Our hiking ladies took a drive down the Gorge Road to Franklin, NC to visit Wayah Bald and then take a hike to Rufus Morgan Falls. Pam and I met Ginie at her house across the road from me. We took our traditional ‘before hike’ selfie... ...and then we were off! First stop— Wayah Bald. My first thought was that this place looked so spooky with all these dead trees. I asked Pam about it and she reminded me that the horrendous wildfires from a couple of years ago burnt much of this land. And to think a person intentionally set these fires. Ugh. Look at the devastation. Our destination was the rangers’ lookout seen off in the distance. When we arrived I noticed a designated spot for carving one’s name. How smart! I wonder if it keeps people from carving and marking up the tower and trees. I didn’t notice any graffiti so maybe it works. Then we climbed up the tower to check out the views. Clouds were rolling in which blocked much of the view, but it was still beautiful. There was a handy map which would be perfect for identifying landmarks seen on a clear day. It even had Whiteside Mountain marked. We lingered a bit longer hoping the clouds would lift but it seemed more clouds were rolling in. We decided to check out the picnic area across the way. What a perfect spot for a future picnic! They even had bear-proof trash cans. We returned to the car and took off for Rufus Morgan Falls. After we drove down a long dirt country road, we came to the trailhead. We parked at the trail head and started on the 1-mile hike. The trail was narrow but relatively easy to hike. There was a noticeable incline but it wasn’t too hard on us. The floor of the path had spots of tangly roots so we had to watch our footing. We came to a wet crossing but there were plenty of rocks to help us cross. We continued on a bit further. We came to another wet area to cross but this time there was a small bridge. We continued on but knew we were getting close. We came across this little gem of a waterfall, but Pam said it wasn’t Rufus Morgan Falls. So we continued following the trail. And there it was! We got a little closer... And we always take a selfie at the waterfall. We stayed a bit and then decided to finish the hiking loop back to the car. We drove on into Franklin to a restaurant I had read about and wanted to try. The food was fresh and delicious so if you’re ever up this way, try it out. Everything is locally sourced. Be sure and order one of their cathead biscuits. Yum! Get busy planning our next hike, Pam! So many waterfalls, so little time!
2 Comments
Larry O Elder
5/23/2019 05:11:15 pm
You ladies are doing some sure-nuff hiking! I commend you. I haven't seen that nice waterfall, but I remember well being at Wayah Bald Tower in June 1998, while backpacking a section of the AT. The Rufus Morgan AT hiker shelter 20 or so miles further up the trail, near where it crosses the Nantahala River, was destroyed by a falling tree in the mid-90's, I believe. It was re-built on the same site. It was one of the oldest shelters on the AT. Rufus Morgan was an educated and interesting man, a clergyman, and a giant in the founding of the AT. His name has been and continues to be associated with many natural features of the mountains around his native Macon county.
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
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