Hidden Waterfall

I mainly hike alone these days. By my choice. However, sometimes I have to forgo certain things when I'm hiking by myself. You can't take chances when you're alone and far from help. So it was last Sunday when I hiked down a trail I'd never been on in the area between Linville Gorge and Wilson Creek.

Climbing back up toward NC 181, I could hear a lot of water falling. So I knew that there was some kind of cascade or waterfall through the heavy growth of rhododendron, but I couldn't quite get a good look at it. What I finally did end up realizing was that it was a very high series of cascades and drops that--if you could find the right safe spot--might make for an impressive photo.

However, I was alone and in no position to try to find my way down into that little gorge to find such a spot to take a photo. What I could (barely) see through the brush were two big drops that would add up to quite a nice waterfall. I'm certain it's a noted falls/cascade, but I don't know if it has a name or if there are lots of photos online featuring it.

I did the best I could under the circumstances. Even so, I did take a risk and had a hard time scrambling back up to the trail.

A nice little cascade on the creek. Not sure why someone tied flagging to that limb.

I'm pretty sure that this is a fisherman's trail carved over the years through the rhododendron by fly fishermen.

This video in no way shows the falls. You really can't see it, except for that small trough that acts as a transition between the two big drops.

This trough splits the two big drops.

A very nice campsite along the trail.