June 29, 2015 - Leaving Big Creek

We drove out of Big Creek, but an inspection crew was inspecting the bridge over Big Creek, down near the power plant on the Pigeon River. We had taken Sao down to the river and then took the car back up to offload some equipment in the ranger station. We were stuck for a while so I walked around and took some pictures while we waited.








This is the lower bridge over Big Creek, right at the power plant.




This picture is looking up the creek from that bridge.



This is looking at the downstream side of the bridge at the power plant.



And, this is the power plant at the confluence of Big Creek and the Pigeon River.



Here, Sao awaits the car in the kayak and raft launching area along the Pigeon River.

April 28, 2015 - Return to Big Creek

Wednesday, April 29, 2015- Orangeburg, South Carolina to Waterville, North Carolina (230 miles in 4 hours 37 minutes)

              

Of course, we owed it to the Cracker Barrel to eat breakfast there since we had spent the night in their parking lot. I don’t like to eat breakfast, but did enjoy the country ham biscuits and coffee. Andy had a real breakfast. We were back underway at 0800.

There was still a misty rain, but not as heavy as yesterday.

At Asheville, North Carolina, we took I-40 to Waterville at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. At the exit, we crossed the Pigeon River and followed the road to the hydro-electric plant. I pulled over in the parking area where the white-water rafters and kayakers put in the river at 1237. Andy disconnect the car while I called the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dispatch office to let them know we had arrived.

This is the Pigeon River. The kayakers and rafters put in the river in front of the power plant, behind that gray shed. That is also where Big Creek enters the river, from the right.

Andy drove on ahead of me so he could convince anyone driving out of Big Creek to back up to a wide spot in the road for me to pass them. I certainly was not going to back up. Maintenance Man Spence was just getting ready to mow the grass at the ranger station. When he saw us, he came out to direct me across the one-lane bridge across Chestnut Branch. I don’t think I could do it without someone directing me as the bridge is on a curve and there is a large boulder right where I would want to swing wide to line up.

We never met another vehicle coming down the road. I pulled up in front of our host campsite and waited for Andy to direct me to back in. Andy hooked up the utilities and I walked around and took pictures of Sao in the host site. This one is looking down the road to our site. The ditch in the foreground is to divert rainwater around our campsite. They have dug it out since last year and that is a good thing.

Here is a look back up the road to the parking lot. Green is powerful here.

For this picture, I was standing on the road between the group site and the host site.

Here is a look at our yard from the door of the motorhome. Big Creek Trail, leading to the horse camp, is just beyond the green moss lawn. I have learned to love gravel. If it was not there, we would be in mud.

Then I walked down to the horse trail and took a picture back at Sao.

The leaves are not fully out, so we will have some sunshine if it comes out from behind the clouds.

Spence stopped in to welcome us back when he finished working. I took four or five pictures of him, but none of them turned out well. This was the best of the batch. I’ll get a better picture of him later.

His hair is still long, past his shoulders, and in a ponytail.

It has been a year since his father died and left Spence the farm. Now, the sisters are taking him to court for some cash from the estate, which has no cash. He said the court date is in June. I was hoping that the family feud would be over by now.

We set up our signal booster antenna, but still have no signal to get on line or use the cell phone. Hopefully, we’ll figure that out soon.