Waterfall from Last Year

Last winter Jack Thyen and I hiked to see Catawba Falls on the headwaters of the Catawba River near Old Fort, North Carolina. The hike was an interesting one for many reasons, not least of which were the huge number of small waterfalls and cataracts along the way. One spot was the site of an abandoned hydro power station. The dam was breached partially but the dam never removed. Now there's a moderately impressive and relatively dangerous waterfall at the site. But the gem of the hike lies at its upper end: Catawba Falls which remains, for me, one of the prettiest waterfalls I've seen in the last couple of years.

One of dozens of smaller waterfalls along the hike.

Jack taking a photo at the top of the abandoned dam.

A stitched panorama of the dam, falls, and downstream section.

And Catawba Falls. I'd love to go swimming there in the summertime, but I doubt the water flow would be as powerful as it was the day Jack and I went to see it.