#citico

[thecrimsonarcher]

Citico Creek, underwater. Look at how pretty and clear it is! #citico #citicocreek #citicocreekwildernessarea #cherokeenationalforest #underwaterphotography #underwater #gopro #goprohero3 #nature

[thecrimsonarcher]

Turkeypen Creek, underwater. Because it's source comes from the higher elevations, the waters that flow through this creek were frigid. It took a few minutes for me to get the feeling back into my hands! #citico #citicocreekwilderness #cherokeenationalforest #turkeypenfalls #underwaterphotography #underwater #gopro #goprohero3

[thecrimsonarcher]

There was something about the Monroe County side of the Chilhowee lake that ushered in a feeling of nostalgia and quiet reflection, a stark contrast to the fast paced and busy Blount County end, where motorcycles and sports cars thunder up the curvy mountain road for their chance to tame the ever elusive Dragon and trek to the safety of Deal's Gap. On this side of the lake, there was only silence, save for the faint sounds of laughter in the distance, carried by the icy winds that blew across the vastness of what was once part of the Little Tennessee River Valley. The vastness created a separation between two contrasting worlds, both of which could be viewed from a distance, but only experienced through a certain point of view. From where we stood, cradled by the Cherokee National Forest, I could see Chilhowee Mountain and the Smokies somewhere off in the distance.

[thecrimsonarcher]

This photo was taken above Turkeypen Falls. Since there isn’t an actual trail that leads down to it, we had to park further upstream from the falls and climb down into the canyon in which it flows so we could get a better look of it. 

[thecrimsonarcher]

Turkeypen Falls, sometimes referred to as Turkeypen Hollow Falls, is a 35 foot tall waterfall that tumbles down a small canyon on a lonely mountain road before eventually meeting with the cold, still waters of Chilhowee Lake. Though the canyon itself wasn't very impressive nor deep, it was enough to provide us with a challenge of actually getting down to it, one that was well worth the effort. We happened upon Turkeypen Falls purely by chance. We were given erroneous directions on how to get to an old church house in the Citico area, directions that brought eventually brought us to the Monroe County side of Chilhowee Lake. Despite not finding what we were looking for, the trip in itself provided us with a completely different adventure that allowed us to see things we had never seen before, such as Turkeypen Falls.

[thecrimsonarcher]

Spotted this fellow strutting about the cemetery this afternoon as we were leaving my late cousin’s birthday memorial.

I’ve seen a lot of wild turkeys in my day and I can tell you that this guy is easily the biggest turkey I’ve seen in my life.

I took this in Citico, Tennessee.

[thecrimsonarcher]

The clear and cold waters of Citico Creek appear as a smooth pane of glass as the afternoon sun peaks above the surrounding mountains.

[thecrimsonarcher]

We haven’t seen rain in almost 3 months in my little nook of southeastern Tennessee. As we drove through the Citico Creek Wilderness Area, we were saddened to hear the sound of complete silence. Certain parts of the creek had almost completely dried up from the intense summer heat. After a long and miserable summer, I was relieved to see a dash of color on the endless green of the mountainside.