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.