Summey Cove, Pisgah National Forest

This past weekend was yet another adventure with a twist. After careful study of the guide book, we decided to ride up Summey Cove and pay a visit to Court House Falls. We have never been there and wasn't sure of the exact location or distance. Thank God for maps. The guide book says to park on the side of highway 215 and pedal up FS 140. So after passing the road we needed to take marked with little more than a fence post, we turn around and head back down the mountain to the parking area. Once we get there we see that the gate is open going up FS 140, so we take a chance and drive in.

Now for the twist. The ride was to be about seven miles more or less on the bike. We take the Explorer all the way up to within three tenths of a mile of the falls. Probably a good thing since it was open to vehicle traffic and the road was barely wide enough for the Explorer to pass, so meeting up with another vehicle on such a narrow road on a bike could have been interesting to say the least. But all in all, a good trip even if the bikes didn't get off the roof rack.

Court House Falls drop about sixty feet into a wide round pool at the bottom. Always the prospector, while we were there I wondered could there be gold hiding under the surface of the water. I forgot the gold pans and left them back at home, so panning without a pan becomes digging for gold. So I scrape around on the bottom with my hands and sift through it as best I can to see what might be down there. Garnets! Lots of them! It's not gold but still pretty exciting considering I found them with only my hands. Sure they were small, but then again.....so am I in this great big world. Finding little treasures along the way reminds me that you can never out guess nature, you can never out shine nature and you can never predict what is around the next turn or even under your feet. That's pretty cool I think!

Court House Falls is in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, North Carolina about six miles off of the Blueridge Parkway on highway 215.

PisgahBlueridge ParkwayCourt House FallsGarnetsSummey Cove