Comments on: Bird Rock Falls http://jritchphotography.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/bird-rock-falls/ Singular Selections of Photo Bliss Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:05:35 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Eric Stumpf http://jritchphotography.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/bird-rock-falls/#comment-8 Eric Stumpf Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:41:16 +0000 http://jritchphotography.wordpress.com/?p=12#comment-8 My wife and I hiked along the falls June 30, 2008, in the afternood. We parked along the road and found access down a steep straight down path tiered by tree roots to a path. The path was along the east side of the river and was butressed. While it seemed safe, it had a bit of a dodgey sense to it. We went north to side-by-side falls with a tall red house to the right. It was very beautiful and impressive. There was some garbage in the water and along the shore, but not too much. We then hiked south using the path and the railings that were provided. We passed a couple of fisherman who had a string of nice trout. we asked how far the path went and they said that it continued a ways past a grotto. We walked along using our walking sticks, which later we would be thanksful we had. We passed the grotto and continued south along the path until we came to a place where the path was turning toward the river and falling water. But the path was semi-blocked by low lying branches. My wife, who insisted on going ahead of me, said that the path turned to the left and went towards the waters. She turned and began to go when she stepped on a long sloping rock which was wet and slippery. She lost her balance and fell on her back, sliding down the sloping rock. Her left foot caught on a crevice and twisted her knee. She laid there and said she couldn't get up. I went around the boulder to the side of the river by way of the low lying branches blocking the path and helped her up. We struggled to get back to the car. It took a long time. There was no signal for our cell phone and no other people around. We went to the ER at Tranasylvania Community Hospital (we wondered who was in charge of the blood bank) for help. They x-rayed her knee and said that she just tore some blood vessels and her knew was swollen because of it. They said stay off the leg, put ice on it, and take some ibuprofen. A couple of days later they left phone messages to call back. When we did they said another technitian looked at the x-ray and said that she had fractured her knee cap and prescribed a knee brace to immobilize the knee. It's a beautiful falls, but stay on the trail and don't wander off it. While it appears to be a well tended trail, it is dodgey, and not up to National Park standards, or even county park standards. Be careful. My wife and I hiked along the falls June 30, 2008, in the afternood. We parked along the road and found access down a steep straight down path tiered by tree roots to a path. The path was along the east side of the river and was butressed. While it seemed safe, it had a bit of a dodgey sense to it. We went north to side-by-side falls with a tall red house to the right. It was very beautiful and impressive. There was some garbage in the water and along the shore, but not too much. We then hiked south using the path and the railings that were provided. We passed a couple of fisherman who had a string of nice trout. we asked how far the path went and they said that it continued a ways past a grotto. We walked along using our walking sticks, which later we would be thanksful we had. We passed the grotto and continued south along the path until we came to a place where the path was turning toward the river and falling water. But the path was semi-blocked by low lying branches. My wife, who insisted on going ahead of me, said that the path turned to the left and went towards the waters. She turned and began to go when she stepped on a long sloping rock which was wet and slippery. She lost her balance and fell on her back, sliding down the sloping rock. Her left foot caught on a crevice and twisted her knee. She laid there and said she couldn’t get up. I went around the boulder to the side of the river by way of the low lying branches blocking the path and helped her up. We struggled to get back to the car. It took a long time. There was no signal for our cell phone and no other people around. We went to the ER at Tranasylvania Community Hospital (we wondered who was in charge of the blood bank) for help. They x-rayed her knee and said that she just tore some blood vessels and her knew was swollen because of it. They said stay off the leg, put ice on it, and take some ibuprofen. A couple of days later they left phone messages to call back. When we did they said another technitian looked at the x-ray and said that she had fractured her knee cap and prescribed a knee brace to immobilize the knee.

It’s a beautiful falls, but stay on the trail and don’t wander off it. While it appears to be a well tended trail, it is dodgey, and not up to National Park standards, or even county park standards. Be careful.

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