Eden Pool
Our scramble today begins at the end of Residence Road in Hanging Rock State Park. We began here because Cascade Creek enters a gorge just up-creek. Walking to the end of Residence Road and into the park's dump, we can see Cascade Creek just ahead. On a previous outing, I had gone here, crossed the creek and then moved well away from the creek before dropping back done to visit Eden Pool. Today we wanted follow the creek. That started out ok for the first 50 feet or so. We could see a choke point ahead where both sides steeply came to the creek among a thicket of Rhododendron. Actually, Rhodo was to be our menace all day. At this point, we decided to go up on creek left, heading up creek on our right. We roughly followed the route taken before by the Friends of Sauratown Mountains when visiting the pool. We dropped down and fought briers and rhodo until we were at the creek just below the pool. Crossing the creek, we found a nice flat spot at the base of a cliff to view the pool.
Eden Pool from above
From here we could see a rock overhanging the creek which looked like it would give us a good view both up and down the creek. We managed to get to the overhang but our only view was the scene above. Same log across the pool as the last photo.
Now, we were hoping to follow the creek but once again rhodo got the best of us. Again we went high on creek left. Due to the steepness of the gorge here, we were not able to return to the creek for a couple hundred yards. When we did, we saw a water chute with about a 2 foot drop. We managed to follow the creek a short way but soon were climbing high on creek right this time. When it looked like we could get back to the creek, we did. This time we found this cool wall which almost looks like it was built. It is creekside with a flat walkway between it and creek. Here we were able to walk up creek a ways before forced to go high on creek right.
Creekside wall near Middle Cascades
Overhang next to Creek
We had a real battle with Rhodo in this section. We managed to get back to the creek once in a nondescript section of creek. So back up we went. Again we tried to make it to creek level but it didn't look like it would be worth the effort. We were tired and soaked with sweat on this 70 degree humid day. I noticed on my GPS, there was a point of interest below Upper Cascades. Assuming this was Tise Cascade, we calculated where it would be by looking for a turn in the gorge ahead. Heading in this direction we could hear falling water. It sounded like it was both up creek and down creek. We aimed for the center. Popping out at the creek, we had a pool to cross. Our view up-creek was blocked by an overhanging rock. I was tired and just walked across the pool hoping my boots and gaiters would keep me dry. They did.
Tise Cascade
When we crossed the pool, this is the scene we saw. Stunning. Tise is the highest falls in the park and was an attraction a century ago. I have seen pictures of an old post card of Tise.
Tise Cascade
We ate the rest of lunch here listening to the cascade. Right below us, the creek is forced through a spot between two rocks just 14 inches wide.
Tise Cascade
While sitting and enjoying lunch, I notice what looks like a trail heading out of the gorge, just above the pool. We exit on this manway and in less than 10 minutes are on regular park trail near the Visitor Center. So close and no one sees this stunning cascade. It was about a 4 hour scramble to go 1.5 miles.
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