Waterfall 100 Challenge Finale: Nellie's Falls & Cody Falls

Waterfall 100 Challenge Finale: Nellie’s Falls & Cody Falls – 7/26/23 – 6.2 Miles

Surprise – sometimes hiking challenge lists change!  Carolina Mountain Club’s Waterfall Challenge (WC100) updated during the decade(s) that I’ve been chipping away at it. A couple of hikes I’d done were removed from the list and a couple of new ones were added. In the category of “never say never” I found myself returning down remote western North Carolina forest roads that I’ve traveled before, looking for the last two waterfalls to make 100.

Nellie’s Falls – 1.7 miles roundtrip

Nellie’s Falls wasn’t on the list when my hiking buddy Jeff and I hiked past the turnoff for it when we explored Flat Creek Falls back in February 2020, but he’d given me a GAIA track for it so I had something easy to follow. Before I left home, I refreshed my memory about our adventure. (You can read all about it here.)

Driving on NC 281 north of Lake Toxaway (which I personally pronounce “Lake Alongway”), I turned onto gravel Rock Bridge Road, then a long forest road, heading deep into the backcountry of Nantahala National Forest known as Panthertown Valley. I parked at a remote parking area and campsite beside Flat Creek. Unlike our February exploration featuring ice and traces of snow on the road, today was warm, 70’s. (I love July in the mountains).

As I shouldered my daypack, a big ol’ SUV drove up and a man stepped out wearing full camo. We chatted as he gathered up his tackle box and fishing poles. “Looks like we picked a great day.” Super nice guy.

My first trick was crossing Flat Creek. When Jeff and I were here, I had to wade barefoot through the frigid flow, but today the water was low enough to rock hop. 

Not recommended

Today's unmaintained route started on an old logging road, mostly flat tread through
 deeply shaded mountain laurel tunnels

A few minor obstacles, easy to get around

A grandaddy tree had fallen across the creek at a short, broad cascade. Unless it just happened this morning, I knew there would be a workaround. I hunted around for a trail on the far side and, sure enough, someone had chopped their way through.

The trail continued to the base of Nellie’s Falls, a multi-tiered cascade flowing into a small pool, dazzling in the morning sun. I just love these precious gems in the backcountry and knowing that they are flowing night and day, not caring in the least whether anyone sees them or not. 

Someone flagged a route leading to the top of the falls, out of sight. I followed it for a few minutes but lost interest when it appeared to go on a while. I hadn’t planned to pursue that route and I was alone… so I turned around and backtracked out to my car. I was one happy hiker, met a nice person, completed my goal, and had a fun drive out on the now-familiar gravel roads. 

Cody Falls - 4.5 miles roundtrip

My last waterfall challenge was in Pisgah National Forest, off of Highway 215 near the little community of Balsam Grove. I was happy to see that Courthouse Creek Road was open (closed for several years). New gravel had been put down, but there were some bumpy stretches and one particular washout with flagging tape for a very skinny passageway.

Surprisingly, the road was gated about .6 miles before the main trailhead. There was a much bigger parking area here and the road beyond the gate was in very good shape. Speculating about the changes: improving the road but limiting access to forest service and rescue vehicles makes sense for this popular area. The gate added 1.2 miles roundtrip to my hike today. I was glad I hadn’t spent time going to the top of Nellie’s Falls.

I've been here before, hiking to Courthouse Falls in August 2018 as part of the WC 100 challenge. Contrary to information I had at that time, Summey Cove Trail is alive and open (depends on who you ask?) so my plan today included hiking it out-and-back as I visited Cody Falls. 

And since it’s right there, I stopped at Courthouse Falls, still looking awesome
pouring into its deep, clear pool

Like Nellie’s Falls, there is no official trail to Cody Falls, but after reading a couple of blog descriptions of how to find it, I thought it would be a quick scramble spur trail off of Summey Cove Trail near Courthouse Falls. Maybe I was too literal (which tree? which big rock?) After searching with no luck, I decided to get on with hiking Summey Cove Trail. 

A wonky bridge

Wire cable, a remnant from logging days

Remember to stop and enjoy the rhododendrons

Did I mention that Summey Cove Trail plunges down to Highway 215? And what goes down…must come up. The tread was quite nice, though, and I thought I could just gut out the steep parts, but at the halfway point I turned around. The hour was getting late and I still had not found Cody Falls. Maybe someday I’ll get back to Summey Cove Trail and hike that pesky 1.4 miles out-and-back from 215. 

Here's what happened: I took one last try at the side trail to Courthouse Falls and saw what I had missed earlier: a side trail off of the side trail, not Summey Cove Trail at all (smacks forehead). Maybe this was it? And it was.

It took all my brain power to work out that although they are close together, Cody Falls is not on the same creek as Courthouse Falls. Cody Creek is along Mill Station Creek, which flows into Courthouse Creek.

You’re welcome.

The trail was very steep but easy to follow down to Mill Station Creek, not as hard as some crazy ropes-and-cables things Jim and I have done. At the water’s edge I walked upstream for a few yards, around a curve, and there was Cody Falls. I got my feet wet crossing the creek to get an unobstructed view, but it was near day’s end and I was thrilled to have solved the puzzle.

Cody Falls

This beauty looks like a slinky white wedding dress as it slides into a deep pool. The rock wall has been smoothed by the water, appearing like slickrock canyon walls in the deserts of the American Southwest. Alone once again, I soaked in the green moss, the water, spray, the leaves rustling in the breeze, the power of nature.

I thought about my dad and the 15th anniversary of his death coming up in a couple of days. Did he ever hike to a waterfall in his life? I never asked. Part of the reason I write about these hikes is for my children and grandchildren to know about my adventures, big and small, and my love of the outdoors.

Feeling elated, I hiked back to my car (don’t forget the extra .6 miles) and drove down the bumpy gravel road to civilization at the junction of Hwy 215 & Hwy 64. By civilization, I mean the Forks Of The River Taproom at Headwaters Outfitters. I sat on the porch with a Bold Rock blackberry cider and French fries to celebrate finishing the Waterfall 100 challenge. What’s next?

“I don't want to get to the end of my life and
 find that I lived just the length of it.  I want to have lived the width of it as well.” 

~Diane Ackerman

Waterfall 100 Challenge: Panthertown Waterfalls - Riding Ford Falls/Jawbone Falls/Greenland Creek Falls

Panthertown Waterfalls – Jawbone Falls/Riding Ford Falls/Greenland Creek Falls
Lake Toxaway Weekend – 2/28/21 – 6.2 Miles

[Note: Directions to trailheads for all the waterfalls we visited today are from Kevin Adams’ book North Carolina Waterfalls, Third Edition.]

Jim and I slept hard after our epic Saturday. I convinced him to go for three – only three! – more waterfalls before we headed back home on Sunday.

As the crow flies, today’s hike was just a mountain ridge away from yesterday’s, specifically the ridge between Cold Mountain and Shelton Pisgah Mountain.  The area is called Panthertown Valley and it is legendary for its rugged maze of trails and old logging roads, towering rock walls, backcountry camping and, of course, waterfalls. The secret has long been out of the bag and you won’t be alone in Panthertown, but it still has a mysterious, remote vibe.

There are numerous websites and blogs about Panthertown so I won’t list any here. Some worthwhile posts are dated a while back, so also look for the most recent info. Lots of people recommend the map “A Guide’s Guide to Panthertown” by Burt Kornegay, including me.

And if you’re going, make sure which trailhead parking area is best for your hikes: Cold Mountain (east) or Salt Rock Gap (west). Jim and I parked at the Cold Mountain Gap access for our hikes today. It’s an easy drive from the junction of US 64 and NC 281 at Lake Toxaway.

First up, Riding Ford Falls and Jawbone Falls: A steep, worn-out track descends from the parking area to turn right on a wide old roadbed (Panthertown Valley Trail). At the intersection with Devil’s Elbow Trail, we turned right again and passed under a power line cut that is ugly but memorable as a good landmark.

About half a mile past the cut, we turned left onto Riding Ford Trail and walked to the edge of the Tuckaseegee River at Riding Ford Falls. The trail continues across the slide (outside of the photo’s left frame) as horses and cars would have done back in the day. Not a dramatic waterfall, but mesmerizing to stand at the edge and imagine that crossing as an ordinary part of life.

Jim and I stayed on the same side of the river, turning left into the woods where a magical path appeared leading through a wooded campsite. A few hundred feet further upstream along the creek bank, we reached the edge of a very large pool with Jawbone Falls pouring into it on the far side. (Read this great article about how this and other places get named.)

The beach and campsite area is huge with room for multiple groups, and whoever was there last
 had cleaned up very well.

If you need a walking stick…

We backtracked to the parking area, about 4.2 miles total for this leg of our hike. Next up: Greenland Creek Falls (Holly Falls).

As the article referencing Jawbone Falls says, natural features can have multiple names, referring to something that happened there or a person who “found it first". In this case, a local landowner figured this waterfall didn’t have a name so he named it after his daughter. Mostly it is known for the creek on which it is located.

From the opposite end of the parking area, we picked up Macs Gap Trail for half a mile until it merged with Greenland Creek Trail. The two continued concurrently for a short distance, when Macs Gap Trail turned right and crossed Greenland Creek. Our trail stayed straight and shrunk down to a skinny path through rhododendrons, and the footing deteriorated to slippery roots in a muddy bog. Having fun yet?

The trail became rocky as we neared the falls, and the rocks grew bigger at each bend – an exciting buildup to the waterfall. What a beauty! (I’m sure Holly was a beauty, too!)

Greenland Creek Falls

We backtracked to the parking area again – 2 miles round trip - and made the long drive home. We were so fortunate to tag 12 waterfalls this weekend, no mistakes, no injuries. Let’s do it again!

Except we always forget about the painful re-entry back to our lives in the concrete jungle – an hour-long standstill on I-85.

“I can see my rainbow calling me
 through the misty breeze of my waterfall."
 ~Jimi Hendrix

Panthertown Valley In A Different Season

Panthertown II with Leida – 1/7/12 – 9 Miles?

It took an entire week into 2012 before I could get to a trailhead, but it was worth the wait.  My good friend Leida is ready for new areas to explore and I had just the place for her…after all, after one visit I am an expert on Panthertown Valley.

The weather forecast was sketchy, always a good sign, and although it was chilly the rain held off for most of the day.  The web of trails in Panthertown is complicated, so rather than give you the turn-by-turn route and trail names, let’s just look at some pictures.

Got to get across here to see Schoolhouse Falls.  Gee, it looks cold.

Leida crossing the icy log because Sharon said, “Oh, it’s fine.”

Schoolhouse Falls, a different season

This icy puddle looks like a topo map, doesn’t it?

The small trail to Warden Falls that we used last time was covered with thick ice, so we looked for an alternate scramble.  I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.  

Apparently Leida will follow me just about anywhere

Chillin’ Warden Falls – a lot more water (and ice) than in November

What goes down must come back up

The map says to look for a steep, faint, unnamed footpath

Yes, I’m sure this is it

We worked very hard to get up this trail, built up some heat and had to strip down to shirt sleeves.  Leida says, don't make me!

Maybe?

Let’s go!

At the top of Little Green Mountain, the view across the valley to Goldspring Ridge (different viewpoint than November)

Log lichen looks like… butterflies

While crossing a pretty creek on the way out, we spotted these incredible icicles

And that’s the story of Leida and Sharon going to Panthertown.  A little rain in the last mile did not dampen our fun.  Y’all come back now, y’hear?

You need special shoes for hiking - and a bit of a special soul as well.  ~Terri Guillemets

Tracking Panthertown

Panthertown Trails – 11/3/11 - 10 Miles (+/-)

Appearing on the Bergs hike calendar:  “Sharon and Mike are going to hike Panthertown on a Thursday.” 

I asked Mike to show me around Panthertown, a mysterious place in western NC where I’d heard it’s easy to get lost.  Mike is retired and flexible and I wanted to sneak away on a weekday since there wasn’t much work (i.e. no work) on my calendar.  Mike published the intriguing note and there were other folks willing to play hooky.  So here we go to Panthertown.

(Background:  Legend has it that the main valley of the area was so wild that it was called a “town of painters”, an old-time word for panthers.  The U.S. Forest Service began acquiring the land 20+ years ago.  From the Friends of Panthertown website:  “Panthertown Valley, referred to as the Yosemite of the East, lies on the eastern continental divide in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. With more than 25 miles of designated trails in this 6,300-acre backcountry area in the Nantahala National Forest, visitors can enjoy deep gorges and broad valleys, mountain bogs and granitic rock domes, tranquil creeks and plunging waterfalls while hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding.”)

Our merry band of four (Carolyn, Susan, a new hiker friend named Dave, and I) met Mike at the Lake Toxaway Volunteer Fire Department and he led us to the Cold Mountain Gap trailhead (different Cold Mountain than the book, y’all.)  My goal for the day was to ramble around with Bruce Kornegay’s map and see just how easy (or hard) it was it “stay found”.  Perhaps I put too much trust in maps and any day now I’m going to brush up on my compass skills.  That’s why Mike is so valuable, as he is an unparalleled navigator with map, compass and GPS.  And did I mention charming?

Also, Mike promised lots of waterfalls. 

After five minutes of walking on the Panthertown Valley Trail Mike led us onto an unmarked side trail. I pulled out my map and saw that this trail was designated as a “footpath”, i.e. no name.  Sigh...is this going to be a long day?   

We found Schoolhouse Falls down a side trail that had many side trails of its own

Somehow we got back onto Panthertown Valley Trail and turned onto Power Line Road Trail (the land was owned by Duke Energy before selling it to the NC Nature Conservancy, who then transferred it to the Forest Service.)  It’s an old road, rather bland, but soon we found the unnamed footpath we were looking for to take us to Warden’s Falls.  This footpath also had several branches off of it, but guided by Mike’s memory and the sound of water we found our way to a break in the rhododendron and the midpoint of the waterfall.  We were able to step out a few feet onto a rock ledge for a look, but there had to be a better vantage point closer to the bottom.  Perhaps one of those spurs off the main path? 

Scrambling back up, we turned to the right and scrambled back down another faint trail, and this time we hit it right.  A stunning waterfall!

Warden’s Falls

We had gone no more than a quarter mile off of Power Line Road Trail, but it may as well be five miles if you don’t know your way back.  I paid particular attention on the way to and from because I wanted to return here in the near future.

Next we backtracked a very short distance and turned to go west on North Road Trail, which parallels both Power Line Road Trail and Panthertown Valley Trail.  This was also a bland trail but it got us from Point A to Point B.  Some interesting plants along the way.

With our confidence established in the map, we took a slight shortcut on a footpath and worked our way over to Deep Gap Trail (or is it Mac's Gap?) and found Granny Burrell Falls.  Not as exciting as the first two falls, but I’ll bet it’s a very popular swimming hole in warm weather, just a couple of miles from the Saltrock Gap entrance. 

Mike at Granny Burrell Falls

Still working our way westward, we found a very nice shelter for backpackers, the only one in Panther- town.  (There is a big fire ring at the far end.)  Time for a lunch break…but where is my lunch?  Apparently it was still in my fridge at home.  Susan offered me some goodies from her stash, which I very much appreciated.  And I learned my lesson.

After lunch we checked out Frolictown Falls

And Wilderness Falls (low water today but probably very impressive after a good rain)

Turning back eastward, we backtracked past the shelter and hopped onto the Great Wall Trail, a lovely valley walk passing several really nice campsites and the Great Wall of Panthertown, an immense rock wall on Big Green Mountain on our left side extending forever into the sky, a rock climber’s dream.  On our right side was the rock face of Goldspring Ridge.  Not quite Yosemite or even Linville Gorge, but certainly a treasure that is worth protecting. 

After our 1.6-mile stroll through the valley, the trail turned left and climbed steeply up Big Green Mountain, intersecting Big Green Trail (what else?).  After catching our breath we turned left to walk along the ridge to look for some vantage points to see across the valley (aka more unnamed footpaths).

Standing on Big Green Mountain looking across at Goldspring Ridge

The score so far was five waterfalls and we wanted to find two more before calling it a day.  We backtracked down Big Green Trail and turned left onto Mac’s Gap Trail.  By now we were sharp on the lookout for footpaths, but this one puzzled us.  Kornegay’s map has topo lines, good clues, but the first faint path to the right was obviously not correct.  The second one started out but fizzled after about 50 yards.  We traced up and down the main trail looking for worn spots on the right, and finally tried the second footpath again.  Yes, looks like it keeps on going after all.  After a rough patch, the trail reappeared and we quickly descended. 

Never get nonchalant about Mother Nature, though.  The next waterfall, Mac’s Falls, was along the faintest trail yet and the rhododendron were so thick it was difficult to find a vantage point  to photograph it.  About this time the forecasted rain began to fall, and as Mike pressed on through the rhodies the rest of us donned rain gear and turned around.  We made it back to the cars only slightly damp and ready for Mexican food.  

On the long drive home we debated the nation's issues with the economy, education, immigration and politics.  Dave, on his first long car ride with us three women, learned a thing or two.

A great day exploring the intricacies of Panthertown – I can’t wait to go back.  There are ten more waterfalls on the map!

“Water is precious; it is the very source of life and a free gift from the Creator.” ~Desmond M. Tutu