Waterfall 100 Challenge: Steels Creek Falls & Bard Falls

Waterfall 100 Challenge: Steels Creek Falls & Bard Falls
 Pisgah National Forest, Grandfather District – 5.5 miles - 6/2/23

Bard Falls

SOOOO CLOSE…to completing the Carolina Mountain Club Waterfall 100 Challenge! Just two in the Linville Gorge area and two in Pisgah National Forest’s Ranger District and then I will…probably start another hiking challenge. [The CMC Waterfall Challenge list is here, newly revised in February 2024.]

What’s up with these challenge lists? I’m a fan because I learn about places I would likely not find out about on my own. The completion thing motivates me, but true satisfaction comes with every single hike to a beautiful place in nature.

Waterfall hiking in the Linville Gorge Wilderness on a summer day. Jim and I set our sights on Steels Creek Falls first, then we’ll pick up my long-time hiking friend Cathy and head to Bard Falls.

For those of you who like maps, on Highway 181 north of Morganton, NC there’s a forest road (well, there are many forest roads) leading deep into the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. FR 228 is the road to God’s Country, they say. Long, winding and narrow, 4 miles at 5mph took longer than we expected. No cell service so unable to let Cathy know that our time estimate was way off…

Sometimes Jim photobombs his own self

At the end of the road, a trail leads up the creek for a quarter mile to this sweet swimming hole

Looked innocent enough until we saw the crossing above this spot, deep water in between big rocks. Seeing the bottom wasn’t easy, and no chance of rock hopping, so we chose carefully before moving our feet. Of course, we had to return the same way.

On the far side, the side trail soon connects to my old friend the Mountains-To-Sea Trail (MST), where we turned right to follow Steels Creek upstream. [When I hiked this section of the MST in 2011, we passed right by Steels Creek Falls but didn’t take the side trail to see it.]

The rugged trail goes steeply up, then down, then up, then level, then…well, you get the picture. A lot happens in about .6 miles, always within sound and/or sight of the creek, sometimes with one foot IN the creek.

Looking downstream

Red Trillium (aka wakerobin) ready to burst

In wilderness areas, you have to look closely for an unmarked side trail to a waterfall, and it’s often a slippery scramble. This one was typical, with handy ropes set to ease the way (if you trust ropes set by someone else, that is). 

Jim and I agreed not to risk life and limb to walk out on a rock ledge to get up close to the falls. This viewpoint was just fine to see the huge potholes made by the powerful cascading water. 

Steels Creek Falls

My favorite hike blogger’s report of Steels Falls with great photos is here.

Fast forward: drive back up FR 228 at 5mph, pick up Cathy, switch to FR 464 aka Pineola Road (still in Grandfather District of Pisgah NF) to the Harper Creek Falls area. Bard Falls is also on the Mountains-To-Sea Trail and I also passed it by in 2011.

Cathy and I are ready to go!

The shortest route to Bard Falls begins at North Harper Shortcut Trail (266A), a 1.1-mile descent through a fern forest on a well-graded trail that doubles as the MST. 

Turning left at the junction with North Harper Creek Trail (266, still designated as the MST), it’s about .7 miles downstream to Bard Falls. Know before you go: one wide wet crossing of North Harper Creek cannot be avoided. A couple of years ago, Cathy and I attempted to reach Bard Falls with her dog Ellie, but the water was too high and we turned back. Today the creek was calm and ankle deep.

North Harper Creek – Cathy walking on water

Continuing downstream, we followed the creek as it grew bigger and louder, tumbling through boulders. We glimpsed the top of Bard Falls and found the rugged trail down to the base – no ropes this time, but slippery rock ledges similar to those at Steels Falls. A couple of broad pools below the falls are inviting to wade, but we were not tempted to walk upstream into the flow of the waterfall. 

Bard Falls – check out the heart-shaped pothole on the left

Pool below Bard Falls

My favorite hike blogger’s report of Bard Falls with great photos is here.

The Harper Creek area is fairly easy to get around with intersecting trails to create loop routes, and lots of creek crossings and waterfalls to enjoy. Remember, safety in numbers when hiking around water features. Be ready to get your feet wet (and more)!

And don’t forget to wet your whistle in Morganton at Sidetracked Brewery!

"A river cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence."
 ~Jim Watkins

Palmetto Trail: Enoree Passage Section 3

Palmetto Trail: Enoree Passage, Section 3, MP 27 to MP 37 – 10.2 miles – 5/13/23

My Centennial Trail thru-hike in South Dakota is coming up fast and I’ve been training with my new Gossamer Gear backpack. Time to load it up for a 10-miler. My friend Mike invited me to scout hike a section of the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina, new miles for me. His friend Lynda, who’s training for her third Camino in Spain, joined us for a beautiful walk in the spring green of South Carolina.

We dropped my car at the entrance gate to Sedalia Campground (closed for some reason?) and followed Mike on a twisty-turny route to remote Forest Road 334, MP 27 of today’s trail section. [Most hikes with Mike begin this way and that’s why I appreciate his skills and willingness to do complicated things.]

Lynda heading into the woods

Mike’s focus along the route was documenting blowdowns and other issues requiring trail maintainer crews, marking GPS coordinates, photos and description of the conditions. [He noted more than a dozen blowdowns that needed major work.]

Slow going, while Lynda and I pushed ahead and then waited in the shade for him to catch up. The air was hot and muggy, South Carolina’s specialty. Nature kept us on our toes today, showing her miracles beneath our feet.

In our first mile we crossed Sispring Branch on a medium size bridge 

A campsite fire ring not far from the road 

Mike pointed out a concrete foundation wall on a small rise, no clues as to its long-ago function. As we turned back to the trail, Lynda nearly stepped on a very large black snake.

My guess is he was longer than 5 feet, with a small head, a chubby body and narrow end. We noted his white underbelly. [My research *Google* says maybe a black rat snake or a black racer.]

Crossing the Enoree River on an impressive high bridge

Enoree River, muddy water from recent rains

The boardwalk on the north side needs some love. Some boards felt “squishy” and some were missing altogether. More notes and photos for the maintainer folks.

From that point, the trail mostly follows Johns Creek, not visible from the trail because of foliage. Saw another black snake before it could surprise us. Is it bigger than the first one?

Turkey tail fungus thrives on dead logs

We crossed the grassy dam on the eastern edge of Macedonia Lake (the first of three lakes on today’s hike) looking for a place to eat lunch. While the view was sweet, the bugs and direct sunshine were not. 

Mike asked what, in addition to shade, were requirements for a nice lunch spot. We decided on ferns and logs to lean or sit on.  Soon a shady bit of open forest covered in pine needles, leaves and ferns appeared, and we spread out so everyone had a personal log. The humidity was still intense, but the break for rest and conversation revitalized us to push on.

Sundrops

Heal-all

Common cinquefoil

At the second lake (Sedalia Lake) we encountered a couple of fishermen. An elderly Black man asked us where we were walking and we explained that the Palmetto Trail goes across the state. He didn’t know about that, he said, but “we used to play in these woods as kids because that’s all there was to do!”

At the third lake (Johns Creek Lake) we saw our new friend again – he had relocated to try a
new fishing spot. Rain clouds began to roll in as we entered the last stretch of our hike.

We reached Old Buncombe Road and cut across a church parking lot and cemetery to Bombing Range Road (where did that name come from?) Just a half-mile further, we reached my car and blessed air conditioning. We retrieved the second car as fat raindrops began to splatter around us.

The shakedown: my Gossamer Gear pack weighed about 20 pounds today, and final pack weight for the Centennial Trail will hopefully be no more than 25-27 pounds. I practiced adjusting straps and belts and I think the pack is going to work well. I also wore my newest pair of Altra Timp 5 trail shoes.

Time to refuel and hydrate. We found the Hillside Restaurant & Bar in Chester, SC – delicious food and Black Widow cider! Another happy ending to another walk in the woods with friends.

“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”
 ~Every Southerner That Ever Lived

“If it gets any hotter, I’ll have to take off stuff
I really ought to keep on.”
 ~See Above