here and enjoyed the view. The water was still flowing but there was ice all over the rock face - it was quite scenic and fitting for a waterfall named Wintergreen. It was quite cold, however, so we didn’t linger too long.

Hiking back, we followed our own footprints in the snow to keep on the trail. After passing the cliffs and Panther Branch, I made a quick stop to get a shot of a scenic ten-foot waterfall along Toxaway River.

Then we finished up the trail and took the old logging road back to Augur Hole Trail. The hike back to the parking lot is almost all uphill, so it was a bit strenuous after an already long day of hiking. At least it wasn’t hot. Through the trees we were able to see Chub Line Falls and the waterfalls at the confluence of Augur Fork Creek and Maple Spring Branch. We were all a little tired after the trek to Wintergreen, so we decided to pass on trying to head down for these. We were also running low on daylight. We made it back to the car around 5 and then headed towards Brevard to our home for the weekend - Falling Water cottage, a rental just east of Pisgah Forest. It certainly had an appropriate name given our adventures for the weekend. After checking in and unpacking the car, we headed into town for dinner at Twin Dragons China Buffet. After a long and strenuous day of hiking, the buffet really hit the spot. After dinner, we headed back to the cottage and went to bed early.

Crabtree Falls

Tuesday morning, we woke up to very cold temperatures, but at least the snow had stopped. We checked out of the hotel and returned our ski gear to Ski Barn and then started making our way home. But we didn’t head straight home; with all the recent snow, we were going to see some more frozen waterfalls! Once in Virginia, we continued heading east, eventually getting on I-81 and taking VA-56 east into George Washington National Forest to Crabtree Falls Day Use Area. The waterfall consists of several distinct drops, altogether totaling around 1000 feet, the highest waterfall in the eastern United States. However, you can’t see the entire thing from any point unless you’re in an airplane. We had stopped for Subway along the way and had lunch at the picnic area by the South Fork Tye River.

Then we started our hike up along the waterfall. The first section of trail is paved and handicapped-accessible and leads to an overlook at the lowest section of the waterfall.

Although there was no snow on the ground, the temperature was cold enough that much of the waterfall was frozen, though some liquid water was still flowing. We got some pictures from here and then began heading up through a long series of switchbacks and stairs along the waterfall.

The trail never got far from the waterfall, heading away for a short distance then cutting straight back. Overall, the waterfall has at least five distinct cascades that are significant and would be considered a waterfall on their own.

Slowly, we made our way up along the waterfall.

The going was slow because there was a lot of stops to view the waterfall, but also the going was treacherous in some places.

A thick layer of ice covered the trail in spots, including a few places on stairs.

This made the hiking a little tricky. A combination of careful footing and a little butt-sliding allowed us to safely cross the many icy spots. At one point near the middle of the waterfall, we came out to a view where the water and ice appeared to be going into a hole in the cliff face.

Unfortunately, some fallen trees partially obscured the scene. As we approached the top, we could tell we were almost done as there was no more waterfall to be seen higher up.

The very top portion of the waterfall was perhaps the most scenic. The water and ice cascaded down a high cliff more than 100 feet and was quite beautiful.

We finished up the trail at very top of the waterfall. We couldn’t see the waterfall itself from here, but the views of the surrounding mountains were beautiful. Highway VA-56 was visible in the distance far below.

We sat here for a few minutes enjoying the view and then started making our way back down. The icy spots were a little tricky, but other than that, it was an easy hike downhill. Back at the car, we started making our way home after a great winter weekend.

Skiing at Snowshoe

Monday morning, we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. In years past, the breakfast at the Inn was great. They had eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and a variety of hot food, along with muffins, bagels, cereal and various cold items. Breakfast was served in the big restaurant area. To our disappointment, the breakfast at the Inn had been significantly downgraded since our last visit. They had biscuits and gravy as the only hot item, a couple muffins and cereal, and coffee and juice. Moreover, they moved the breakfast to a really small room so we had to eat standing up. And we weren’t the only people disappointed. Later in the day talking to Steve and Luis, they both expressed excitement about staying at the Inn in a couple weeks for the great breakfast. I hated to disappoint them, but figured they’d want to know in advance. We also talked to some people in the hot tub this evening who were upset about the breakfast change. Oh well, we had come for the skiing, not the food. After breakfast, we got our gear together and took the shuttle up the mountain. Today, we got off at the Village to ski the main area of Snowshoe. Sandy and I again started off on the easier green trails skiing down Heisler Way to Log Slide and Greenway. We took the Powderidge lift up the mountain and found our friends right at the top. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever find them as this area is a bit bigger than Silver Creek, so we were surprised to find them right away. We stuck mostly to green trails initially, eventually progressing up to the blues. I really enjoy skiing this area as its possible to criss-cross the mountain with different trails and lifts. The short but steep Moonshine Trail was a bit challenging and most people fell on this one. I managed to stay upright, though not so gracefully. As lunch time approached, we made our way south, eventually taking the Upper and Lower Hootenanny Trails to the Soaring Eagle lift up to Top of the World. Sandy and I got lunch to-go from Hoots and brought it up to the condo to have lunch with everybody. Then we headed back out to hit the slopes some more. Steve is a good skier and enjoyed showing off - at one point, we was skiing in circles going down the hill. It had been snowing pretty good all morning, but after lunch, the snow was getting harder. Additionally, it was very cold and extremely windy, especially at the top of the mountain. Coming up on the ski lifts, I thought we were going to be blown out a couple times. At one point, the wind was so strong that it literally blew me uphill! The strong winds blowing snow around made visibility very poor and the loud winds made it hard to talk without screaming. Sandy and I ended up losing the others after a couple of runs and we ended up doing a few more runs on our own, then decided to call it quits around 4. We took the shuttle back down the mountain and once out of our ski clothes, hit the hot tub to warm up. Brandi’s Restaurant at the Inn was closed so we walked across the street to the Route 66 restaurant and got some dinner to take back to the hotel.

Skiing at Silver Creek

In the morning, we had a quick breakfast and then started making our way to Snowshoe. We stopped at the Ski Barn to pick up our rental skis and then stopped by the Inn at the base of the mountain. It was too early to check in to our room, but we got our lift tickets here. We left our car in the parking lot and took the shuttle up to the Silver Creek area. Steve and the others were staying at a condo at Top of the World and we were going to try to meet them on the slopes. All bundled up in cold-weather gear for skiing, however, everybody looks about the same, so I expected that finding our friends would be difficult. Sandy and I started on the easiest Skill Builder and Cubb Run trails. After a couple of runs to warm up, we happened to run into our friends and started skiing all together. We skied a few more times on the Greenhorn trail and then headed to the Silver Creek lodge for lunch. After lunch, we stayed in the Silver Creek area, but moved onto the slightly more difficult blue Cascade and Fox Chase Trails. Using my GPS, I clocked my maximum speed as hitting 35 miles per hour. As the afternoon progressed, we split up and Sandy and I headed down to the Inn on the 4 o’clock shuttle down the mountain. We checked into our room, then headed back up the mountain for a little night skiing. This evening, we had a really nice shuttle driver and enjoyed talking with him. He had worked as a driver for Snowshoe for some thirty years and just loved driving school buses. He described them as tanks that were so much better under bad weather conditions than other buses and vehicles. I don’t think I’ll ever look at school buses the same! Up at the top, we never found the rest of our friends; I don’t think they ended up doing any night skiing, but it was a great time. Given the weather forecast, Sunday night was our best opportunity for night skiing as the temperatures would be about 20 degrees warmer than the following night. Also, with the Super Bowl going on, we pretty much had the slopes to ourselves. Sandy and I skied for an hour or so and then took the 7 o’clock shuttle back down. By this time, we were sufficiently chilled and wanted to thaw out in the hot tub. Again, likely due to the Super Bowl, we had the whole pool area to ourselves and greatly enjoyed warming up in the hot tub.