[This page made in 2002]

Long Falls

This is a picture of a section of Fishing Creek, which is actually part of Lake Cumberland. This view is at the Fishing Creek Recreation Area, a few miles west of Somerset, Kentucky. It is facing left of the playground and swimming area, with respect to the water; downstream actually. The lake makes a bend to the right. At the far end of the water in this picture is a cove. Up in that cove is a waterfall place. I'm calling it Long Falls, because it runs a long way down. On the left shore, before the bend to the right, is another inlet. A stream flows down from a hollow up in the ridge along there. This stream is fed by three other streams, and each has a waterfall, and they are all right together--left, center, and right. I call that place 3-Falls. The amount of water depends on rain evidently. I haven't been up in there more than twice I think, and only one time, the first, did I find much water. There is a fourth waterfall, near the campground. The stream from it runs down next to the last campsite.

One winter day a few years ago, I went to this recreation area to have a look, and maybe walk a little. The camp sites were under construction at that time I think. I wanted to look at some of that. At some point, I was standing out there looking across the water, when I noticed a roaring sound in the distance. I soon realized that it was the sound of water falling. That really piqued my interest. I didn't know of any waterfalls along there. I could see that there was a cove way over there where the lake makes a bend, and the sound was coming from that direction. I had to go investigate.

The lake wasn't too high then, so I could walk the shoreline ok, all the way to the cove. At the first inlet, I had to walk up in there a little way, and go around the water and then back out to the main shore and continue to the cove. I got there and started up the hollow. The sound of water falling was by then much louder, since I was near the source. It was music to my ears. I really like waterfalls. I noticed a lot of trash that had floated up in the cove, and a lot of wood debris. It is lamentable that so much trash gets in the waterways. Some people don't care. They throw stuff anywhere.

I made my way uphill, excited as a kid headed for a toy store. The trees were bare, since it was winter, and I could see the water. It was spilling a long way down from the top of the cliff line, not in one plunge, but in a couple of plunges, and then cascades and runs. To me it was thrilling. That hollow was filled with the the sound of water roaring downhill.

On the way up, I came to another run-off on the left side. The cliff line curves around the cove, and there is another little falls up on the left. I called it the "Side Falls", since it is on the side, going to the main falls. I went up to that side falls and found a shelf to walk on along the base of the cliff line. At left is a picture of that falls, made in summer. I walked behind the falls and followed that shelf on around to the main falls. That shelf extends on back the other direction a good distance. You can get up to it from that other inlet, and follow it on around to the main falls. This is not a hiking trail, it is just a natural walkway. There are no trails in that area that I know of, unless some have been made in the last three or four years. Nature provides trails of some degree in various places, such as this one along a cliff line. Deer make trails.

Eventually I got to the main falls, near the top. This picture shows only a little of it, down to the first ledge. From there, the flow of water drops down to another ledge, and then on down. There were icicles scattered around, and a tiny falls near the main one. The sound was really intense right up close. There was ice on some of the shelf I was standing on, so I had to be extra careful. For somebody who really likes nature, this was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I stayed for a while, wanted to soak it in, mentally and spiritually. This does wonders for me. I feel more in tune with God when I am in these special places. I praise God for the beauty I find in nature, and the healing comfort I derive from it, and the uplifting of my spirit. Praise the Lord.

The stream that makes this waterfall comes out of a hillside below highway 80, between Somerset and Nancy. This view here is facing downstream. It comes out of the slope, makes a cascade of several feet down, then runs fairly level until it spills over the drop as shown at right. Of course this summer picture at left doesn't show near as much water as I saw that winter.

This stream runs only a short way. There are houses above there, and this is private property. I had permission to go down there. The last time I went, a few years ago, I discovered that trees had been logged near the stream and their tops were left lying everywhere. Some even lay across the stream. It was a general mess, and I had no desire to go there anymore. Besides that, it was difficult to walk anywhere down there. The people who own the property were kind enough to let me go down there a few times and I really appreciated that. They are nice people. The lower part is under Corps of Engineers control I assume, since it is close to the lake.

Before the logging, I went down there from the road a few times to look and get some pictures. I took a friend once. I took my dog too. He always went with me. Dogs love to roam in the woods and play in creeks. I feel sorry for dogs that are confined all the time. I know that dogs love to go snooping in the woods; they like to move around. Anyway, here is a picture of the top of the falls.

The dog there is a Malamute/Shepherd mix that I had for 12 1/2 years. He died in 1997. That dog went on a lot of hikes with me. He seemed to know when I was getting ready to go out, and he would get excited. That dog loved to get out in the boonies. It seemed to me like he posed for pictures too. Sometimes he would see me fiddling with the camera, and he would just stand there, still, waiting until I got through. I have many pictures that include that dog, Jack. It was a sad day when he went.

The picture below right is similar to the first winter picture, but made one spring. There wasn't quite as much water flowing, but it was good. It was still pretty nice, and worth going to. Click here for a larger view.

At left, is another winter shot, but in a different winter. It shows rmore of the main drop, and a broader view of the cliff there.

I haven't been to this place in a few years, so I'd like to go back some time, after a lot of rain. It's nice to revisit some good places, just for the enjoyment, and to try to get better pictures.

Now for 3-Falls. It is nearby, before this place, if one is coming from the recreation area. A person can see all of it in one day, and if the water is running nicely, it would make for a very good day. It gets a little rugged, but it's good when the water is flowing.

3-Falls

Along this cliff is one way to get back to the three falls. This would be the high way. When you get to the falls, you will be about even with the top of the falls. You can go around all three and see them from the top, or you can go down to base level. Getting down, last time I was there, was a little tricky, but not too bad. To go this route, just go through the playground and leave the recreation area, and go up the slope until you come to the base of the wall, and then follow the shelf along the wall. Eventually you will come to a corner that goes left, and you will head into the side hollow toward the falls. On the way, you will find another little waterfall along this route, and you will walk behind it. I liked going this way. This picture was made facing toward the lake.

You can walk out there and feel like you are way off somewhere, but it is close to town. There is a subdivision on the high ground way above the falls, but if I remember right, you can't see any houses from down there. When I first went back in there, the subdivision was not started yet, or barely. Now some of the high ground is covered with houses, and I bet most of those people don't know what is down there.

On the left is a view of the left falls. On the right is a closer view of this one. I like to get up close where the gushing sound of water is stronger,and I can feel the mist, and experience the falls better. There is just something energizing about waterfalls, stimulating, uplifting, and I relish the experience.

At left is the middle falls, and at right is a close view from behind it. I like going behind waterfalls. I'd like to walk behind the one in the move, "Last of the Mohicans", and go in that cave, if it is really all together. I don't know for sure where that falls is. I think it is in Chimney Rock State Park, NC. Some of the movie was filmed there. That is one place I'd like to go. Maybe someday.

Below right is a view of the falls on the right out there. At left, is an enlargement of this falls. This one is different in that it has a narrow plume that plunges down, and that's nice too. They're all nice.

Click here for some bigger versions of the falls.

And finally, there is even one more waterfal, this one being closest to the campground. The falls is up high, and the stream from it runs down past the last campsite.

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