James Taylor wrote a lyric “I’m gone to Carolina in my mind” in which he dreams of a place he loves. The North Georgia mountains are that place for me and the rivers, streams, and waterfalls call out for me to come visit. Even the rocks and trees beckon to have me come walk among them and photograph their unique members. So at least once a month I give in to their wishes.

From my home North of Atlanta I am only an hour away from the Blue Ridge foothills straight up GA 400 (aka the Georgia Autobahn).  I hit the open road early on a Sunday morning before sunrise. Just past the city of Dahlonega the road shifts from 4  lane highway to two lanes then onto the twists and turns around mountains and valleys. My Audi A4 Quattro is a pleasure to drive as it hugs the curves and accelerates easily through the passes. If I am alone on the roadway I will cheat the lines where there are two or more lanes and smooth things out a bit just to enjoy some speed. I generally have a mix of music playing to get me in the artistic mood as I race toward my destination before the sun gets up.

This last Sunday the paved road gave way to a dusty narrow gravel road up the side of a mountain to the High Shoals area. Ruts and a shallow creek crossing prevent fast driving here but the location promises to be a target rich environment so I step on the gas where I can.  I arrived at the parking area and there were only 4 other cars. I park and grab my 35-40 pound pack full of camera gear from the trunk and head to the trail. The top of the trail has a closed sign indicating a bridge is out, but I can tell it has been there awhile and has not been a deterrent for others. I head down hill on the rocky trail knowing I have to come back up this same trail to make it home later. I arrive at the broken bridge and find it still washed out, but the water is shallow and prior visitors have created a stepping stone path across to the other side.

About the half way point I begin to hear the rushing water over the falls. Soon the wide trail narrows and  becomes steeper  with more frequent  switch back turns. I pass some lovely moss covered trees and rocks, twisted mountain laurel and rhododendron, and root out crops forming natural stairs on the path. This is a well traveled path despite its remote location and I even see a few campers rising to make their breakfast. The excitement builds as the first views of the upper falls can now be seen through the trees. Resisting the urge to take the less traveled side trails to the upper falls, I continue down the cleared path to the base of the falls and am rewarded with a breath taking flow that darts over and through the rocks. Several large boulders at the base allow me to stand above the pool where the rushing water comes to rest and flows off to the right and becomes a stream again.

I scan the boulders for a flat area to stand that still gives me a point of view of the falls from top to bottom with something interesting in the foreground. A young couple is also there enjoying climbing the falls so I take my time to set up. I place my tripod and gear on a large flat rock with a larger boulder in front of me to serve as a foreground object. I capture this view of the falls then move to my left so I can get a slightly different view with a bit more of the upper falls previously hidden by trees at my prior vantage point. My foreground object here is a large fallen tree. Having captured this section of the falls, I packup my gear and start to head back up the trail but the stream beckons me to check it out. I duck under a twisted laurel arch and find an open area next to the creek which has several photo opportunities. A tree with expanding roots growing off of a large rock at the edge of the stream offers an interesting detail. A stump on moss covered rocks also captures my attention. And finally I notice a cairn (stack of rocks) on a boulder near a section of rushing water that becomes my final “detail” shot of the area.

I pack up and start back up the steep trail. I knew there were two large falls at this site so began watching for an off shoot trail or loop to follow. About the time the climb reached the top of the lower falls, a narrow path veers off to the right. A hundred feet or so the path ends at a viewing platform for the upper falls and a deep blue swimming hole being enjoyed by another couple. I was tired and hot but came all this way so set up my camera and captured a fairly straight on shot from the platform keeping the couple out of the frame. The flat rocks at the edge of the pool might have been interesting as a foreground but I did not want to intrude on the couples outing any more than I had already. I pack up again and head back up the trail to the car. Going down hill was much easier than going back up. I took several rest periods while catching my breath and took a slow and steady approach. The area was now filling up with visitors heading down to the falls. I am glad I got there early. I then return back home exploring another roadway for future opportunities but still enjoy zooming through the mountains.

Some folks may criticize me for missing church on a Sunday morning but the thrill of driving and visual stimulation of being out in nature makes me feel closer to God than sitting in a pew for an hour. Photography can be a religious experience when you learn to appreciate the beauty of this world created for our nurture and enjoyment. Psalm 23:  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters (and rushing waters) . He restoreth my soul; “.

The mountain waters are a friend of mine and I can visit them in person and in my mind. 

“Gone, I’m gone, I’m gone, Say nice things about me ’cause I’m gone south now
Got to carry on without me, I’m gone ” — James Taylor

Update – Link to the Black and white print