Goshen Creek ~ A Rhododendron Slick

There is a roar to the waters rushing out of these mountains. A thunderous stream of cascading waterfalls that overpower the sounds of all but the elements of nature.

There are very few places left in this county, this state, country, even on this planet ~ very few places left where when we quieten our internal chatter all that can be heard are the sounds of nature.

Goshen Creek is one of those pleasure places.

And as this photo above shows, our MST trail will meander within a few feet to the right of the edge of the river.

There is nothing so lush as the greens of the ferns and the mosses which have colonized every available surface. This is a particularly primeval forest.

John, Chris, Marietta, and Gloria worked on the first clearing of the trail on Sunday May 24. They cut and removed rhododendron and scrub growth.

The trail was survey flagged about a month ago by Allen and Shelton and John. In this photo you can see that the trail meanders with the creekside through the ferns and mosses.

There is very much work to be done, and it is no where near being safe or even ready for hiking. But someday, oh yes, it will be a delightful section to experience.

These waters are cold,

These waters are refreshing

These waters are bubbling, gurgling, surging, and splashing

These waters are flowing, crashing together,

These waters are powerful and these waters they flow through us all.

Long a favorite fishing creek, there are many locations that have been fished for generations. Look closely in the center of the photo above. In his place in his world this fisherman is emerged with the nature of this river.

This river makes the trail through Watauga County a treasure.

I think most people think our section of the trail is a hike on the mountain tops. But, there are moments in the valley, moments by the creeks, that make the Watauga MST unique.

This little video will give you an idea of how intimate the river is to this section of the MST. At times, it is within a couple of feet of the trail.

This is the sounding of waterfall power!