Bridal Veil Falls

This past weekend we went to an amazing waterfall. Wait a minute, you’ve probably already seen it. Does this look familiar?

So, do you recognize it? It’s the waterfall from the scene in The Last of the Mohicans where Hawkeye tells Cora to “Stay alive, no matter what occurs, I will find you!”

I actually had the pleasure of seeing this waterfall many years ago when it was still on private property and inaccessible (and unknown) to most here in our mountains. My friend Dave worked at Dupont and therefore had privileges to use the site for recreation. We drove right up to the river and Dave put on his waders and carried me and two other girls across the river. We then walked up the rock face and climbed back behind the falls.

Two years later The Last of the Mohicans was released and I had no idea that it was the waterfall I had been to earlier. See, Dupont was so private and hush, hush about their waterfalls, that they forbid the movie people to release the exact location of the falls. The area was bought by the state (following much legal wrangling) several years ago and the area became Dupont State Forest. This land accquisiton opened up this waterfall and several others to the public.

Of course you can’t just drive up to the falls now–you have to hike for almost 3 miles (with your three kids in tow.)

My two littlest hikers

We put a snack, jacket, and hat in their packs for them. We hike prepared. It’s always funny to pass people on the trail who don’t even have a water bottle and we’re loaded up like we’re on a three day hike. However, there’s no such thing as too much food or water or too many warm clothes when you’re hiking with three little ones! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been so thankful for these extra things.

This is just the very top part of the falls. We walked up the rock face and then veered into the woods to get to the top.

Climbing under the rock ledge. (Maybe I’ll get Photoshop one day and take that branch off of his face. And I can’t figure out why this picture is so much smaller than the others.)

“Why is this picture in black and white?” you ask? It’s very simple. My son is wearing a red and gray hat, orange and navy blue vest, and a black shirt. Not a lovely color combination if you ask me. We are known for our “function before fashion” motto on the trail!

Hiking five miles in the cold really works up an appetite, so we ended our afternoon out with dinner at a local BBQ place where we proceeded to eat everything in sight. I don’t think the boys left one single scrap of food on the table! We’re going to have to start patronizing those all-you-can-stuff-into-your-face places before long.