Courthouse Falls Pisgah National Forest NC

Courthouse Falls, Pisgah National Forest, NC

Courthouse Falls

It is a leisurely hike to a very pretty waterfall. Upon setting out on the Summey Cove trail I noticed that most of the hemlocks had new growth on them but had very little older foliage. Reflush. This usually is the result of severe adelgid infestation where all foliage has been killed back causing the adelgid population to crash. The tree sends out new growth but usually the adelgid comes back in huge numbers attacking the tree once more. The tree has usually depleted it's reserves by this time and usually dies shortly after. Only one hemlock above the falls did I see with considerable foliage.

Eastern Hemlock

Two nice, probably old-growth hemlocks were found just below Courthouse Falls. Both were in hard to reach places but were around 10 feet cbh if not a big bigger. Neither were of exceptional height. Many younger hemlocks are found in the surrounding forest but these were bigger and older looking than any others I could find. My guess is that the steep gorge that the falls are in may have inhibited the removal of these trees. But soon they will be dead due to the adelgid. How sad.

Another big hemlock

The falls itself is splendid. Joy enjoyed a nice swim in the cold mountain water.

Check out the links concerning Courthouse Falls.

http://www.main.nc.us/naturenotebook/hikes/courthousefalls.html

http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/courthouse1.htm

James Parton

== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Jun 12 2008 2:01 pm
From: Larry

James, Looks like a peaceful place. Boy could I use a cool swim its
heating up down here in the Deep South! Larry

== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Jun 12 2008 6:08 pm
From: JamesRobertSmith

I haven't been to Courthouse Falls yet. There's nothing I like better
than swimming in a plunge pool beneath a waterfall. I always go
swimming in them when the water's pure. I have my favorites.

One place I haven't been swimming is the pool below Hooker Falls.
Mainly because one of my hiking pals told me that the last time she
was there, she saw kids coming out of the water below the falls with
leeches on their legs. No thanks!

== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Jun 12 2008 8:24 pm
From: James Parton

James Bob,

Lake Cascade is located below Hooker Falls. When the water is at
normal or above normal levels it backs up all the way to the falls. I
have fished Lake Cascade many times and have filled a stringer up with
crappie more than once. I have swam in the lake more than once and
have never found any leeches on me, but I cannot say that they are not
there. I have seen leeches in several local creeks here in WNC.

Courthouse creek is much cleaner than Little River. Possibly clean
enough to drink from. One must exercise caution drinking from
apparently clean mountain streams, especially if frequented alot by
people. Giardia could possibly be present. I have drank from mountain
streams many times with no ill effects, but there is always a first
time. It would be best to filter or boil the water first.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardia_lamblia

James Parton

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TOPIC: Courthouse Falls, Pisgah National Forest, NC
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/f1a0169623cb9b1a?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 12:30 pm
From: Kouta Räsänen

ENTS,

I would like to read some comments about giardiasis. When I travelled
in California four years ago, I heard for a first time about
giardiasis. Then I found from internet an article which said that
actually there is in drinking water of San Francisco as much or more
Giardia than any wilderness streams in California! I have drank from
streams which flow from areas not affected by agriculture, forestry,
roads etc. in all the natural areas where I have been, North America,
many countries in Europe, Madeira, Iran, Japan, Australia, but have
never become ill. (Though, I haven't been in tropics.) Have somebody
else got giardiasis, and from where?

Kouta

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 6:58 pm
From: DON BERTOLETTE

Kouta-
You've been lucky, or you've the innards of a steam engine! I am a native Californian, and began hiking in the Sierra Nevadas during the early 60's...I regularly carried a 'Sierra Cup' on my pack belly belt, for quick dipping of the myriad tricklets, creeks, streams and rivers, and seldom carried water but for cooking when away from water sources. It wasn't until the 90's that I began encountering folks who'd gotten giardiasis from mountain streams of the Sierras. I too contacted giardiasis several times in the 90's...it's not a nice time, explosive SUDDEN movements, fierce flatulence, and other symptoms left unmentioned. While some doubt that there's a cure, it's treated by the same drug (Flagel) that is used for treating alcoholism (the only thing worse than giardiasis, is the cure if you consume alcohol during the treatment period). The last time I contacted giardiasis, we dove deep, deep, deep down into a high mountain lake in the Marble Mountain wilderness, opened our Nalgenes, closed them, and surfaced, thinking that we might avoid giardiasis. Nope, a week or so later, I was once again able to calculate range and bearing...:>{
Anymore, it's boil it, filter it, iodine it and chase it with 80 proof or better...;>}
-DonRB

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