Sitton's Cave - Wild Cave Adventure (Dade County, Georgia)

 

Cloudland Canyon is arguable the nicest state park in Georgia. I've visited a couple of times and really enjoyed the breathtaking scenery offered by the convergence of these two large canyons and the waterfalls and topology created by them. I recently became aware of some wild cave tours offered by the park and jumped at the chance to explore Sitton's Cave. I've visited many caves in my life, but most were 'show' caves, with only a couple of 'wild' caves to my resume. The difference is that a show cave has been domesticated with walkways and other amenities to make it easily accessible to the public, while a wild cave has been left in its natural state. This obviously means that wild caves can be much more difficult to explore. This sounded like a perfect little adventure for me. 

The trip to the park takes about two hours from my house and I arrived just a few minutes before our scheduled start time. After checking in and meeting my fellow adventurers, we were provided with knee pads, gloves, and a helmet with a headlamp. Before caravanning to the north side of the park and the cave entrance, the guide provided a brief overview and ensure that everyone was still anxious to go. 

Once at the Sitton's Gulch parking area, we hiked the short distance to the cave's entrance. With all of the recent rains, entering the cave was a bit treacherous. The steep descent over slick and muddy rocks required us to slide down on our rumps gradually as we descended about forty feet to the first room. Here where the cool cave air meets with the hot Georgia atmosphere, thousands of water droplets have condensed on the rock surfaces and twinkle like stars as the light from our headlamps pass over them. 

From there, we are forced to crawl and hands and knees over an ancient rock collapse. The muddy surface makes it incredibly slick. After passing through this narrow passage, we drop into the subterranean section of Sitton's Gulch Creek, which pass through the cave. The water is cold and waist level in some places. We see a couple of salamanders and crayfish skittering around as we wade through this passage. The water is flowing fairly quickly, not enough for the current to impeded our process, but definitely enough to notice. 

After a few hundred feet in the water, we climb out onto a muddy high area. Climbing out through the mud is an adventure for most of us, but everyone makes it. We take a few minutes here to rest while the guide talks about conservation issues as they relate to the cave. Specifically, he talks about the white nose syndrome that has decimated many bat populations. 

With that, we're back in the water for the next little section. The water is still cold and sill approximately waste deep. Large rocks under the surface cause the occasional imbalance, but only one lady ends up falling. Finally, reaching the last section, we once again climb up an incredibly slick mud bank to a high area. From here, the guide offers to take anyone interested through a little diversion trail that requires some belly crawling. I would normally be up for this, but with my phone along for the ride to allow me to take pictures, I opt to say put and not have to worry about it getting damaged or caught on something. The guide and those that chose to go with him return to us after only a couple of minutes. 

As this was our turn-around point, we head back the way we came. The guide asks me to lead the way so he can assist a couple of the ladies in the rear that have been struggling a bit. I return us to the area, where we first entered the water and climb out for the third and final time. After everyone has successfully left the water and is seated on the muddy rocks, the guide asks us to turn our headlamps off and to experience the true environment of the cave . . . complete darkness. I've done this before, but it's always amazing to me that no matter how long you remain in a cave like this in total darkness, your eyes will never adjust. There is zero light for your eyes to capture and so even with your pupils dilatating to broaden their ability to detect photons, they come up empty handed and you are left blind to everything around you.

The exit out of the cave requires a long crawl through a passage that gets as short as about two feet. I manage to stay on my hands and knees for most of it, but at a couple of pointes I must drop down to a belly crawl to proceed. The slimy mud deposited by water running through this passage way makes maneuvering quite a challenge. It takes us about twenty minutes to crawl the two hundred feet or so before reaching a section where we can once again stand up. To exit the cave, we have to climb up a steep and yes, you guessed it, muddy ledge about fifteen feet. The guide and I offer some assistance to a couple of the ladies that were struggling, but everyone makes it out unharmed.

We take an 'after' shot, in which we are much more muddy than we were in our 'before' shot, which is to be expected after what we've been through. From there, we hike a short distance back to the parking area and remove our muddy gear. A changing shack allows us to switch into the spare clothes we were asked to bring and it's a good thing. I would not want all of this mud all over the inside of my car. With a few words of farewell and thanks to the guide, we go our separate ways. This was a really fun adventure and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

Asheville Urban Kayak Tour on the French Broad River (Buncumbe County, North Carolina)

 

After hitting a couple of my favorite breweries in Asheville, NC yesterday and with another couple of stops planned this afternoon, I thought joining REI for a easy paddle down the French Broad River into the River Arts District of Asheville would be a great way to start of my Sunday morning. I've paddled this stretch before, but I really enjoyed it and was kind of craving some outdoor activity.

I met up with the guides and my fellow participants a few minutes before the scheduled start time in a well-maintained parking lot near the area where we will take the boats out of the water after the paddle. From here, we loaded into a shuttle and were ferried to our put-in. The guides allowed us to get the provided sit-in kayaks set up (foot peg adjustments, gear storage, etc.) and then gave a quick safety talk and trip overview. They are always very thorough. 

With about an hour expired between transport and set-up, we finally launched our boats into the muddy and today, especially shallow, French Broad River near Bent Creek. The two guides and six participants waited around until everyone was safely on the water and then started a gentle paddle with the current towards downtown Asheville. 

Being on the water is always soothing to me, even in this semi-urban setting. We see a few birds along the way, an osprey overhead and some geese near the shore, as we continue down the river. There are a number of shallow rocks along the way and as I paddle, I'm watching carefully for the tale-tell v-shaped ripples in my path to help me avoid the large rocks just below the surface. I seem to do a pretty good job of dodging them. 

A couple of miles in or so and the rains begin. We were hopeful that we might complete the trip before the incoming storms reached us, but luck was not on our side and we would paddle the rest of the way in varying levels of rain showers. I mean we're on the river anyway and so, a little water isn't going to hurt us.

At point, we pass by the grounds of the Biltmore House and can see the famous mansion in the distance and through the rain droplets. I've visited the house before and it's gigantic. From the river, it somehow even appears larger.

Half-way to our take-out, one of the participants ends up slamming sideways into a large boulder sticking out of the water. Her boat is pinned against it by the currents and the guides have to assist her getting unstuck. She has climbed onto the rock while her kayak has partially filled with water. I head back to see if I can assist in any way, but the guides have it well under control and are able to lift her boat onto theirs to empty the river water from it and set it right once again. Then they help the woman re-enter her vessel. It certainly makes for some excitement, but luckily no one is injured. 

As we pass under the last bridge before we are to take our boats out of the water, I see a large log just under the surface near one of the bridge supports. I point my boat to the right of it and paddle hard trying to avoid it, but the tree seems to nearly span the distance between the supports and I end up getting stuck on it. After some "booty scooting" and using my paddle to push myself off, I'm finally able to get unstuck and continue down the river. 

As we take turns paddling into the exit chute, we depart our boats, shake off the excess water we've collected from the rains, and say our goodbyes. It was a fantastic little paddle of about 10.4 miles, but now I have to get some food in my and a nearby taco joint is calling me name.

Blue Ghost Firefly Twilight Tour (Transylvania County, North Carolina)

 

Continuing on my weekend of adventure and craft beer in and around Asheville, NC, I arrived at my second destination for the evening, the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest. This location preserves the birthplace of American forestry education. The site and associated organizations offer a number of outdoor-related activities throughout the year at this location. Tonight, I'm here to enjoy a twilight hike in search of the semi-mythical Blue Ghost Fireflies. 

After checking in with volunteers, I'm directed to an outdoor amphitheater constructed in the nearby forest. Here, I'm joined by many other guests who are also here to enjoy nature's show. Before we hit the trails though, we are presented with a short video. In the video, we are told a folk-tale of the blue ghosts as spirits of the forest seeking to aid lost travelers along their way. The video also provides a little information on the biology and lifecycle of these magnificent creatures. With the video complete and twilight settling in, we hit the paved trails through the nearby forest in search of blue ghosts.

As it gets darker and darker, the trails are very difficult to see and I find myself stepping off of the pavement occasionally. I brought my head lamp and have it set to the red filter setting to help preserve my night vision, but I'm trying to avoid using it as much as possible. We've been asked to stay on the paved trails due to the fragile nature of the blue ghost's environment and the fact that the flightless females of the species inhabit the forest floor, while the males will hover around waist level in search of a mate.

I find a quite area with some low foliage under a tree canopy to wait and observe for a bit. It doesn't take long before I see the first of many greyish-blue lights in the ground clutter and soon a couple of hovering males flashing their visual mating call. I grew up seeing fireflies, but those were mostly yellow and occasionally green. Seeing this species that produces light more like a fluorescent though is unique. 

*Note - Photo courtesy of Google

After spending a few minutes here, I move on to another section. All of the guests are behaving fabulously as they keep their voices down and slowly make their way along the dark trails, all of us doing our best to not run face first into each other as we scan the forests on either side in the dark looking for that next grey-blue flash of light. At my next stop, I find a dozen or more of the little fellas showing off their stuff to a few ladies below, who also display the eerie grey-blue glow. It's mesmerizing. 

Forty-five minutes or so into my wandering, I find myself back at a juncture and with the fireflies seeming to have mostly bedded down for the night, I decide that it is time for me to head out. I have another thirty miles or so to drive tonight before reaching my hotel and it's already pretty late. This was a fantastic experience though and I'm very grateful to the volunteers and organizers for making it available.

Looking Glass Falls (Transylvania County, North Carolina)

 

I'm on my way to the Asheville, NC area for a little weekend get-away of outdoor adventure and craft beer shenanigans. Along the way to my first planned destination in the Pisgah National Forest, I happened across a sign for Looking Glass Falls. At first I didn't think much of it as it's nearing dusk and I need to get to my destination. After passing the falls though, which is just off the forest road, I decided to turn around and walk down for a better view.

There were a few other people here, but I was able to park at pretty much the best spot possible, which is just a wide pull off near a set of steps descending to the bottom of the falls. I get out and make the short walk, breathing in the cool evening air of the forest and the mist coming off the beautiful waterfall the entire time. As it turns out, I've visited this waterfall before, but really had no memory of it. I guess I'm getting old. Luckily, I keep this blog as a reminder and found a write-up from a couple of years ago. The waterfall itself is quite stunning as the creek of the same name drops about 70 feet cleanly to a large pool below. The contrast of grayish brown rocks and lush green foliage just highlight the churning waters even more. I wish I could stay and enjoy this spot longer, but my next stop awaits.

Autrey Mill - Rain Delay (Fulton County, Georgia)

For a little while now, I've wanted to get over to the nearby Autrey Mill Nature Preserve. It's only ten miles or so from my home and a new place to hike that I've never explored. For one reason or another, I haven't made it over as planned. Today is the day though. I know there are some thunderstorms headed this way, but I'm hopeful I can get enough time to explore the trails of this preserve before they hit.

Once at the parking area, I take note of how well maintained everything is here. There is a visitor's center and several historic structures. It's all so clean and well kept. I hit the trail immediately, not knowing how much time I will have before the potential lightning and rain drive me off. After leaving the area of the structures, the single track trail enters a beautiful wooded area and straight for Sal's Creek, which is a pretty standard waterway here in Georgia, complete with large rocks rising from the shallow waters and making for a tranquil setting. Nearby, what I believe is one small section of wall of the actual mill can be seen.

It's at this point, the rain starts. First a few drops and then much heavier. The forest canopy is keeping me pretty dry, but knowing that this sprinkle will like turn into something much heavier with the approaching storms, I decided to make my way back to the car. I run a short section along a board walk and then at the next junction turn back towards the starting area. I was only able to hike less than a mile today, but I will definitely be back. I may even bring some of my nieces and nephews the next time they visit.