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Photo Trek: Mouse Creek Falls, Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Photo Trek: 02-12-2008, Mouse Creek Falls, Great Smokey Mountains National Park
After visiting the Waterfall on Little Fall Branch, I continued West on I-40 into Tennessee. My final destination and where I wanted to spend the majority of my time was the Big Creek section of the Great Smokey Mountain Nation Park. Based on a black and white picture of the Mouse Creek Falls, which I found in Kevin Adams' book North Carolina Waterfalls, I had thought that there was some potential in this location. Enough potential, in fact, to justify traveling over 200 miles...one way, just to be able to hike for 2 more miles...one way.
Honestly, I wasn't real sure what I was going to find, but knew that there was another waterfall on the same hike along with another one close by off of I-40. I figured that with three waterfalls, I was likely to get one that I could really work with. As you read in my previous entry about the Waterfall on Little Branch, I wasn't having great photographic luck so far in the trip. That's OK, that was but a side trip, so I wasn't losing hope of making some great images.
Before I even got to the Big Creek section of the GSMNP, I was surprised at the size of the Pigeon River. I had to cross that body of water to get to the trail head. It was full of rocks and boulders, and had a great flow of water to boot! I was getting excited about the prospects of this Trek already. Once in the park, I began the 2 mile hike which was not bad at all. The trail was well maintained and quite level making for an easy hike along the side of Big Creek.
Big Creek
My first stop along the way was just about 1.25 miles into the hike. As you know, I find it very hard to resist cascades of any size or type. What I found along Big Creek was a great section of water with very large cascades as the elevation of the water changed. Another thing I took note of was the green/aqua hues in the water. I had never seen anything quite like this before, and was very excited to see how it would photograph.
At this point in the Trek, the slight chance of rain was becoming a bit less chancy, and a little more probable. I started to feel rain drops coming down on my face, but nothing too bad. For a second I thought that I might had better start walking back to the truck....Was I crazy!!!!! I had just driven almost four hours counting the previous stop, and hiked on this trail for about 30 minutes. I was going to finish the hike and get some photographs. Anyway, I did pick a camera that was weather sealed so a little water wouldn't cause any real problems. I continued on my Trek.
Midnight Hole
In just a few minutes after my cascade photo shoot, I found the first of my two planned destinations. Midnight Hole is a very small waterfall, but one that is worthy of getting a name. Standing only six feet tall, this simple cascade drops between two large boulders into a very still pool of water. The aqua color is very pronounced here, which I think is the reason that this is such an impressive waterfall.
Green Lagoon
I just couldn't get over how the water looked. It looked almost alien to me. After photographing waterfalls for a little over two years, this was the first time I had seen this coloration in the water. I was getting very excited about the possibilities down the trail. However, the rain was getting worse. It was now coming down in a steady drizzle. I was starting to get wet, but more importantly, my polarizing filter was getting spotted. I had to constantly wipe it with a microfiber cloth. When this was no longer keeping up with the rain, I used my boonie hat to shield the lens from above. I looked funny, but it was doing the trick and keeping everything on the end of the lens dry.
Before continuing on with my Trek, I pulled out my tried and true shower cap to cover the camera. While a tight fit, it worked as well as when I used it on my Sony. Keeping the camera mounted to the tripod under the cover of the shower cap, I hiked the remaining half mile to Mouse Creek Falls. As I arrived, the rain slowed, and the sun started to come out...WHAT!!!, North Carolina mountain weather is predictably unpredictable. The sun would be the death of any photographs of this waterfall, and that was just not a good thing. What I had found in the woods was one of the most interesting waterfalls I think I have ever seen. I needed clouds, and I needed them now.
Soothing Chaos
Fortunately, the break in the clouds was temporary, but there were more breaks to contend with. I spent the time while in the sun working on composing shots. This sometimes took 10-20 minutes as I had to pick a spot, get to the spot (without being swept away by the Big Creek), and choose a lens that included everything that I wanted. Usually, just about the time I would get set up the sun would go back into hiding for a few minutes...just long enough for me to bracket my exposures. One thing about this waterfall, the water moves quickly, so the normal shutter speeds that I use do no good at all here. I found myself shooting with shutter speeds of one second and faster, which is unheard of with most waterfall photography. Anything slower than one second left the water a featureless blur of white.
Feeding the Big River
As you can see above, that green water that impressed me so much from Midnight Hole still was present here. While not as pronounced being diluted with the froth of the rapids, it still provided a great color tone that is absent with any of the other waterfalls that I have visited in the past. It is this color in the water that has put this waterfall on my must see list. Even though it is a long drive, I do plan to go back and work some more locations along the Big Creek. This is just one of those places that I don't think I would ever get bored of.
You can find the results of this Trek in both the Landscapes Room as well as the Waterfall Room of the gallery. There have actually been so many new images added from this location, that I was forced to add an addition onto the Waterfall Room. There are now three pages of waterfalls, totaling 76 images. You will find the new additions sprinkled about throughout the Room.
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A good WOW!
Ann:) -
I am enjoying all these waterfall pictures!
Linda :) -
I love a waterfall too, especially the ones that have big rocks you can meander round, or sit upon to just take it all in, and I like these :) They've beautiful colours in the water, so serene, so soothing. You've caught all of that.
I think you've summed it up very well in your reasons for loving them. Rache -
I wish I could find me some waterfalls around here...Ü
These are stunning as usual....so peaceful.
Marie
2/21/08 2:35 PM