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Courthouse Falls
Oct. 13th, 2023 07:22 amNorth Carolina Travelog #30
Balsam Grove, NC - Sat, 23 Sep 2023. 5:30pm
Hiking the Rainbow Falls trail today— and visiting not just Rainbow Falls but also Turtleback Falls and Drift Falls— took most of our energy. Not to mention most of the daylight. Dusk falls early here on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But there was enough of each left for one more waterfall on our list near our homebase in Brevard. Courthouse Falls.
Well, okay, it's not really near Brevard. It's about 20 minutes west on US-64, then about 10 minutes north on 215 toward the Blue Ridge Parkway, then off on a dirt and gravel road for a few miles— which took at least 15 minutes (or seemed like it) because I wasn't driving very fast. Despite having an SUV as our rental car this week it's a two-wheel-drive model shod with street tires. I veered toward the ditch at the side of the road while passing a vehicle coming the opposite direction down the road and felt the tires start to slip.
Near-misadventure aside we got to the trailhead for Courthouse Falls with no real problems. It's a fairly remote location considering the many other trails we've hiked the past few days, but still there were 6 other cars parked there. We parked, laced our boots and shouldered our packs, and headed up the trail.
Compared to many of the other falls we've visited the past few days, Courthouse Falls involved a genuine hike. It wasn't 5 miles roundtrip like our hike at Gorges State Park earlier today, but I was tired from that 5 mile hike, so hiking a mile each way here was about the limit of what I could do. The falls was worth it, though.
Despite it being late in the day, with dusk falling over these deep mountain valleys, Courthouse Falls was crowded when we arrived at the falls. In addition to a group of young people taking turns jumping off the side wall into the pool beneath the falls there were at least two family groups sitting on logs and playing in the shallow water further downstream. We waited out the families, but the group of young adult cliff jumpers did not tire so easily. Oh, to be young again!
They did finally decide enough was enough and towel off to start the hike back up the hill. I snapped a few more pictures, like the one above, after everyone else left.
The hike back to the car was uphill much of the way. I'd benchmarked the distance and elevation on the way in so I could pace myself on the way out. I knew I'd be tired and didn't want to feel wrecked. My pacing worked; I made my way uphill gradually yet steadily. I topped the shoulder of the mountain right when I thought I would then glided down to the end of the gravel road where our car was parked.
In beauty I walk.
Balsam Grove, NC - Sat, 23 Sep 2023. 5:30pm
Hiking the Rainbow Falls trail today— and visiting not just Rainbow Falls but also Turtleback Falls and Drift Falls— took most of our energy. Not to mention most of the daylight. Dusk falls early here on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But there was enough of each left for one more waterfall on our list near our homebase in Brevard. Courthouse Falls.
Well, okay, it's not really near Brevard. It's about 20 minutes west on US-64, then about 10 minutes north on 215 toward the Blue Ridge Parkway, then off on a dirt and gravel road for a few miles— which took at least 15 minutes (or seemed like it) because I wasn't driving very fast. Despite having an SUV as our rental car this week it's a two-wheel-drive model shod with street tires. I veered toward the ditch at the side of the road while passing a vehicle coming the opposite direction down the road and felt the tires start to slip.
Near-misadventure aside we got to the trailhead for Courthouse Falls with no real problems. It's a fairly remote location considering the many other trails we've hiked the past few days, but still there were 6 other cars parked there. We parked, laced our boots and shouldered our packs, and headed up the trail.
Compared to many of the other falls we've visited the past few days, Courthouse Falls involved a genuine hike. It wasn't 5 miles roundtrip like our hike at Gorges State Park earlier today, but I was tired from that 5 mile hike, so hiking a mile each way here was about the limit of what I could do. The falls was worth it, though.
Despite it being late in the day, with dusk falling over these deep mountain valleys, Courthouse Falls was crowded when we arrived at the falls. In addition to a group of young people taking turns jumping off the side wall into the pool beneath the falls there were at least two family groups sitting on logs and playing in the shallow water further downstream. We waited out the families, but the group of young adult cliff jumpers did not tire so easily. Oh, to be young again!
They did finally decide enough was enough and towel off to start the hike back up the hill. I snapped a few more pictures, like the one above, after everyone else left.
The hike back to the car was uphill much of the way. I'd benchmarked the distance and elevation on the way in so I could pace myself on the way out. I knew I'd be tired and didn't want to feel wrecked. My pacing worked; I made my way uphill gradually yet steadily. I topped the shoulder of the mountain right when I thought I would then glided down to the end of the gravel road where our car was parked.
In beauty I walk.
