Catawba Falls (McDowell County, North Carolina)

 

With the hacker-caused and panic-exacerbated gas shortage over the last few days being felt in Asheville, NC even more than most places in the southeast, I spent yesterday taking it easy in and around downtown on foot. Not to mention, my hangover from Friday night's festivities didn't have me all that excited about hiking yesterday. That said though, today is a new day and assuming I can find gas, I'm going to hit a couple of trails before heading home. First on my list is Catawba Falls, a few miles east of Asheville and a famous attraction for more than a century. After find a filling station that actually had some product, I make the drive out to the trailhead. Hopefully, the shortage will keep folks from traveling and I'll have the popular waterfall to myself of only be forced to share it with a few hikers. 

When I arrive, I find a dozen or so cars in the large parking lot - not bad. I quickly make my way up the well-traveled trail towards the waterfall. The trail has a very soft incline to it as it follows the tiny Catawba River up into the mountains. Along the way, I pass by the remains of a few old structures, including the ruins of an old damn and power house that once supplied electricity to the nearby town of Old Fort. It's been abandoned for over seventy years according to the informational sign.

Before long, I reach the main waterfall, which is a towering cascade of smaller plunges. I maneuver myself out onto some rocks to get a better shot. The water is not deep at all here, but with other hiking to do today, I'd prefer not to get my shoes soaking wet. As I make my way out, a middle-aged couple follow in my footsteps and then plop themselves down on a jammed log to relax. I'm not sure what they were thinking as they have effectively trapped me here. I would have preferred they waited the three minutes I needed to get my pictures and return to the river bank, and then come out to the log. As it is, we are forced to play twister on the river stones to pass each other and get me back to the river bank. Thankfully, it works out and no one takes a dip.

The return trip is uneventful and I get back to the parking lot having tracked about 2.5 miles along this short hike. It's very humid here, but that's North Carolina for you. It's a great waterfall and I would recommend the easy hike to anyone that's ever in the general area.