PRESIDENT'S DAY AT CONASAUGA FALLS

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, Tamron 28-80 lens @ 28mm, ISO 100, f/14, 0.6sec.

  I was extremely surprised and happy that I got President's Day off.  Don't think I have had that particular holiday off in the 11+ years I have been working at my current job. I will never turn down a day off though.
  I decided to use my time in the morning to drive to Conasauga Falls near Tellico Plains, TN.  This is one of those hidden gems that East Tennessee has that goes somewhat unnoticed because it is not part of The Cherokee National Forest or the Great Smoky Mountains.
  Another reason these falls go unnoticed is because you don't just stumble upon it. To get to Conasauga Falls you have to drive 3 miles up a mountain road and then hike 1 mile down a trail.  That doesn't really seem like much but the trail is the only thing on the road and the trail is only about a foot and half wide and filled with obstacles such as rocks and uprooted trees. Technically, the trail is an easy one but coming back up is a chore because it is straight up the mountain.
  It is well worth the effort, though. Even in February when there is little color on the trees.
  This particular February morning was quite different. I left the house at 6:15am and the temperature was a balmy 59°F and by the time I was finished shooting and back to the truck around 9:30am, it had warmed up to 68°.  This is about 15-20° warmer than usual and combined with the overcast skies, made for a wonderful morning to photograph a waterfall.
  I had visited these falls back in the fall when it was very hot and there was very little water flow.  This morning, however, the falls were loaded with water.  It was fantastic!
  Something else I didn't have in the fall was hip waders. These allowed me to get in the water and very low to some of the cascades that were located downstream from the actual falls.  This was fun.
  When spring is finally sprung here in East Tennessee, I will make this trek back to Conosauga Falls when there is full green foliage surrounding it.

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, Tamron 28-80 lens @ 28mm, ISO 200, f/14, 0.8 sec.