BLOCKBUSTERS

Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games were both filmed just outside of Asheville.

Last Of The Mohicans is a love story based on James Fenimore Cooper's book of the same name. Destined by fate and tested by the ravishes of the French and Indian War actors Daniel-Day Lewis and Madeline Stowe give an epic performance. 

The Hunger Games, a post apocalyptic movie, takes place in North America testing the survival skills of young men and women between the ages of 12 and 18. Contestants are pitted against each other in a life and death winner takes all battle. The last person standing is the winner. The author Suzanne Collins has received numerous accolades for her work.

DuPont State Forest just north of the South Carolina border was the site of all the waterfalls scenes in both movies. Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, and High Falls located along the Little River are along the same hiking trail and readily accessible with a little effort.

I set out on a hiking adventure to capture the feeling of a special place made famous for its natural beauty and simplicity. Not as difficult as my usual hikes I enjoyed both the idea of past and future worlds sharing the same all around raw natural locations. That's the magic of movies. 

It's December now and the air is heavy yet warm enough to enjoy a brisk hike. A heavey mist hangs over me shielding me from the warmth of the Sun. As I approach lower lying areas the mist engulfs me in a white-out. If I were driving I would have to put on my headlights. Suddenly, total clarity, the mist is gone as if by movie magic the evil fog retreated sparing my life for another scene. The heaviness of the air is accompanied by a familiar odor of damp musty moss and pine I recognize. My mind flashes back to The HOH Rain Forest on the Olympic Peninsula. Nice I thought, familiar sense's are always nice. Suddenly I hear rushing water, it must have been a welcome sound for the indiginous knowing they were close. Man and water are inseparable in this world I thought, hand in hand, like in the movies. I see my first waterfalls and I'm drawn to it. This is a special place that will breath life into two worlds we can only imagine. Worlds made possible by the magic of movies and the grace of Mother Nature. Thank you!