A little over seven years ago, the EIC Crew trekked down Flat Rock Creek from Flat Rock Hollow with a friend who wanted to show us a waterfall. As we descended the creek, it eventually played out, the water seeming to have just been absorbed by the creek bed at one point in the area of what we have named "Sentinel Valley". Sentinel Valley is an open area with giant monoliths and rock
formations that tower over the creek hollow like soldiers standing guard. Only a hundred or so yards from where the stream disappeared into the creek bed, was a sheer drop of at least fifty feet with no water running over it but a trickle of a stream we could see below. On that occasion, we didn't take the opportunity to negotiate the steep rocky descent to the canyon floor.
On Sunday, after Friday's 6.5+ inch rains in the area, we finally made our long anticipated return to the location in hopes of getting shots of the creek pouring over the fall. Though our entire group didn't make it all the way through the heavy brush, we did manage to get some shots of the falls which we have dubbed "Sentinel Valley Falls". This time, it was essential that the steep canyon walls were conquered and it was well worth the effort! Beneath the falls, in the cliff face, there are two caves. One is a shelter and is elevated a bit and the other is just behind the falls and has a small stream running out of it. We have concluded that the water upstream a ways seeps through the gravel creek bed through a crack and continues downstream through the cave to emerge at the bottom of the rock face.
Flat Rock creek is a natural wonder. We are blessed to have such incredible places here in our area of God's Green Earth!
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