Since my mom was going to traveling away on Mother’s Day, I opted to do a family outing thing on Saturday. So the folks and I loaded up our bicycles and drove down to Tellico Plains.
We parked at the visitor’s center, and started peddling eastward on 165, aka the Cherohala Skyway. The Skyway follows the Tellico River for approximately five miles.
It was a picture perfect day with blue skies and temperatures in the 70s. Thanks to our recent rains, the river was flowing at a healthy volume. Although traffic was heavier than normal (being the weekend), the road was still relatively peaceful. A majority of the travelers were motorcyclists (the Skyway is a biking favorite). At one point, we passed a caravan of about twenty of them.
About five miles from Tellico Plains, the Skyway veers away from the river. We followed the secondary road which continues along the water. The climb is gradual, making it a comfortable ride for even the infrequent cyclist. It’s a real a scenic ride going up the narrow valley. You get a great view of the water splashing over the rocks.
About 11 miles from Tellico Plains, we reached Bald River Falls.
The road goes right in front of the waterfall; this shot is taken from the bridge. Thanks to the heavier water flow, you could feel the mist of the falls up on the bridge. I thought about climbing down below to get a close up view, but cycling shoes don’t make for good rock climbing.
After a few minutes there, we turned around and headed back downstream. I was still feeling a little frisky, so when I got back to the intersection with 165, I turned right and headed up the Skyway. I rode about 11 miles (to the first big overlook) before the car caught up. Suffice it to say, that climb will cure you of any excess energy real fast. After looking uphill for a while, you reach the point–and I was getting close–where the mental challenge begins to rival the physical one. In other words, the hill starts getting to your head,
Since it was getting late, and I’d had enough, I loaded up the bike and we drove a few more miles up the Skyway. I was surprised to see that the trees at the higher elevations haven’t started growing leaves yet. And it’s May! But although Spring hasn’t reached all the foliage, it has reached the insect population. It was an interesting experience looking at barren limbs while swatting at gnats–a clash of winter versus summer.
After soaking in the beauty of a few more evening vistas, we turned around and headed back to Knoxville.
All in all, a very enjoyable day.
Sounds like a good time. I need to spend more time up Tellico way. A few years ago someone posted a pic on a message board of a kayaker going over Bald River Falls. I’ve lost track of it now, but I wouldn’t have believed it possible if I hadn’t seen the pic.
I don’t know much about kayaking, but that sounds pretty incredible. Seems the kayaker would have had to go down the left side of the falls (as you view it from the bridge), because the right side drops straight down into the rocks.