Day 4 - Jack and Amy's Yellowstone Vacation

Jack & Amy’s 2009 Vacation to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons


Day 4 - Tuesday, September 8th, 2009


Day 4 Photos:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/574734290NHMwFl



As usual, I was awake before Amy and decided to head outside for some early morning photos around the Geyser Basin and maybe get one more shot of Old Faithful before moving on to other areas of the Yellowstone National Park.

It was a little colder than previous mornings and I noticed that a thin film of frost was covering all the vehicles in the parking lot. A lone Buffalo was roaming around the Geyser Field and I set my goal for the morning to position myself so I could get both the Buffalo and an Old Faithful eruption in the same shot.

Well that didn't pan out. By the time Old Faithful decided to put on a show, the Buffalo had moved on to greener pastures. Still an enjoyable way to start the day. By the time I got back to the room, Amy was up. So we packed up our stuff, enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Inn, and checked out.

Old Faithful

For the upcoming night we would be staying at the Lake Lodge Cabins, so we started out in that direction. Since we were passing right by, we made another stop at Kepler Cascades, this time with much better light. Still not the most photogenic waterfall, but the roadside attraction is definitely worth as stop if you are driving past.

Kepler Cascades

Next up was the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Out of all the Geyser Basins in the park, this one was probably my favorite. It is set right along the shore of Yellowstone Lake, and the blue water makes for a more attractive scene than the mostly barren landscape that surrounds many of the other Geyser Basins.

Jack and Amy at the West Thumb Geyser Basin

We continued our drive making a stop at the Bay Bridge marina where we would do a little hike to Natural Bridge. It's an easy out and back hike of a little over a mile each way to this Natural Arch which was formed over the years by a small creek cutting through a lava cliff.

Natural Bridge

A short loop trail at the end of the hike takes you to right underneath the arch. Amy elected to skip this as it's a pretty steep climb, but of course I had to go on and see what there is to see from up above! Natural Bridge is definitely an interesting and worthwhile little hike.

Once at Lake Village we checked out the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, which is the oldest lodging facility in the park dating back to the 1800s. Just down the road from that is the Lake Lodge and Lake Lodge Cabins where we would be staying. Once again, we were able to check in well before official check-in time.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

We decided to take a drive through Sylvan Pass on the East Entrance Road, but quickly came upon some sort of traffic delay crossing the Fishing Bridge. We soon realized what the problem was. Up ahead we saw a large Buffalo crossing the bridge by walking straight down the middle of the road.

Buffalo Crossing the Bridge

Why did the Buffalo Cross the Bridge?

Buffalo walking past our rental car - Amy is in there in the driver seat

Apparently, to get to the other side.

Funny thing about the "Fishing Bridge" is that they don't allow fishing from the bridge?

Eventually, once the Buffalo was out of the way, we made it across the bridge and onward through Sylvan Pass towards the East Entrance. We ran into several more Buffalo roaming across the road and saw at least 50 grazing the meadows along side.

Just outside the East Entrance, my map showed a place called Pahaska Tepee. I was curious to see what this place was.

Amy at Pahaska Tepee

It's a touristy all in one stop, gift shop, restaurant, saloon, gas station, and rental cabins. I topped off the gas tank, while Amy explored around the gift shop before heading back into Yellowstone.

We did another short and easy mile long loop hike called the Pelican Creek Nature Trail. A nice little stroll along where Pelican Creek empties into Lake Yellowstone, but not what I would consider a must hike type trail.

Along the Pelican Creek Nature Trail

The restaurant at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel is more of the upscale type of dining, so instead we elected to eat dinner at the much more casual Lake Lodge dining hall. We saw a lot of Buffalo today, so I decided to try the Bison Meatloaf.

Bison and Buffalo are the same thing. At one time they were hunted and killed almost to the point of extinction. Now they are the most commonly seen wildlife in the park and they are serving them up on the dinner menu! I do have to say, it was some pretty good eating.

My after dinner solo hike for the day would be the Elephant Back Mountain Trail. This is another great little 4.0 mile hike. It's a lollipop loop that gains a total of about 900-ft of elevation to the summit of Elephant Back Mountain. Some great views of Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone Lake Hotel.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel viewed from Elephant Back Mountain

At the trailhead there was a sign warning of recent Grizzly Bear activity. However, the only wildlife I saw was a few other humans and a lone deer.

Deer on the Elephant Back Mountain Trail

Once the stars came out, I took a little stroll down to the lake for some night time photography. The sky sure is beautiful out here and I think this trip was the first time that I ever experienced a moonrise

Stars over Yellowstone Lake

Moonrise

Additional photos from Day 4 of our vacation are located here:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/574734290NHMwFl

Day 3 - Jack and Amy's Vacation to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons!

Jack and Amy’s 2009 Vacation to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

Day 3 - Monday, September 7th, 2009
Leaving the Moulton Ranch Cabins and our first day in Yellowstone

Day 3 Photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/574722115Orufck

 
I woke up early again and took a few more photos around Moulton Ranch and Mormon Row. I was so glad I chose this location for our 1st two nights lodging. For anyone planning on visiting the Grand Tetons, I would highly recommend staying at the Moulton Ranch Cabins: http://www.moultonranchcabins.com/

The place is awesome, very well maintained, beautiful landscaped yard, and clean cabins. It's a photographer's paradise! Owners Hal and Iola Blake are excellent hosts and we were sorry to leave, but it was time to move on into Yellowstone National Park.

We took our time driving in and stopping and several roadside views along the way. There is some major road construction on the road leading into the south entrance of the park and we were warned of the possibility of some major delays. Fortunately it was Labor Day and the workers were enjoying a much needed day off. Some unplanned good timing on our part!

One worry about planning the trip for September, is that if it has been a dry summer, many of the waterfalls would be far less impressive than normal. Plus, it is prime season for wildfires. We passed by many acres and acres of charred, dead trees from wildfires that occurred over the years.

Fortunately, the area had adequate rain this summer and our first stop at Moose Falls proved right away that lack of water flow would not be an issue. The brink of Moose Falls is located just past the South Entrance on the East Side of the Road. A small pull-off area leads to a short trail to the base.

Moose Falls

This 30-foot virtually roadside waterfall was much nicer than I was anticipating. However, the sun was shining directly into my lens making it very difficult to get a good photo. I posted one from this morning, but I got some better shots later in the trip on the drive out.

We continued on into the park stopping at several roadside viewpoints including Lewis Falls. Again the bright sun made my photos far less than spectacular.

Lewis Falls

We headed west at the West Thumb Junction towards the Old Faithful Inn. Our final stop before arriving at the Inn was Kepler Cascades, another nice roadside waterfall. Once again the sun was in a horrible position and none of the photos from today's visit were worth posting. I will have some better ones to post from later in our trip.

Even though it was only around 11:00am, we were able to check into our room at the Old Faithful Inn. Room #1 What are the odds of that? About 1 in 340 according to the woman who checked us in.

The Old Faithful Inn is the most popular lodging facility in the park. Even booking months in advance like we did, this was the only night they had a room available. It can set you back over $500/night if you go with one of the premium rooms. We got in for just under $100 by going with a room without a private bath.

Jack and Amy at the Old Faithful Inn

Even without our own bath, I was very glad we were able to spend a night here. Our room was one of the Inn's original rooms dating back to 1904 and was very charming. The community bathroom and shower facility for our wing was shared with 7 other rooms, but was always very clean throughout our stay. We never had to wait to use it, and even if we did there was always the public bathroom for any emergencies that couldn't wait!

Upon check-in, we saw that the next Old Faithful eruption was scheduled to happen in about 30-minutes. So after unloading our stuff and checking out our room, we hit the crowds of people surrounding the world's most famous geyser.

While waiting for old faithful, another Geyser started erupting. Beehive Geyser eruptions are actually a good bit higher than Old Faithful, but much less frequent and predictable. I didn't realize at the time that it was actually a rare treat to see Beehive erupt.

Beehive Geyser

While Beehive was putting on a show, Old Faithful started going off right on schedule. Compared to the Beehive Geyser, good Old Faithful was less than impressive. However, seeing these two geysers erupt simultaneously is something that almost never happens.

Old Faithful and Beehive Geyser Erupting Simultaneously

After the twin Geyser eruptions, we decided to head north and explore the road towards Madison Junction. We took the Firehole Lake Drive past several more Geysers and hot springs.

I would have liked to check out Gibbon Falls, but that section of road was closed for construction, so we only got as far as Madison Junction. On the way back, we took the Firehole Canyon drive to check out Firehole Falls and Firehole Cascades.

Firehole Falls

After walking through a few more Geyser Basin we decided to head back to the Inn for an early dinner.

The Old Faithful Inn can also be the most expensive place to eat in the park. Dinner for two, with a few drinks could easily cost $100. Fortunately there are other dining options for people like us who prefer more casual dining, and we enjoyed a good meal for under $20.

The Old Faithful Inn Dining Hall

My idea for a Yellowstone Vacation was to try to get as much hiking in as possible. Amy's idea for any vacation is to relax and read as many books as possible. So we started our trend throughout the week of eating early dinners. Afterwards, I would plan a solo hike, while Amy would hang out wherever we were staying for some reading and relaxation.

My solo hike for today would be Mystic Falls. While Amy could have easily handled the out and back hike to Mystic Falls, I decided to do the more challenging loop hike. The 4.0 mile loop hike gains about 1,000 feet of elevation offering up some nice views of the Geyser Basins and rivers down below.

Mystic Falls

Mystic Falls also proved to be very impressive, and the early evening light offered up some good photo opportunities. I would definitely recommend this one!

After my hike, I met back up with Amy and we explored around the Inn, checking out the many interpretive signs and displays showing the history of this famous Inn. I also saw that it was just about time for another Old Faithful eruption, so I decided to check that out from a different viewpoint than earlier.

Old Faithful

This seemed to be a much higher eruption than earlier, but after I took my first shot, the charge battery message came up on my camera. By the time I got the battery changed, Old Faithful was just about done for the next 90-minutes.

Later that evening, after the stars were out, Amy and I took a night time stroll through the Geyser Field and enjoyed a night time performance of Old Faithful. I also got some nice night time shots of the Inn and the rising moon before heading back to our room and calling it a night.

Night Time Eruption of Old Faithful

The Old Faithful Inn Under the Stars

Additional Photos from Day 3 of our vacation are located here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/574722115Orufck

Jack and Amy's Yellowstone and Grand Teton Vacation - Day 2

Jack & Amy’s 2009 Vacation to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

Day 2 - Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Grand Teton National Park

Day 2 Photos:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/574696015ZJlAWu

Moulton Ranch Cabins and the Moulton Barn

I woke up just before sunrise, left Amy to sleep a little longer, grabbed my camera and tri-pod, and went outside. It was a bit chilly; probably around 35 degrees outside, but that didn’t stop me from taking in the awesome views from Moulton Ranch.

The backyard of the Moulton Ranch Cabins

I decided to walk down the road a little ways and was surprised to see about 10 vehicles parked along the road, and a group of people all geared up with cameras a tri-pods.

Little did I know that just down the road (Mormon Row) from where we were staying is one of the most photographed spots in the Grand Tetons; The Moulton Barn. Every morning photographers drive many miles and converge upon this spot. I just had to walk down the road a few hundred yards.

The Moulton Barn

Not only do the spectacular Grand Tetons make a great photo all on their own, by adding a rustic old barn to the foreground makes for some spectacular photo opportunities. Now all I need are some Buffalo to roam through.

There were some Buffalo hanging out a little further down at the end of Mormon Row, and by the time I walked back to the cabins a whole herd of them was grazing just outside the backyard fence. I decided that this was something Amy would have to see for herself, so I went and woke her up.

After playing with the Buffalos and fixing up some breakfast in our cabin’s kitchen, we hit the road towards Jenny Lake at the base of the Grand Tetons.



Jenny Lake Boat Ride - Hidden Falls - Inspiration Point - Cascade Canyon


Jenny Lake is at about 6,780 feet above sea level. The Grand Tetons rise 7,000 feet above the lake peaking out at 13,770 feet above sea level. Nothing like anything you will ever see in the Eastern USA.

The Grand Tetons rising above Jenny Lake

The hike to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon was one of the ones on my must do list, and it sounded like one that Amy could handle.

We decided to skip the first 2-miles and take the boat ride across the lake. My thought was on the way out we would hike back and see the first 2-miles of trail we missed by taking the boat across.

The boat ride was much quicker than I expected. It only took about 5 minutes to get across to the boat dock at the Cascade Canyon Trailhead.

From the dock, its about a half mile uphill hike to Hidden Falls. I regretted taking the boat across, because we had a whole boatload of people on the trail all arriving at the falls at practically the same time. It’s a nice waterfall, but I didn’t really get to enjoy it because of the crowd of people.

Jack and Amy at Hidden Falls

As we continued on to Inspiration Point, the crowds thinned out and I was able to better enjoy the experience of hiking up some of the most incredible mountains anywhere.

Jack and Amy on the Trail to Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point is about 500-feet above the lake offering up some nice views. We continued up through Cascade Canyon for about another 2-3 miles. Amy decided to take a break and read her book at a nice scenic spot, while I continued on solo for about another mile before returning back to Amy.

Jack and Amy at Inspiration Point

If I ever make it back to the Grand Tetons, I would plan a nice long loop hike incorporating the entire Cascade Canyon Trail.

Along the Cascade Canyon Trail

We took an alternate trail back down to the boat dock. Amy was wearing out and we probably should have just taken the boat back across, but I figure the trail around the lake would be flat and easy.

Turns out there were a lot more ups and downs than I was expecting and Amy’s legs were hurting. Then a cold rain started falling. By the time we got back to the parking area, Amy was done with hiking for the day.

So we drove around the Grand Teton National Park checking out things like the Colter Bay Marina and Indian Museum, the Jackson Lake Dam, the Cunningham Cabin, and just about every roadside view that we passed.

The Snake River and the Grand Tetons

We drove into Downtown Jackson, WY for dinner at the Snake River Brewery http://www.snakeriverbrewing.com/

Amy under one of the Anteler Arches in downtown Jackson, WY

The Snake River Brewery turned out to be just the type of restaurant that Amy and I enjoy. Nice reasonably priced casual dining with fresh onsite brewed beer!

They proved that you can make good BBQ outside the Carolinas as the Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich was excellent! The pizza was a little disappointing, however even a sub-par pizza tastes good to me and there were no leftovers left on our plates! The two different types of beer I sampled were both outstanding.

After dinner we explored around downtown Jackson, WY, hit the grocery store again, topped off the tank of the rental car (about $0.40/gallon cheaper than inside the parks), and returned to our cabins for the rest of the evening.

Sunset over the Grand Tetons

Jack and Amy at Moulton Ranch

I took a few more photos around the Moulton Ranch Cabins including a few more attempts at night time photography before calling it a night!

Starry Sky over the Grand Tetons

Additional Photos from Day 2 of our vacation are located here:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/574696015ZJlAWu

Jack and Amy's Yellowstone Vacation - Introduction and Day 1

Jack and Amy’s 2009 Vacation to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons
Saturday, September 5th, 2009 through Monday, September 14th, 2009

Introduction


Amy and I got married about a year and a half ago. At that time we decided not to take a honeymoon right away, but instead plan a big vacation sometime later. This way we could focus our planning efforts on the wedding and not rush off and miss spending time with family and friends. Plus Amy had recently started a new job and didn’t have the vacation days to take a honeymoon at that time.

Earlier this year we finally started planning our belated honeymoon. We had lots of ideas for vacation destinations, but we finally decided on Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. Amy has never been out west, and I was 5 years old the only time I visited Yellowstone.

We decided that September would be the perfect time of year. It is much less crowded than the peak months of July and August, all the kids are back in school, but it would still be early enough in the season that you don’t have to worry about snow and frigid temperatures.

Rather than driving in and out of Yellowstone each day, we wanted to actually stay in the park. This requires reserving your lodging months in advance. So by February we booked our flights, and had all our lodging reserved. Our basic itinerary will be as follows.


Saturday, September 5th, 2009
United Flights from Greer, SC to Chicago to Jackson Hole, WY

Saturday & Sunday Nights
Moulton Ranch Cabins - Grand Teton National Park
http://www.moultonranchcabins.com/

Monday Night
Old Faithful Inn - Yellowstone National Park

Tuesday Night
Lake Lodge Cabins - Yellowstone National Park

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Nights
Canyon Village Cabins - Yellowstone National Park

Saturday Night
Lake Lodge Cabins - Yellowstone National Park

Sunday Night
Flat Creek Inn - Jackson, WY

Monday, September 14th, 2009
United Flights from Jackson Hole, WY to Chicago to Greer, SC


I ended up taking over 2,000 photos on this trip. Instead of trying to go through them all at one time, I am going to be posting them and writing the trip reports by day, starting here with Day 1.





Day 1 - Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Chicago Airport, our arrival to Jackson Hole, WY, and the Moulton Ranch Cabins


Our flight from Greer, SC to Chicago was pretty rough! It wasn’t too bad until we go within view of downtown Chicago and ended up flying around in circles in some sort of holding pattern for about an hour. The constant turning was making Amy, who is not use to flying a little queasy. I got a little worried when I saw her grab the barf bag from the seat pocket in front of her.

Fortunately we finally were cleared for landing and on solid ground in Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Amy didn’t end up needing the barf bag, but she did need to sit down for a little while before we moved on through the Airport.

Due to the delayed landing, or 4.5 hour layover was reduced to 4 hours. If you are going to be stuck in some airport for several hours, Chicago is not a bad place to be. There are a wide variety of restaurants and bars to hang out in, including at least 15 different Starbucks locations throughout the airport.

Amy spent the time reading, while I went wandering around the airport taking pictures of things. We also enjoyed a nice meal at one of the airport restaurants. I resisted ordering any $7.00 beers making the meal fairly reasonably priced.

The Underground Tunnel at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

The flight from Chicago to Jackson Hole, WY went much smoother and we even landed about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. I think Amy wanted to give the pilot a big hug for taking us on such a smooth ride! Even our checked luggage made it without any issues.


The Jackson Hole Airport is right at the base of the Grand Tetons and has the best views of any airport I have ever been too. I couldn’t resist pulling out the camera as we walked off the plane and started snapping shots before we even got inside the terminal.

Amy pointing out the plane we flew in on

We picked up the rental car and were on our way to the Moulton Ranch Cabins. Once we turned off the main road, we soon hit a minor delay. A large herd of Buffalo was crossing the road. What an awesome place!



The Moulton Ranch Cabins
http://www.moultonranchcabins.com/

I chose this place because it was about as close to the airport as you can get. Even though it is located inside the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park, it is actually privately owed and operated by Hal and Iola Blake. The property has been in the family for generations and I believe that as long as it is kept within the family, the grandfathering rule of property ownership will apply.

What a beautiful spot in along Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park with one of the most awesome views of the Grand Tetons. With (5) rental units, it’s kind of like a Bed & Breakfast except that they don’t serve breakfast.

The Moulton Ranch Cabins

Our space was actually (3) small separate cabins connected by a deck. One contained basically just a queen size bed; another contained a small kitchen, sitting area, and a small bed which we used to store our stuff. The 3rd contained the private bathroom.

One mistake I made planning this trip was that I didn’t check the Virginia Tech Football Schedule. My Hokies were playing Alabama as we arrived at the Cabins and checked in. When we arrived at the door, Hal was watching a college football game. I asked about the Virginia Tech score and found the Hokies up 17-16 in the 3rd Quarter.

I was hoping he would invite me in the main house to watch the rest of the game since I knew our cabin didn’t have a TV. Turns out I’m glad he didn’t, because watching my Hokies fall apart in the 4th quarter would not have been an enjoyable way to start our Vacation!

Instead we decided to take a drive into Jackson, WY about 20-minutes away, to the closest grocery store. We wanted to stock up on food and beverages at a reasonably priced grocery store to avoid paying much higher prices inside the National Parks. I would much rather pay $4.99 for a case of bottled water than $3.00 per bottle!

We saw more Buffalo on the drive back and what I am pretty sure was a Coyote. An awesome full moon was lighting up the sky and the stars were spectacular! With virtually no haze or light pollution, you would be hard pressed to find a better place to view the night sky!

When we got back to the cabin, I got my camera and tri-pod out to attempt some night time photography of the starry sky over the Grand Tetons. Using a slow shutter speed, the full moon gave off just enough light to illuminate the mountains and some of the shots turned out pretty good.

Starry Sky over the Grand Tetons

Additional Photos from Day 1 of our vacation are located here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/574667307YIyUeM

Another Awesome Jocassee Adventure

Lake Jocassee Sailing, Camping, and Waterfall Wandering Weekend

Oconee County, SC  Pickens County, SC  and Transylvania County, NC

Friday August 28th and Saturday August 29th, 2009

With Captain Johnny and Andy

Another Awesome Jocassee Adventure

For several months, Johnny, Andy, and I have been talking about getting together for a weekend on Lake Jocassee. I have been wanting to visit Sky Falls on Rock Creek which requires bushwhacking about a mile up the creek from Lake Jocassee.

While you can access this point via a long hike on the Foothills Trail, a much easier way is by boat. Also, by camping out we could get there much earlier in the morning during prime light. So that would be our plan for Saturday Morning.

We all agreed to try and get out of work a little early on Friday so we can launch the boat early enough to see some sites around the lake before setting up camp. Andy and I met Johnny at his house at 3:00pm and hit the road towards Devils Fork State Park at Lake Jocassee.

I have hiked with both Johnny and Andy many times before. However, never together. I was surprised when I realized that this was the first time they had actually met in person.

The weather forecast called for a 80% chance of rain, and being that I was planning on setting up a tent would surely bring those rain chances to 100%. However, some of the most incredible lake scenes happen just before or after rain showers. We were not about to cancel the trip due to a weather forecast!

On Hwy 11 just north of Cleveland, SC we passed by Wildcat Falls and saw there was barely a trickle of flow. The area definitely needs some rain, but hopefully it will somehow miss us this weekend.


Somewhere on Hwy 11 near Table Rock the sky opened up with one of the heaviest rain showers I have ever seen. It sure will be fun trying to launch the boat in this, I thought. It probably rained close to 2-inches in about a half hour, but fortunately it had completely passed by the time we reached Devils Fork State Park.


We launched the boat and had several hours of daylight to explore around the lake.

Wright Creek - Right Time


The first stop was Wright Creek Falls. When the Lake is full, Wright Creek Falls right into Lake Jocassee. After another dry summer the lake is currently at about 15-feet below full pool, which reveals a nice Sandy Beach at the base of Wright Creek Falls. Perfect to set up the tri-pods and get some nice photos of this really cool waterfall.

There is short scramble path on the left side of the waterfall that leads to an upper drop. There are no roads or trails that I am aware of anywhere near this waterfall, so the only way to reach it is via Boat.

Other than a little mud coloring to the water from the earlier rain shower, we were definitely at the Wright Creek at the right time!

Moondance via Moondance


Next, we took the boat up the Whitewater River fork of the lake and docked where the river enters the lake. A few hundred yards upstream is the very impressive Moondance Falls.

Several years ago Johnny took Waterfall Rich to this spot. Rich asked Johnny what the name of the waterfall was, and Johnny said it didn't have one. Rich decided to name it after Johnny's boat "Moondance", and posted some photos of "Moondance Falls" to his http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/ website.


Rich's site is by far the most valuable online resource for Carolina Waterfalls, and since he posted photos of Moondance Falls, several other sources have picked up on the Moondance Falls name for this very impressive waterfall.


Hopefully Johnny's legacy will live on and future maps and publications will all pick up on the Moondance Falls name and the story about how it came about.

It's a tough little scramble to get to from the lake, especially with the rocks all wet and slick from the earlier rain shower. However, it is still much easier than trying to access it from upstream! As far as I am concerned, via boat is the only way to safely visit Moondance Falls making it a very appropriate name!

Moonshine on Moondance


Darkness was approaching and we were on the complete opposite end of the lake from where we planned on camping. If you are looking to move around the lake at high speed, Johnny's boat is not the way to go. We were about 2 hours from where we planned on setting up camp.

We enjoyed a awesome display of the evening twilight sky over the lake and surrounding mountains . After that faded, we put the cameras away for the night and pulled some other stuff from my cooler in the cabin of the boat. That Crystal Clear elixir of the Gods!

A very enjoyable few hours passed before we docked the boat for the evening in complete darkness at a muddy beach at the mouth of Rock Creek. We toted our tents, sleeping bags a few hundred yards up the Foothills Trail and set up camp with only a mostly cloud covered moon and some flashlights to break the darkness.


After Andy and I set up our tents, Johnny hung around for a little while to enjoy a few more swigs of the Crystal Clear Elixir of the Gods before returning to the cabin of his boat for the evening. Andy and I were planning an early start the next morning, so we retired to our tents as well.


It was perfect sleeping weather. With the cascading creek beside the tents and a good dose of shine in my blood, I slept like a rock!




The Sky is the limit


Andy and I got up shortly before 7:00am grabbed our packs and camera gear and started our bushwhack up Rock Creek. Johnny decided to pass, as he had visited Sky Falls just a few weeks ago.


While Andy and I bushwhacked to Sky Falls, Johnny would take his Kayak on the lake and explore up the Toxaway Fork of Lake Jocassee. This part of the Lake is too shallow and Rocky to bring the sailboat, so the Kayak would be the perfect vessel.


The bushwhack up Rock Creek was much easier than I was anticipating. Some parts were made even easier by just trekking through the creek in ankle to knee deep water, so I wouldn't recommend it in cold weather.


Rock Creek plunges over a cliff and falls close to 150-feet in a series of drops to form the very spectacular Sky Falls.

We did not pass any No Trespassing signs, but I am pretty sure the waterfall is on Private Property. There is a small shack of a cabin on the left bank overlooking the waterfall, but fortunately there was no sign of life there during our visit.

Since our boots were already wet, getting in the creek was not a problem and gave us the option of virtually unlimited composition angles. We spent close to an hour photographing the falls before deciding to move on.

There is at least one more substantial drop upstream called Indian Ford Falls. However neither of us knew much about it our did any research as to how to get there. Looking at Sky Falls, we decided there was no way to safely advance upstream on either side.

We knew that Waterfall Rich had visited Indian Ford Falls several years ago and he got there by descending down from somewhere in the Round Mountain Community.


We backtracked downstream a little and connected to the path leading away from the earlier mentioned cabin. We assumed this would take us into the Round Mountain Community.


This might have been the steepest path I have ever been on. I can't imagine anyone taking a passenger vehicle up or down it. I can only assume that the cabin's owner's park near the top and take an ATV down to their cabin.

That was a grunt of a climb, but we made it to the top and saw several other homes along with an impressive view of Lake Jocassee far down below. As long as we didn't come across any No Trespassing signs, we would continue on.



We took several paths back towards the creek which all fizzled out in the incredibly steep terrain. The most promising one was at the end of OL'Looney Coon Road. A long rope lead down a scramble path. I figured that must lead to somewhere.

It led to Hell! Andy quickly gave up. I continued on a little farther before deciding this was not a good idea. Last thing I wanted to do was to injure myself a week before our Yellowstone Vacation! So I turned back as well.


After some after hike research on Google Earth, I believe if I continued on, I would have ended up at the cliffs just above Sky Falls or right along the side of it. Definitely not a safe place to explore alone. I think that Indian Ford Falls is located a good bit further upstream.


Hopefully we can get some inside information from Waterfall Rich as to the best place to access and return again to find Indian Fork Falls. At least for now we know we can get to the Round Mountain Community without passing any "No Trespassing" signs and without having to drive into the development and violate any of the "No Parking" signs. The few people we saw inside the development just gave us a friendly wave and didn't appear to mind us being there.


Rather than heading back the way we came, we took a little side trail which Andy was pretty sure would connect to the Foothills Trail and back to our campsite. Andy led the way taking care of the spider webs. However, he really needs to do a better job of getting the high ones!


Andy was right, we soon entered Gorges State Park and connected with the Foothills trail. Close to our campsite, Andy spotted a bear in the creek.




Moondance sets sail

Actually, it wasn't a bear, it was Johnny exploring the creek. We packed up our tents and camping gear and with Johnny's help, toted it all back to the boat in one trip, and hit the lake.


Once we got into the more open section of the lake, we docked the boat, cleaned it up a bit, and went for a little swim in the lake to clean off the weekend's grime and sweat. Johnny set the sails and the remainder of our journey would be via wind power.

There wasn't a whole lot of wind, but just enough breeze to fill the sails and fill the rest of the afternoon with a peaceful sail on Lake Jocassee.

It was a great weekend, and we squeezed a lot into our little overnight adventure. It was nice to get back on Saturday and know I had all day Sunday to go through the photos, write the trip report, and get ready for my last week of work before Yellowstone!

Thanks Johnny for another awesome Jocassee adventure!

Additional Photos are posted here:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/574391977BFIODx