Day three found me going two hours in the opposite Direction to New River Gorge. Made famous by the Bridge spanning the New River, a bridge that I could not find a suitable location to photograph. They exist in multitude, I was just unwilling to take the time to go find them. This is a detail I shall not miss on a future trip specifically to this area. All in all this location was my favorite as far as general feel and potential. Of course I do have the right to change this once the isolated trips begin.
The kick off point was the Canyon Rim visitor Center, one of four in the region and a required visit to intake the history of the area. After quite some time there I did the suggested drive along Fayette Station Road to gain some more insight into the history of the gorge. It was also taking me towards my first fall of the day, Kaymoor Falls.
You can reach out and touch this one as you walk up the trail, which is closed further up, or so a sign says. Pretty wild thing coming straight down the cliff almost out of nowhere. I would have loved to see where this originates, but having already entered a trail closed area I let it be. It runs underneath the trail and down into the stream below which is very accessible but very sloppy photogenic wise. Still was a fun hop and great to see.
From here I traveled to the ghost town of Drummond. A nice short stroll down the old tracks past some historic buildings, a trip down to the water, but no photos to be had. Stopped into the museum which was very interesting, and had a chat with the ranger. I was hoping for more but worth the stop nonetheless.
This day was highlighted by the magical, 1500 foot wide Sandstone Falls, an incredible location with a photograph to be had within every nook and cranny of the park. There is a boardwalk that takes you out to a viewing platform. The view from the platform is a bit blocked, the real fun begins when you leave the boardwalk and enter the world of rocks and roots, and some trails.
This next photo is the first thing you see when you are at the start of the off board trails. It just gets better after that.
I’m surprised I did not grab a panorama of this section. Next time
The 1500 feet is not exactly straight across. It is a bit jagged with much debris on one side.
One of the little nooks accessible by rock hopping through the water. It was at just the right level where I did not get wet.
I think I spent about an hour here wondering about or just watching the water. Lots of people fishing from shore, some families with kids playing in the pools and even a couple of guys precariously anchored just below the falls casting their lines as well. It was getting late and rain was coming so I started headed back. I had one more quick stop to make and by that time the drizzle had begun. This next photo is a popular one but I just could not pass it up.
Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park. This may be my base of operations next year if I can get the family to come with me. The park, not the mill…
Day three concluded. One more day to go. Thanks for stopping by!
Phil
Twilight and Dusk 