- Joined
- Oct 26, 2000
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- 6,104
4-28-10 visit to High Falls Park. I wanted to see the falls in person, and scout the river below to see if it was something I might be able to handle with my sit-on-top kayak.
A nice drive through north-central Alabama:
Thought it was a late start, but arrived 40 minutes before they opened the gate. This gave me time to get my Shortie gaiters and knee support thingie on, and boil up some water for oatmeal-I'd planned to have breakfast at the falls.
This is a small park. Only 38 acres. That's ok, I wasn't here for the park, anyway. There are a couple of short trails, but it's there mainly for the preservation of the falls(hence the name). I spent some time bushwhacking around outside the fence that tops the cliffs trying to get better pics than the trail allowed. Climbed down the cliffs, onto debris below the falls, then started over, crossing the "creek"(that's a freaking river if you ask me) on a bridge above the falls, coming back down alongside the falls. I spent a lot of time climbing up and down, and occasionally backtracking, finding ways to go. The only place to breach the cliffs are sections where they've collapsed, so you're climbing through tangled vines and brush, deadfalls, and loose rocks with the equivalent of mulch filling the spaces between them. Very treacherous footing. I probed with my trekking poles, and managed not to step off between rocks, but several rolled under me, pieces of deadfall broke-some I scrambled over or worked my way through. A couple of times I crawled. I got wrapped in vines. Ledges collapsed underneath me. I probably fell 30 times, but usually into waist high ground clutter(couldn't see my feet a lot of the time) or face first into the incline. I lost my glasses twice, my cap probably ten times. The wrist strap got ripped off my camera.
It was great. I love getting off into the stuff I know noone else is going to go through.
Before long the river turns, and all I could see ahead were cliffs on both sides, and another facing me. There was no trail and the continuous deadfalls and undergrowth were practically impenetrable, while the river took over the bottom of the canyon, leaving no way to follow alongside. So I had to give up and head back.
It was hardly a loss, though. Got to see three small sets of rapids, find a waterfall that I'll post pics and maybe video from, see my first snake of the year at contact distance, lots of cool rock formations(or remains thereof), and High Falls, particularly on the Class VII side was worth the trip all by itself.
Enough talk.
Above the falls, and the bridge:
It doesn't look like much from upstream, just a horizon, but that first step's a doozie...
A nice drive through north-central Alabama:
Thought it was a late start, but arrived 40 minutes before they opened the gate. This gave me time to get my Shortie gaiters and knee support thingie on, and boil up some water for oatmeal-I'd planned to have breakfast at the falls.
This is a small park. Only 38 acres. That's ok, I wasn't here for the park, anyway. There are a couple of short trails, but it's there mainly for the preservation of the falls(hence the name). I spent some time bushwhacking around outside the fence that tops the cliffs trying to get better pics than the trail allowed. Climbed down the cliffs, onto debris below the falls, then started over, crossing the "creek"(that's a freaking river if you ask me) on a bridge above the falls, coming back down alongside the falls. I spent a lot of time climbing up and down, and occasionally backtracking, finding ways to go. The only place to breach the cliffs are sections where they've collapsed, so you're climbing through tangled vines and brush, deadfalls, and loose rocks with the equivalent of mulch filling the spaces between them. Very treacherous footing. I probed with my trekking poles, and managed not to step off between rocks, but several rolled under me, pieces of deadfall broke-some I scrambled over or worked my way through. A couple of times I crawled. I got wrapped in vines. Ledges collapsed underneath me. I probably fell 30 times, but usually into waist high ground clutter(couldn't see my feet a lot of the time) or face first into the incline. I lost my glasses twice, my cap probably ten times. The wrist strap got ripped off my camera.
It was great. I love getting off into the stuff I know noone else is going to go through.
Before long the river turns, and all I could see ahead were cliffs on both sides, and another facing me. There was no trail and the continuous deadfalls and undergrowth were practically impenetrable, while the river took over the bottom of the canyon, leaving no way to follow alongside. So I had to give up and head back.
It was hardly a loss, though. Got to see three small sets of rapids, find a waterfall that I'll post pics and maybe video from, see my first snake of the year at contact distance, lots of cool rock formations(or remains thereof), and High Falls, particularly on the Class VII side was worth the trip all by itself.
Enough talk.
Above the falls, and the bridge:
It doesn't look like much from upstream, just a horizon, but that first step's a doozie...
