2020-03-14 Tower Falls Team Waterfall Adventure

Tower Falls on Laurel Branch of Eastatoe Creek

A Team Waterfall Adventure

Pickens County, SC

Saturday, March 14th, 2020

 Group Photo at Tower Falls

Andy organized this Team Waterfall gathering specifically for this weekend to capture the Oconee Bells in peak bloom.  We spotted our first cluster of blooms at our campsite!

Oconee Bells at our Campsite

No need to do the Oconee Bell hike, onward to Tower Falls on the Laurel Branch of Eastatoe Creek.  Warning!!! There is no trail to Tower Falls!  Once you get off the Forest Service Roads it is all strenuous off trail Bushwhacking! 

 GPS Track from our Bushwhacking/Creekwalking Adventure

Click here for interactive link

Here are some of the photos from our adventure:

 Eight Went In  (Plus Boone and Kona))

 Kyle and Johnny

 Badger Slide!

Waterfall on Laurel Branch of Eastatoe Creek

 Jen by a huge rock in the Laurel Branch of Eastatoe Creek

I loved this stretch of creek just upstream from Tower Falls

 Tower Falls

Jen at Tower Falls

Group Photo at Tower Falls - Take 2

How many differences can you spot between Take 1 at top of this Blog Post

In Typical Team Waterfall fashion, the group changed throughout the day and morphed into several smaller groups before joining back together at the campsite later that evening.

Four Came Out

L to R:  Me, Captain John, Johnny Corn, and Jen

Jen the Fire Starter with Captain John

Looks like Beer:Thirty at the campsite

Andy's plan for the day was a lot more ambitious than what we ended up doing.  We probably could have squeezed in a few more waterfalls, but I was happy to have camp set up before dark and still have time to catch the sunset from Jumping Off Rock.

 Sunset from Jumping Off Rock

Spencer and the Badger at Jumping Off Rock

Six Made it out to Jumping Off Rock for a Badger Selfie

L to R:  (Badger, Preston, Captain John, Spencer, Me, Jen)

We enjoyed a relaxing evening around the campfire with just enough rain to justify rigging up the tarp.


I didn't do any hiking on Sunday, but get the fire stoked back up and enjoyed a relaxing morning around the campfire. 

 Jen, the other early riser

Sunday Morning Relaxation

Andy and Jen listening to Woody

Jen photographing the Oconee Bells

Oconee Bell Bloom

My complete set of photos is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157713512373782

2020-01-26 Washington State - Day 1 - North Cascades - Anacortes Sunset

Jack and Amy 's Washington State Trip

Day 1 - Sunday, January 26th, 2020

North Cascades National Park

and a beautiful Anacortes Sunset

Jack and Amy Selfie

North Cascades National Park, Washington State

Over the past two years, Amy has had three business trips out to Anacortes, Washington.  I have been lucky enough to be able to tag along and join her for all three of these trips.   A few days after we arrived home from our latest trip out to Washington, our home was flooded.    I finally got a chance to sit down and look through some of the photos!

We flew out to SeaTac,WA on Saturday, January 25th and booked an Airbnb in Snohomish, WA for the first evening.

Amy outside our Airbnb

We had all day Sunday to make our way up to Anacortes, WA where Amy would be working for the remainder of the week.  We decided to stay off the interstates and take the scenic route up to the North Cascades Area.

We stopped for really nice brunch at the Rhodes River Ranch in Oso, WA

 Bruch at Rhodes River Ranch (Oso, WA)

After Brunch we continued North stopping for a few roadside views before eventually making our way into the North Cascades.

I really wanted to get a bit further up into the North Cascades, but the road was closed past the Diablo Power Plant.

 I really wanted to get a bit further into the North Cascades than this

Fortunately there is a nice little network of trails around the Diablo Power Plant loaded with waterfalls, cascades, cool rocks, amazing green moss, and a good bit of snow on the ground!

 Nice cascades around the Diablo Power Plant

 At first I thought she was preparing to bombard me with snowballs

Amy's Creation

Nice waterfall joining the Skagit River 

Exploring the back roads

Eventually we made our way back down the mountains and onto the island of Anacortes which would become home for the next 5 days!

The Majestic Inn and Spa is located across the street from where Amy would be working meaning I would have access to the rental car for most of the week.  It is also only about a 15 minute walk up to Cap Sante Park which offers spectacular views for both Sunrise and Sunset.  After checking into the Majestic, Amy decided it was time for a nap, while I went for a little walk.

 The island of Anacortes is loaded with very friendly Deer

 Cap Sante Park - Anacortes, WA

View over Anacortes from Cap Sante Park

I thought the sky had some awesome sunrise potential, so I interrupted Amy's nap to drag her out to witness this amazing sunset from Washington Park.  Most of these came out of Amy's new iPhone!

Amy taking a photo of the sunset from Washington Park

Washington Park Sunset (Photo by Amy Thyen)

 Washington Park Sunset - Anacortes, WA

 Washington Park Sunset - Anacortes, WA

Jack and Amy Sunset Selfie - Washington Park - Anacortes, WA

 Washington Park Sunset - Anacortes, WA

 Washington Park Sunset Panorama

An incredible start to an awesome week in the Pacific Northwest (my favorite corner of this crazy world we live in).

My complete set of photos is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157713387614186

2020-02-29 Hope Diamond Falls Adventure

Hope Diamond Falls Adventure

With Professor Scott Burns

Upper Holcomb Creek Area

Rabun County, GA

Saturday, February 29th, 2020

The Professor and Me at Hope Diamond Falls

February 29th usually only comes around once every four years.  I decided to take advantage of this bonus day to join the Professor (Scott Burns) on a bushwhacking adventure to find Hope Diamond Falls.

I made a few stops along the way to check out some early morning roadside view before meeting Scott in Highlands, NC for the final drive to the "trailhead".

 Shortly after Sunrise over Lake Jocassee

 Whiteside Mountain Panorama

There are no official trails to Hope Diamond Falls.  However, Waterfall Legends Bernie Boyer, Waterfall Rich Stevenson, Brenda Wiley, and Renee Haddenstein recently visited the Hope Diamond and put considerable effort into creating a reasonable path much of the way. 

It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit starting out with anywhere from 0.1 to 2.0 inches of fresh snow on the ground. 

Bushwhacking with the Professor

Here are some of the photos from our adventure:

White Diamond Falls

The Professor and Me at White Diamond Falls

 Upper White Diamond Falls

Me by some cool ice at Hope Diamond Falls  

(note: the falls is at the very top center of the photo)

Hope Diamond Falls

The Professor at Hope Diamond Falls

Hope Diamond Falls

Rather than returning back the way we came, Scott and I decided to blaze our own path to another tributary full of off-trail waterfalls.

 Waterfall on Tributary of Upper Holcomb Creek

 Waterfall on Tributary of Upper Holcomb Creek

Upper Waterfall on Tributary of Upper Holcomb Creek

From here, we decided to bushwhack up to the Bartram Trail and enjoy an easy trail/road walk for the final few miles of our adventure.

Along the Bartram Trail

Waterfall along the Bartram Trail

GPS Track from our Hike

Click here for Interactive Link

I really enjoyed this adventure!  And Hope Diamond Falls is one of my new favorites!

My complete set of photos is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157713337540693