Where Shoal Creek drops over a modest escarpment wall along the lower stretch of its run to join Middle Prong of the French Broad River, itself at that point only a short distance from its own rendezvous with the main body of that great river – Long Man – a wonderful, 60′ falls is formed. Eastatoe, the beautiful Carolina Parakeet, gave its name to this falls, as well to a small group of the great Tsalagi Nation who lived nearby. For many years Eastatoe Falls has been part of the property of Will Dinkins, as generous a man as you can imagine, who for all of those years has allowed the public access to share his beauty, asking only a respectful enjoyment of the experience in return. But now Will is in the process of selling that part of his property on which Eastatoe Falls is situate. The new owner has some different ideas and public access to this beloved place may soon be ended.
A focal length of 52mm, about as normal as it comes, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted. An aperture of f/20 provided depth-of-field, and a shutter speed of 0.6 second at ISO 200 gave me delightful sense of flow and movement in the water, as well as a very slightly-darker-than-medium overall exposure.
As soon as Bonnie and learned of the pending sale, we arranged to make a visit. It might be the last opportunity we have to create beauty in the Land of the Eastatoe. We very much hope otherwise.
It is certainly one of the most beautiful falls in this area of the country. Access to its loveliness will be missed.
Don, thanks for the image and sharing your thoughts and feelings about this place whose access is now in question. Your photograph is a wonderful tribute. The water really glows, and your composition emphasizes the transition (top to bottom) from light and ethereal down to chunky and sturdy, all connected by the ribbons of water. Excellent. Your image and note got me wondering how and why we find reward in returning to a place over and over. Is it the changes in our OWN lives and experiences that imbue a location with changing meaning each time we encounter it? Changes in season, light, surroundings that offer up something new in a repeated visit? The challenge of producing an image that’s better than earlier attempts? Something else?
The fact that this week’s image is a waterfall only adds to my curiosity about this. I’ve photographed many and feel my results often fall into old uninspired ruts, even though I’m having a ball at the time. Maybe that’s the point, but I do wonder about the challenge of finding new beauty and experiences in old familiar places!
Thanks to you, your host and to all caretakers of our precious lands. What a beautiful Sunday morning view! Stunning. Peaceful.
Be well,
Dianne
Don, comment #2 here: I just read your wrap up to last week’s image and chuckled because it was exactly what I was digging into this week: that places can stay ‘new’ and fresh with successive visits. That’s terrific.
What a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for preserving and sharing through your art. The falls are beautiful and I hope the owners will always make them available to enjoy in one fashion or another. The are so very beautiful!
Howdy Don, lovely image with all the delicate details of water & rock interplay. It will be a great loss it this beautiful site loses access to those who appreciate Mother Nature’s wonders.
Glad you were able to capture and share it. Beautiful falls!
I have been there 3 times and have planned to return this fall. I may need to move my trip up a few months. I find this such a relaxing place to shoot, I can spend hours there. Does anyone have a time frame for when the falls may not be available to the public? Is his plan to make it available for a fee? I know I would pay a reasonable fee to shoot this place again.
Very nice image. As I shared with you privately a couple of weeks ago, this saddened me, especially since I will not make it back there for a while. Hopefully the new owners decide to let people go there still. It is by far my favorite waterfall in NC and I have been blessed to go there twice in your Wildflowers and Waterfalls workshops. I just find it so serene, even when I am surrounded by other photographers. Fortunately, I have several images from there that I will always treasure and that will help me relive the memory.
At first glance, I thought of Rapunzel. Eastatoe Falls certainly is a beauty with long tresses. Thanks for preserving and sharing natures’ wonders with your art. I hope the new owner loves nature as much as we do.
Good morning Everyone. How deeply gratifying it is to see how many of you are familiar with this beautiful place and feel an attachment to it similar to the one I have expressed. I really appreciate all of the responses that you have taken the time to write. One would think that an organization such as The Nature Conservancy or Foothills Land Conservancy would be interested in working to preserve not only the beauty of Eastatoe, but public access as well.
Hi Kathleen. Thank you for joining us and for your thoughtful comment. I could not agree more with both of your sentiments.
Hey Ray. Your thoughts and insights always encourage reflection and contemplation; and I always appreciate them. And your question is very timely to Eastatoe and a myriad other locations across the land where we find ourselves drawn time and again.I believe that all of your suggested answers are part of a broader reality, along with, as you suggest, something else. I’d like to suggest that we return to a place repeatedly because of “connection,” and from connection all of your possibilities kick in. It seems to me that beautiful natural places are like old and dear friends: I don’t necessarily feel a need to live with them, but to be able to enjoy their company in some regular way is soothing to the soul. And to address your final comment, I find that each of these places reveals something new and different to me each time I visit. Perhaps with each visit we have both grown wiser and more observant. Walk in Beauty, my friend. And I see that you have answered your own inquiry. I hope you will try it and see how it works for you.
Hi Dianne. Thank you for your kind words. I am deeply honored by what you have said. Eastatoe has many beautiful faces and I have always enjoyed this one when the light is working in my favor.
Hi Judi. Thank you very much for joining us and for your thoughtful words. I am grateful to have had the opportunities I have to enjoy this beauty.
Hey J Warren. It’s always good to hear from you, my friend. We can only hope that the new owner will see the propriety and wisdom of continuing to allow the public to enjoy the beauty of Eastatoe. I encourage you to visit it again while there is opportunity.
Howdy Michael. It’s great to have you with us to reflect on the beauty of this magical place. I wish that Rhode Island were next door. I’d take you to visit Eastatoe. Hope all is well with you in the Ocean State.
Hey Ron. It is wonderful to hear from you. As someone who has enjoyed and photographed so many beautiful waterfalls in New England and around the country, I’m especially glad to have your kind comments. Sorry we missed you when we were in the Pioneer Valley in June. Hopefully next time. Be well.
Hey Bruce. I wish I could provide you with better information, but I cannot. If there are any negotiations regarding access, they are not known or have not been finalized. My best advice at the moment would be to plan to return as soon as you can. If I hear of anything, I will make an announcement.
Howdy Kev. It’s always good to have you join me. Thanks for your kind and thoughtful comments. I am, indeed, grateful that you and Elizabeth were able to join us on a couple of our visits to Eastatoe. My response to this wonderful place is pretty much exactly the same as yours. I hope you are prescient about the new owner. At this point, all we can do is wait and see what is decided. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Hey Nancy T. What would a week be if I didn’t have you with me? It is so amazing that you mention Rapunzel. Go to Bonnie’s website, bonniecooperphotography.com; go to the Interbeing Project and find the image titled “Immersion.” Not only are your stories wonderful, they may even be prophetic. Hope you are doing well. Talk soon.
Thank you all, again, for being part of an excellent homage to such a beautiful place. I hope somehow, we will not have seen Eastatoe for the last time. Walk in Beauty, Everyone, and please never take it for granted.