I don’t know exactly how many waterfalls I’ve seen. Several thousand is the best answer I can give. But I know for certain that you don’t see that many waterfalls or learn as much about them as I have without a lot of help and inspiration along the way.

In some ways, my waterfall books and this website are as much a product of the contributions from untold numbers of others as it is my own doing. I’d like to acknowledge each one, but there are just too many to remember, and any list I attempted would leave off people who deserved to be on it.

To everyone who has communicated with me, even for something as simple as answering a quick question, please know that I’m grateful. You may not realize how much I value and appreciate your contribution, but I want you to know that I do.

I do want to single out a few special people who have inspired and educated me, particularly while I’ve been traveling this long road of website creation.

Patricia Adams
Everything I do and everything I am is better because of this person. She took her vows seriously and has been standing by me for more than 25 years. Her patience as I worked on the last two editions of my waterfall book and this website is undeserved but treasured. Her direct help, both in the field and with this website, has been crucial to whatever success it may achieve. She’s my wife, my hiking companion, my best friend.

Phoebe Loretta Adams
The greatest waterfaller. The person who inspired me to love and protect waterfalls. My mother left this world halfway between the first and second editions of my waterfall book, but she’s still with me on every waterfall hike I make.

My mother was unapologetic in her belief that we shouldn’t destroy waterfalls, toss litter, or keep them from public view, even if they are located on private property. And she didn’t hesitate to call out her son when his opinion diverged from hers. Shortly after the first edition of my book came out in 1994, she visited Eastatoe Falls for the first time and became so upset that I had given it a beauty rating of 5 that she knocked on the owner’s door and apologized to him for her son’s obvious lack of good judgment. She was always right; I have no idea what I was thinking when I assigned that rating.

Back when I was more relaxed in my attitude about naming waterfalls, I named a prize find after my mother, only to discover later that it was located just over the line on private property, so I stopped calling it by her name. Perhaps one day I’ll find an appropriate waterfall to name after her, but I’m sure she knows that every time I see a waterfall anywhere in the world, she is with me in spirit.

Alecia Adams, Billy Adams, Laurie Adams, Steve Adams
My father Billy and brother Steve are no longer with us except in spirit, but they continue to help me on my waterfalling journeys. Steve was always my strongest supporter after my mother, and as a geologist and incredibly intelligent person, you can imagine how his contributions have helped me. My brother Laurie and sister Alecia have also always been strong supporters. Laurie, an accomplished caver, mineralogist, and geologist, carries on Steve’s tradition with helping me make sense of waterfalls.

Paul Albert
I usually prefer to hike alone or with Patricia, but Paul and I have been hiking buddies for many years, making several new discoveries along the way. Paul isn’t very active on social media, and most people don’t realize that he was the first among contemporary waterfallers to find several of the major waterfalls in the Haywood, Jackson, and Transylvania counties region.

Bernie Boyer
The Guru, or Sasquatch as his friends endearingly call him. To waterfallers, Bernie is simply, The Man. He has contributed more to our knowledge about waterfalls in the southwestern region of North Carolina than anyone. He has always been there with an answer, encouragement, and trusted advice. Thank you, Bernie. I love you!

Jordan Mitchell
Are you enjoying the maps on this website? You can thank Jordan. He’s a whiz at all things related to digital mapping. He’s also an accomplished waterfaller and a super nice guy. He was very disappointed, though, to learn that I did not live in a big house on top of a mountain, paid for by all the money I surely must have made from my waterfall book. Yeah, right.

Matthew Perry
I like being around people that are smarter than me, and when you throw in avid hiker, childlike inquisitiveness, and waterfaller to the list, how could I not love Matt’s company? Above all, Matt is my friend. He’s helped me in countless ways.

Rich Stevenson
I talk about Waterfall Rich a lot throughout this site. Remember, Rich is the guy that started NCWaterfalls.com and let me take over the domain. See the About page for more about him. Here, I’ll just add that Rich is my friend, and I’m thankful for it.

Steven Temple
Steve is president of Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina and my friend. He’s also an avid waterfaller who likely knows more about waterfalls in the triangle region of North Carolina than anyone. When I was working on the third edition of North Carolina Waterfalls, Steve graciously devoted his time to research the waterfalls of the Triangle for me.

Kevin Williams
I’d like to acknowledge my website builder. Kevin built this site beautifully and somehow was able to include nearly every feature I wanted (it was a long list!). Kevin steered me and presented ideas that I never would have thought of. Not only do I not know a lot of things, but I also don’t know what I don’t know, so having someone show me what is possible and guiding me along the way has been wonderful. Kevin's website.

Shoutout to Waterfall Authors
As the Guidebooks page shows, I’m just one of several who have authored books that are solely or partly about North Carolina waterfalls. I’d like to give a shoutout to the earlier ones, those who published books in the 1980s through the early 2000s, when writing a waterfall book meant lots of independent research and field work. Some of these authors are no longer with us, but they all deserve recognition.

To Nicole Blouin, Marilou Wier Bordonaro, Steve Bordonaro, Brian A. Boyd, Jane Corey, Hal Hubs, Allen T. Hyde, Charles Maynard, David Morris, Mark Morrison, and Jim Bob Tinsley, I offer a big shoutout and thanks for your pioneering work. Also, I’d like to acknowledge the late waterfaller Bob Jones, a.k.a. Mountain Wizard, who explored the Horsepasture and Thompson rivers with his family and shared their adventures with the world.