January 2022 With a winter storm in the forecast, I wanted to get an expedition in, just in case we got snowbound.   I had a potential homesite in the area that I hadn't known about when I explored here two years ago.   I found the site, but as usual, the chimney had been knocked down decades ago by either loggers or the USFS.   Since I was so close, I decided to explore some more up along the headwaters of the Hiwassee River, and along the route of the old Unicoi Turnpike.

I found several sections of low rock walls at the old homesite. The site, where I hoped to find a chimney, was half-way up a steep, isolated cove...

These walls seemed to be laid along shallow rises where the ground level slightly changed, almost like terrace edges.

There were also a few rock piles...

This was the only flat spot at the site, so I'm guessing this half-buried rock pile was once the chimney.

Descending back down the cove, I headed south, climbing up towards Unicoi Gap...

A section of the original Unicoi Turnpike.

Another portion of the old Pike There are actually three old roads that more or less parallel the upper Hiwassee River on its way down from Unicoi Gap - the original Turnpike, present day GA 17 / 75, and another old road that was the unpaved predecessor to the current highway. Oh yeah, and also the USFS road on the east side of the river!

The Hiwassee River is already getting small by the time one starts climbing up toward Unicoi Gap.

A pretty section of cascades on the River.

This rock ledge forms a small multi-streamed waterfall.

Another section of the old Unicoi Turnpike

An unusual, upright rock slab, with stones piled up against it.

The Hiwassee gets narrower as one continues upstream.

It's not much of a river at this point!

The source of the River is up in that rhododendron, but I didn't see much sense in going any further up.

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