A Day of Falls. The story behind Clifty Falls and Wild Flower.

The following is the story behind my prints “Clifty Falls” and “Wild Flower”. Some of the other images may be also available for prints later.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24061612

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=24061411

Clifty Falls State Park is located in the quaint town of Madison Indiana. Madison has that small town feel and within the city limits is Clifty Falls. Clifty Falls State Park is a unique Park that has many waterfalls concentrated in a small area. The landscape of Clifty Falls reminds me of the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, and if you compare the pictures from my previous Gorge stories perhaps you may agree.

My trip to Clifty Falls was a spur of the moment decision. I gathered up my camera gear and made the hour and a half trip to Madison. The trip was nice because I didn’t have to take any high ways. US Route 50, to IN 421, to IN 56 was an all rural drive and many of the farmers fields were blanketed with purple wild flowers as far as the eye can see. This route would be a perfect trip for the motorcycle enthusiasts.

I arrived in Madison Indiana, and became somewhat lost. For a state park with many waterfalls, the park wasn’t marked very well. I stopped in a Red Cross located on the main strip of this beautiful town, and talked to a very nice lady who assisted me in finding the park I traveled to see. She was extremely nice and her hospitality definitely matched the look of the town. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend visiting Madison and of course the park.

www.visitmadison.org/

After getting directions, I made my way on Route 56 to Clifty Falls State Park. As I was driving through the park I was greeted by two different water falls along the road. These waterfalls to me were a good sign.
As I was driving along the road I saw a sign to the trailhead leading to Hoffman Falls. I saw a wooden board walk and decided to not take my trekking pole assuming this was going to be an easy trail. I was kinda wrong.

A very short distance on the boardwalk I saw Hoffman Falls. I wasn’t thrill about the shot so I continued along the boardwalk that eventually turned into stone steps that eventually turned into a trail full of roots and rocks descending a fairly steep angle. It was at this point where I began regretting my decision to not bring my trekking pole. This hike wouldn’t have seemed a treacherous to me if I didn’t have my good tripod attached to my big camera backpack.

I call this my good tripod, because it is my most expensive one I own. This tripod is rugged and made well. The bad thing about this nice durable tripod is that it is HEAVY and was the majority of the weight I was lugging.
I got to the bottom of the trail and noticed that the trail turned away from the falls. I then looked to my right and saw another trail with a big wooden sign that read “NO HIKERS BEYOND THIS POINT”.
Now, to some this sign says “don’t go this way”. To me and other fellow photographers I know this signs means, “Go This Way To Get Good Shots!” I’ll leave it to you all to guess which way I took.

I started my way along the trail that ran along the creek towards the falls. My really nice tripod kept reminding me it was there by the weight and the fact that every tree and vine felt that they needed to grab onto the head of the tripod and create problems. It was at this point that I had a great idea, (a rarity usually). The tripods center comes out to form a telescopic monopod, and this monopod I found out also doubles as a hell of a hiking staff. So with some of the weight off my back and the part that was catching on branches was now my hiking staff I had more stability which I definitely needed. This “unofficial trail” sometimes led into the creek, across it and then back across it.
My labor was beginning to get some rewards was I approached this first set of three small waterfalls.

I took several pictures of these three falls waiting for the clouds to go over the sun to give me less light to prevent over exposure. I knew after taking these first shots I was going to get some good waterfall shots.

After taking several shots of the above three waterfalls, I continued along the creek and took another small waterfall shown below.

I then began walk again through the maze of downed trees and rock to finally get to my destination of Hoffman Falls. In my opinion, I liked all the smaller falls better than Hoffman Falls which is pictured below.

I began to make my way back the way I came across the falls that was the rear one of the first picture I took of falls. I was too lazy to take my tripod off, so I attached my camera to my hiking staff and actually used it as a monopod.

Moving on along the unofficial trail I kept seeing these green and white wild flowers that to me resembled lilies.

I spent some time getting shots of these wild flowers and below is the print “Wild Flower” that is available for sale in my Etsy shop.

After shooting some pics of these flowers I looked down at my watch and double timed back to my truck so I could get some pics of Clifty Falls itself. The ascent up this trail was a tiring one because I was carrying way too much weight, and I am way too out of shape. Out of breath I made it back to my truck and began my journey down the road to shoot Clifty Falls.

After huffing and puffing along the creek of Hoffman Falls, I assumed that Clifty Falls would be an easy hike. It wasn’t.
After pulling into the lot I hiked to the familiar looking board walks that went over Small Clifty (a separate waterfall) and saw Clifty Falls aka Big Clifty. As I was walking along the boardwalk I looked down at the falls and noticed people down there. It was then I thought, “I must get down there by any means necessary.” I saw three separate falls all in one general area. This area was a gorge where the falls all fed into a creek below.

The board walk connected with a trail simply called “Trail 7”. I followed Trail Seven then walked down 5 man made steps made of large rocks. It was somewhere along here I went from Trail 7 to one of those “Unofficial Trails”.
After going down the stone steps I saw the edge of another water fall that was somewhat caddy corner from Small Clifty Falls. I looked over the stream of water to a trail that went on the other side. I waded through the edge of the falls to the trail and continued along this trail. It became obvious to me that I was no longer on Trail 7 because I was way too close to the edge of a cliff for this to be an official trail.

Some would see this as a hint that this perhaps wasn’t a real trail by the ruggedness and the potential to fall 4 stories to a rocky bottom. My determination to get to the bottom superseded common sense and I continued along this “trail”. After risking my life a few times slipping, and getting the top of my damn tripod caught on vines and branches, I looked down and saw a pair of someone’s shorts hanging on a branch. This pair of shorts marked a trail that led down into the gorge where I wanted to go. But before I was to get to the beginning of this trail I had to scurry down a 6 foot cliff that had ridges for foot holds.

I made my way down this cliff on my ass and was at the “trail marker” and the trail that led down. At first I was happy at the poor soul that sacrificed his shorts to mark the trail. Then as I slipped and slided down the almost the 45 degree angle “trail” I wanted to hang the SOB with those shorts.

After making it down in somewhat one piece I passed the first unknown falls that I originally crossed unsafely at the top and made my way to shoot Small Clifty Falls. Like Hoffman Falls, the entire area was littered with trees. It looked like an obstacle course and if I wasn’t climbing over down trees, I was walking over slippery rocks and crossing the creek over and over. Some parts of this creek were knee deep and would obviously go over my waterproof boots. I constantly had to pick routes over the creek that were somewhat shallow and after having to backtrack a few times I finally got to the spot of Small clifty where I wanted to shoot. I walked up from the creek a little to look for a decent shot of the falls. I tried climb up a four foot tall boulder to some solid ground, when what was bound to happen well…happened.

I fell.

As I was trying to climb up this boulder, I plunged my trekking pole into what I though was solid ground, it wasn’t. The trekking pole slipped off the rock and caused me to lose my footing and I fell four feet into the creek bed landing on my left arm. I felt pain upon impact on my arm, knee and either a rock or branch that collided onto my left ass cheek ripping my pants.

I then rolled over stood up in pain check to make sure my camera was ok. (Notice where my priorities were). The camera was still in my bag on my back and the padding did its job. As far a me I was ok and suffered only minor cuts in bruises. After dusting myself off still a little rattled I set up my tripod and camera and took the below shot of Small Clifty Falls.

After taking a few shots I attempted to walk along (sometimes into the creek towards Big Clifty Falls). I tried several different ways along all the downed trees and rocks nearly breaking my ankle several times. It was at this point where common sense finally succeeded convincing me to make my way back to the top of the Gorge.

Being that the only way I knew to go up was the way I came down. I made the exhausting and dangerous way up the 45 degree angle incline to that dreaded pair of shorts that was the trail marker. I shortened my trekking pole that is telescopic to use more as a climbing tool and stabbed my way uphill. I was somewhat relieved when I made it up to the trail marker, and then I realized I had one more major obstacle to climb. I had to climb up the 6 foot cliff I previously scurried down. The cliff was wet and muddy and had to really take my time climbing up this cliff. I’m not much of a climber, but being I had no real choice I had to climb. The previous fall made me extra careful and with a small adreline dump I made my way up. I treaded slowly along the Cliffside trail and back across the top of the falls. I was happy to be back on Trail 7 again and made it back to the wood boardwalk.

Before going back to my truck tired, in pain, and discouraged that I didn’t get more shots down in the gorge, I decided to stop off at the observation point and finally shoot Clifty Falls, one of the main reasons I went down there in the first place. I made my way down the boardwalk to a manicured observation point and shot the below print available in my shop of Clifty Falls.

The above image is actually only the top part of Clifty Falls, but is a good shot and I seeing it as completing my objective.

It was a day of some good shots, and a lesson in not biting off more than you can chew. There is a saying that God looks after children and fools, and he was definitely looking after this fool that day.

Regardless I do plan visiting this gorge to shoot again, but this time ill bring a piece of paper called A MAP!!!