The Beech Creek Loop is a hike that's been on my radar for a couple of years. Weather, timing, seasons and other factors have delayed it but the stars finally aligned. One issue was that it is a long drive. Despite being in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness in North Carolina, the only way to reach the trailhead is by dipping down into North Georgia and driving back up into North Carolina. It is a truly remote area.
However, the roundabout route turned out to be one of the blessings of this adventure. Once in Georgia, twisty-turny country roads wound through the countryside until I reached Tallulah River Road, a dead end 8 mile treat which quickly turns to a narrow dirt road that hugs the banks of the river allowing views of the myriad cascades along the way. Crossing over the river on one of the one lane bridges , I was astonished as a bald eagle gracefully took flight from the river 20 yards away and soared up in to the trees. Just before entering North Carolina, I passed through the booming metropolis of Tate City, Georgia (population 32 +/- according to the sign).
Choosing the right season was also important in scheduling this hike. The Authority on NC waterfalls, Kevin Adams, the best time to visit is early spring for the wildflowers. He was right (of course). As soon as I set foot on the trail, I was surrounded by a carpet of rue anemone, showy orchis, violets, star chickweed, dwarf iris, bellwort, foam flowers and a trillion trillium. I was also greeted by a steep climb as the trail gained over 200 feet in less than a quarter mile. (For those keeping a scorecard at home, total elevation gain was 2500 feet and distance was 10.8 miles)
Descending back down to Beech Creek, the trail crosses over and then follows the creek for the next few miles. Slightly more than a mile in, a side trail takes one up to Bull Cove falls, the first of two major falls on the trail. (There are two other falls shown on my topo that could be found with steep bushwhacks. I haven't seen pictures of them and my ego did not require that I be the first to publish one). This impressive falls could be sighted from the main trail, but to get up close required a scrabble.
After leaving Bull Cove, the trail continues up Beech Creek and crosses back over. The another steady climb of over one and a half miles brought me to the big one: High Falls. A spur trail leads down to Beech Creek and then along the bank for a short distance but you don't see the falls until the last minute as it come down from the right. This is a 100 foot drop with tons of character. Unfortunately, as I approached the falls, I felt a few drops of rain. I took a couple of hand held shots then set up my tripod. That's when it began to pour. I stuck my camera in my dry bag and figured it would be brief. A few minutes later, it let up so I crossed the creek and again carefully set up the tripod on rocks in the creek. The skies opened up again. Acceptance is the key to serenity so I was okay with not having the "perfect" shot and packed up my gear. As I ascended the spur trail, naturally the son burst out.
The couple of write-ups I had read about hiking to these falls had done it as an out and back hike. I assumed the reason was it was much shorter and less elevation gain than doing the loop that I planned. I quickly found that there was likely little traffic past the falls. I continued on through massive blow-downs that required climbing over and ducking under trees. I turned one corner and the sight ahead was so ugly I debated whether to continue. The key to adversity is to take care of what is present right in front of you. The trail for 20 feet looked passable so I proceeded. Moving forward there were challenges but nothing in itself was insurmountable. I have been in that place in my life (as I'm sure many others have) when the path ahead seems hopeless but put one foot in front of the other and you get through it. And eventually, I reached a smooth, easy ridgeline that was filled with sunshine and trout lilies
There is a psychological principle known as the Arrival Fallacy. Essentially, it states that many people figure they will be happy once a certain thing happens or they reach some goal. The truth is that much of what contributes to happiness is working towards the achievement and that goal or event may turn out not to be so happy. Promotions can be nightmares, marriages can end in divorce. The idea is not to postpone joy--to enjoy the moment.
One of the reasons I wanted to do the loop rather than the falls and back was that at the apex of the loop, a spur trail led to the summit of Big Scaly. I am well aware of the Arrival Fallacy and how it correlates to climbing peaks in the Appalachians. Many times I have trudged up mountains hoping to find spectacular views only to find the summit surrounded by dense trees or enshrouded in low clouds that whited out any view past five feet. As it turns out, there were some decent views from Big Scaly and great rocks to enjoy a lunch break. But regardless, I was focused on the moment as I made my way up. As the great philosopher Miley Cyrus sang:
It ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb.
As I returned to the main trail, I ran into the only other hiker I encountered. We discussed trail conditions we each encountered and had similar stories. He said he had meant to hike Standing Indian but looked at his GPS after two miles and realized he missed his turn so he kept going. A man after my own heart. The remainder of the hike was brutal. That side of the loop was steep downed trees were a regular feature. There was also little flowering for a couple of miles. Once, I got down close to Tallulah river I began to again see trillium, foam flowers, mayapples, and Carolina silverbells.
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