These pictures are from two visits in two weeks to the Whitewater Falls recreation area in North Carolina. The park is in North Carolina. The falls are all in South Carolina. Upper Whitewater Falls is the tallest waterfall in South Carolina, at 400-something feet. As you can see from the photo, it was raining and misting, but still beautiful. After I got home, I looked in one of my hiking books and realized there was a lower Whitewater Falls as well, which is about a 3.5 mile hike from the upper falls. There's a cheating route to get there also which is shorter. But who wants to do that??? So I went back the next week to visit Laurel Falls and Lower Whitewater Falls. The elevation drop for all 3 falls is about 1200 feet if you put them together.
Some kind of rhodedendron, I guess.
The bottom of the river, which is pretty much full of rapids and little waterfalls itself.
Wild violet.
At the side of the river at the bottom of the ravine there's this little sandy "beach" which is apparently a congregating spot for flocks (schools? pods? herds?) of teeny tiny butterflies. They're purple when their wings are open.
Vegas loved to chase the butterflies... She was running majorly amok. LOL
The lunch spot: the overlook for LOWER Whitewater Falls. Ahhh... Strawberries and waterfalls.... :)
Fern Gully Vegas!
Laurel Falls (look waaay up at the top for the beginning of this nearly 400 foot waterfall!)
Tulip poplar flower! I always see the petals on the ground on the trail but I rarely actually see a flower, because the tulip trees are so tall and the flowers are way up in the canopy of the forest! This one was on a tree that had been knocked down over the river, so in reach of the camera!
Really. Just funny. I want all three! Do I have to pick one?
The different aspects you are picking out to take pictures of is impressive...it will be great to see what happens when you get that new camera. Vegas on the log pic is fun!
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