Rainbow Falls - Flooded Edition

The morning after getting massive amounts of rain, Rick and I decided to take a hike into the mountains.  We drove up to Jones Gap State Park and found that the Middle Saluda River was gushing.  Most of the trail along the river gave us views of an impressive white water river.

When we reached Rainbow Falls I was truly impressed.

After navigating across the river we stood near the base of the falls.  The amount of water coming off of the cliff was incredible.  If you have never stood near a large waterfall, then you may not realize the sound.  Standing near the base, you can hear the water crashing onto the rocks and nothing else.  The power and energy from that much moving water is incredible.  A large waterfall like Rainbow falls also generates a lot of wind.  On this day, the wind was cold and came off of the water with a good amount of force.  We retreated to a spot farther back for lunch. Here's a video of the river, crossing the river, the falls, and lunch.

On the way out, we spotted a fallen tree that looked like a good candidate for climbing.  I jumped up and started my way up.  I admit I didn't make it that far up, and looking back I wish I would have inched up a bit more.  But how did Rick do?  Here's the video:

The falls and the river were the fullest I have ever seen them.  Here is a shot I took of the same falls in 2006.

I love hiking after a good strong rain storm like we did that day.  Even going back to a place I have seen before, feels like a whole new adventure.