2. Hiking Adventures

Tributaries to Spoilcane Creek

Describes hikes to the tributaries to spoilcane Creek in White county, Georgia
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Previous visits to Spoilcane Creek were fairly easy hikes. <a href="https://mtnimages.smugmug.com/Hiking-With-Mtnimages/Spoilcane-Creek/">https://mtnimages.smugmug.com/Hiking-With-Mtnimages/Spoilcane-Creek/</a> Recently, Greg Ford suggested that I look at the two, unnamed tributaries joining Spoilcane from the west. The hike, this time, was different. I was unprepared for Hurricane Irma's path of destruction.
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Previous visits to Spoilcane Creek were fairly easy hikes. https://mtnimages.smugmug.com/Hiking-With-Mtnimages/Spoilcane-Creek/ Recently, Greg Ford suggested that I look at the two, unnamed tributaries joining Spoilcane from the west. The hike, this time, was different. I was unprepared for Hurricane Irma's path of destruction.

  • Previous visits to Spoilcane Creek were fairly easy hikes. <a href="https://mtnimages.smugmug.com/Hiking-With-Mtnimages/Spoilcane-Creek/">https://mtnimages.smugmug.com/Hiking-With-Mtnimages/Spoilcane-Creek/</a> Recently, Greg Ford suggested that I look at the two, unnamed tributaries joining Spoilcane from the west. The hike, this time, was different. I was unprepared for Hurricane Irma's path of destruction.
  • First of all, many thanks to Greg Ford for sharing his knowledge of this area; I never gave any consideration to exploring those two tributaries. Well, I didn't get very far today but what I found gives me hope for more exploration.The "trail' is covered with blowdowns and it is difficult hiking even on the upper portions where the terrain is flat and getting around the downfalls is fairly "easy". This picture shows where you leave the trail in the outside bend of the first switchback.
  • This very nice 22 footer is just a couple hundred yards off the "trail".
  • The vertical composition makes it look a little bigger.
  • Actually, it is bigger. I am standing about the mid point of the waterfall. "Midpoint" means there is as much below as there is in the picture.
  • But........, the bottom half is completely covered with downfalls.
  • The stream continues to slip and slide for several 10's of feet.
  • I followed the tributary downstream and reached the "trail" just above it's confluence with Spoilcane. I intended to follow the old logging road (The old Unicoi Turnpike) down past the lower falls on Spoilcane to the next tributary. But, I was tired, it was late and I had a date with my wife for pizza so, I started back.
  • On the way in, I had skirted parts of the trail by hiking up in the woods. On the way out, I stayed on the trail until I encountered this humongous root ball. This baby is a good 12-15 feet high.
  • I crossed Spoilcane Creek to the east, climbed the VERY steep bank to Hwy 17/75 and hiked the blacktop back to my vehicle.This spot is 0.35 miles down the Hwy from where I parked.
  • The GPS track. I will make another attempt to get to the other tributary, soon.
  • And, the profile.
  • A week later (27 November 2017), I went back for another attempt. This time I parked down the road a bit. There is a large grassy pull-out on the east side of GA 17/75 in the outside bend. I crossed the road and found remnants of a service road angling down the embankment. The "road" is overgrown and I doubt anyone could find it in the summertime. Anyway, it is an easy bushwhack down to Spoilcane Creek.
  • I crossed Spoilcane Creek below a small cascade located upstream from the main drop. After considerable arguments with myself as to which road was the correct road, I finally found the old Unicoi Turnpike Road . This route avoids half a mile, more or less, of low level bushwhacking you have to navigate if you park at the paved pull-outs up near Unicoi Gap.
  • This is what what greeted me as I continued from where I left off last week.
  • Tributary #1 comes in from the right and the road/trail becomes more defined as it hugs the bank of Spoilcane; just out of sight, on the left.
  • Wow! My visions of "I bet the trail isn't bad from here on" quickly disappeared.
  • By climbing up on a root ball, I was able to get a snapshot of the Middle Falls.
  • By the time I got to Tributary #2, I was worn out. I scrambled up to the first falling water I heard/saw; took a couple of shots and gave up. I was way below (down stream) the "good stuff" indicated on the topo. As a note, Greg Ford said he accessed the tributaries from above; that is, from FR 44. Although that route would require a heck of a climb back out, it might be the best way to visit these two tributaries.
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