Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-07-20
A Remarkable Piece of Scenery.
Correspondence OF the Staunton v1ND1cAToR

"A AeVA4&4A0OkO L AVOO VI 0SSAVAI'
Correspondence OF the Staunton vIND1cAroR.l
STEELE's TAVERN. July "A.
ga solitary horseman' crossing the
Blue Ridge by way of I've River Gap turn
pike from Vesuvius station on the S. V.
r r. to Nelson c. II , at point on the
road 10 miles from Vesuvius, would. If
wide awake and taking in the panorama
of mountain and valley that is spread out
before and arc und hun, have his attention
attracted on the west side to foamy
cascade sparkling through the hemlocks
and naples away up on the mountain.
Having never heard of a cataract OF such
magnitude in this region, and full OF Won
der and admiration at the little glImpst
that be has of it, he is determined to flnd
out more about it, and the first NOUN
taineer that be meets, he asks tile name o.
the falls that he secs; he is told D'f d.
that it is the Crab Tee F lis, aud PEI
haps with a passing gauc- he goes Oh
Now, to any reader Of tins arscl- VII
may wish to know mare about th+s O-au
tiful falls, it shall be my pr"vlnca il TIN
short communication inadequately to d.
scribe them, and shOll1 1t b. the means al
leading any OF it's readers th visit and ST.
for themselves, then they would, whe'
taking in It's wonderful beauties, rise W.
and call him blessed who first made them
known to them.
Early on the morning of rare day In
June 10 which earth and heaven were rec
onciled, finds small party at the foot of
tne fails prepared to ascend to the top of
the mountain Where tns Grab Tree creek
| first starts out on its grand ind lefty td29.o,
BILE adou it's rock-ribbed channel to pour
its sparkling waters into Tye River.
1t is we'll first to know the distance that
is to be travelled, and that is about II
miles. and the height of the climb from
the Tye to the summit is by actual
measurement over 1000 feet.
So. in light marching order, we pass into
the deep shadows of the forest and striking
the Grab Tree Greek go on for $50 yards
until we come to the first cataract; this
has a height of so feet. Again, with few
notes of admiration, we ascend so feet
farther and again a fall of Is feet, and 81
feet farther on second cataract 50 feet
perpendicular height, with one or two
lesser cascades, we reach two still more
ambitious cataracts, the first the "Galore
Cataract one hundred feet high, and the
other the Rambling Cataract" both ap-
propriately named and full of beauty.
Now, 42O feet higher, comes the "Lodore
Falls" 800 feet high. Here there are three
benches, and beautiful to behold is this
dashng cataract Southey would have had
to coin few more expressive adjectives to
do Justice to this new Lodore. In the
afternoon, when the sun still shines high
over the mountain, can be seen here
broken rainbeWs in the dashng SPRAY, so
near that you attempt to grasp these jewel
led arches of mist and sunshine, but like
peoples spread, you touch the flower. the
bloom is shed, or like the snow flake in the
river, moment seen, then gone forever -
just above this pretty water fall, the wa
ters. before taking the leap. pass under
meath large rock crowned with ferns,
in whose messy sod spruce and naples
have rooted themselves. A glorious rest
ing place on which to linger and take in
the 'sLodore" from above, las it PUSHES head
long adoWn its rocky bed. We could tarry
hours here, but our motto is Excelsior. "
We reach next, 40 feet higher, Picnic
Falls. Before reaching it, we pass through
as lovely little glen as the mountains
hold; rich in ferns and messy rocks,
around which the waters rest themselves
lovingly, as if taking breath fol the
plunees still in store below. This IS fifty
named ''Titenia's vale,'' and it requires
no stretch of the imagination to picture
Queen Titania holding her miniature
court here. One can almost feel the in
dignant glaDces of the ENQUIRIES" upon
him from out the laurels and fern
clusters as he treads their enchanted
ground. and we PASS on revereDtly to
Grand Canyon Falls so feet high. At this
point the waters are gathered into single
stream that fairly whiZZes down the rocks
and after resting moment it pours into
a perfect bath tub formed out of the gneiss
and appropriately called ''Diana's Bath. -
While looking on it and the surroundings
we are reminded Of a painting by mas
ter haud in the Royal Mu cum in Brus-
sells representing Diana and her wood
nymphs disturbed while bathing in the
depths of the forest by Ac &c IN, and the
shrinking nalads, clad only in their own
modesty the acknowledgement beauties,
and the chaSte, crescent crowned Diana
casting defiant and indignant glance to-
ward the startled yet fascinated youth,
makes up beautiful picture. No more
fitting spot could have been selected by
the Goddess of the Chase for her royal alb
lutions than this. We cannot Iiuger,
beautiful as it is, but through ferns and
messy boulders, we ascend to the Rocky
Cataract, 60 feet high. Above this is
found one of the gems of nature, the
"Gulch Falls" 40 fees high. where the
water after collecting its scattered forces
passes meath a miniature natural bridge
formed by an oval moss covered rock
wedged in between two upright boulders.
This is one of the pretti st scenes among
all these beauties; it is alone worth a long
jaunt to see.
Passing on $40 feet further through an
other beautiful glen, which we will call
OberOD's Glen. we come to 'Roaming Cas-
cadet $50 feet high, and then Fern Cat
aract" so feet high, "Grotto Falls 80 feet,
and Boulder Cataract so feet, veritable
enlbaTrds de richesSes. After these a few
hundred feet higher up we reach the
fall with bench below, of at least 100 feet
making grand fall of 900 feet, and we
will give the expression of one of orr en-
thusiastic party, who mixed up the words
of the Patriarch Jacob of the Old Tesla
ment and of Simeon of the New, on first
getting sight of this wonder, now have
seen the glory Of the Lord, let thy servant
depart in peace.' No doubt because Of
his new version he soon electrified the
audience by mis-step and grand glide
down tie soft side of a rocky incline, say,
at an angle of 75o and distance of 25
feet. While he did not depart in peace
yet a very conspicuous part Of his trowsers
parted in pieces. Yet his enthusiasm Was
not daunted.
Here we lunch at the foot of that beau
tiful cataract and we fill a bumper of
sparkling water just tossed from the
heights above and drink eXultantly to the
blue vault above and the wooded noun
tainS around.
The ascent to the top Of the ''Giant
Water FALL is difficult, but at last We are
up; and now we have the frat view of the
outside world In the distance and near
by. are the everlasting hills, the blue sky
above and the dashing waters below.
Truly beautiful picture! This is the cas-
cade that can be seen from the T'ye River
tnrnpjka 90 pear as If seems from the