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June 27, 2005 I am not in the greatest shape, 55 pounds overweight and insulin dependant diabetic. I am also 44 years old and a student back in school. This is a good indicator of the lengths we will go to for a photo, class assignment and health. My earth science course had a requirement of a real time field trip. Having climbed smaller waterfalls in the heat of summer in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park (GSMNP) years prior, I thought I would do that. I put in my idea and everyone said " Great". So did I, I was so totally stupid. I had previously had a bad time with my health. Panic attacks, depression, menopause did a number on me. It was my first bad time with it. My Doctors’ orders, "Get out more. You need the exercise… It will do you some good". She was right, I was bored and my current exercise routine was just not getting the endorphins up. So here we presented ourselves with an opportunity to kill two birds and one foolish woman with a single stone. I would get the needed endorphin secreting exercise, bring down my blood sugar levels and get my field trip done. One would not think that there would be so much to choose from in selecting a hike to a waterfall. It’s walking right, HAHAHAHA. Noooooooo. It’s not. They don’t call it hiking for nothing. And what is mileage. You can walk according to pedometer 2 miles in a mall during a shopping spree… So when a choice comes up and says " 2.5 miles" you think piece of cake… I can do this…. There is a book, Waterfall Walks* that gives you choices. Places, distances and a map of sorts on all of the waterfalls worth seeing in the GSMNP. My first hike, a week previous was to Grotto Falls, I did pretty well on that short one. It took me 3 hours to go 1.3 miles up. I told you I was out of shape. I had encouragement all the way from hikers who had passed us going up and coming back! While I was still going up. Always with an encouraging word, always with a smile, it was the energy from them that helped me get there as well. When I got there I climbed under and over the waterfalls, and got soaked. I came down in a lot less time. Down hill is always easier. I got my school work done and enjoyed myself as tired as I was. It also did something else, it got me to want to walk and climb to another waterfall. My second hike was to Rainbow falls: they should rename this; "If you’re out of shape and doing this, chances are good you could die Hike". It was on this hike that I earned a new nickname " Bear Food". I didn’t make it up 1/3 of the way up the trail, death seems like an eminent possibility. It would be a welcome relief from the endless rocks, roots that have become a web holding the ground together in bumpy trippable purposeful placements. Inclines, they don’t tell you are of 45 degrees (this is considered minor up hills), My lord how many uphill rises are there, They lie in the books when they say moderate, and gently slope.. Paths are often narrow, very narrow. Don’t look down on many. The shear at the foot is a doozey of a fall. On this hike my husband took wonderful pictures of Bear scratchings’ on trees. It had to be a big bear he commented… Nice. We saw big deer, and evidence of glacial activity, hemlock groves and so many wonderful things. We took many a break. I looked for a nice spot to bury my body. Who would make the trek to put a stone?, NO ONE. So I kept trudging. As Chaucer put it, "To trudge a slow methodical pace, to soldier on", he must have been a hiker to Rainbow Falls. It took me almost 4 maybe 5 hours to go " only 2.3 miles" When I got up there I was recharged. I climbed up the rocks to sit under the falls. It was also a rainy day. Hiking in the rain on the way back our daughter had a burst of energy so she went on ahead and made it to the car. I was still fumbling in the dark. My husband ever encouraging, when I fell I got frustrated and began to cry. It was here that I earned my new Indian Name. " Are you hurt?" he asked in a somewhat concerned more serious tone." No" I answered back." Then stop squalling and get up before you become bear food". His concern was genuine. They had recently had sighting and we had seen signs of bears, but also they release wolves and coyotes into the park. As he told me take your time, I found out later he was worried about the bears, and coyotes attacking. I vowed never again a late start and only ones that can do! So that brings me to my last hike, the one I just completed and the one that this piece is about. Abrams falls, A beautiful and busy waterfall in GSMNP. The hike was 2.55 miles, or 5 miles roundtrip. We got an early start. But we didn’t realize the drive was so long. Arriving at a good time, we noticed there was also about 25 other people making the hike. We of course took a day-pack. While we had experienced gorps and trail foods on our previous day hikes or day walks of the doomed, this time we took a loaf of bread and turkey-ham. The trail was actually one of the nicest. It was wide a majority of the way, many muddy spots, and lovely scenery and the ups and downs weren’t too bad. I was keeping pace and doing pretty good. It came as surprise I was not dying too bad on this one. And them we came to a rock gap,. My Husband wanted a picture of our daughter and I sitting on the top of the out-cropping. So we climbed up these boulders, granite and quartz rocks. And sat there while he took some photos. Then he climbed up. My daughters day-pack strap had broken and she was sitting there sewing it, quietly while we talked and looked around. It would have a made a great place for Charleton Heston to receive the tablets. He noticed that where we were sitting was not just a gap, it was the very tippy top of a mountain. Straddling the biggest boulder you were sky high. It was a ridge top. It was remarkable. As he sat down he saw a piece of quartz and he tried to move it. He jiggled it and he then calmly said "Hey there’s a snake in here". We thought he was kidding. He is always joking. At first he thought it was a rattle snake but then he started counting and looking closer. They turned out to be copperheads. He counted six I think. Where I had been sitting and placed my foot into a footstep was one, and where my butt was, was another. Had we been actually aware, we would never have crawled up there. They say God protects fools and drunks, it would seem he protects the really stupid hikers with cameras as well. We shinnied down rather fast, and he stayed up there watching them. He excited one and was only about 4 inches from being struck, bitten you choose your favorite phrase. He climbed back down, only after taking some really good shots of the snakes. And to let others know coming up the trail behind us about the snakes. We made it up to Abrams falls and I got under the fall, and the two of them climbed over the top. We spent about two hours just enjoying playing in the water and relaxing. And as with all of my other hikes I have to fall. It’s like a good luck thing. The first fall was I slipped in the waterfall and landed in a toilet shaped rock and then I slipped on another rock, only this time flat out on rock and not on soft ground. After a few minutes I managed to getup. I plan on sliding down the slippery rock water slide next time! One of the biggest problems about hiking in, as they say, is that you have to hike out. A majority of these hike outs are downhill. However not this one. By the third steep incline coming out, not only us, but some other folks were crying at the sight of any uphill no matter how shallow, and at the steep ones wailing could be heard, and that was from the men! This however has carried out into real world, when we had to walk an uphill to a volunteer interview. If you are interested in hiking your local park service headquarters and visitors center has books and maps and people that can answer your questions. Wear good comfy roomy shoes, start with short distance hikes, drink plenty of fluids, remove rings,. Your hands will swell up! Get an early start and do it in the cool temperatures. And please remember "Leave no trace" Hiking isn’t all that bad, just make sure your stupid and god will protect you,. And if you see an incline, turn back… Happy trekking. * Waterfall Walks and Drives in the Great Smokey Mountains. Mark Morrison available at Park Headquarters, ------------ About the author: Julia Sherman is now a BA student at SNL@ DePaul University. Extensivly published and is currently author of the month at lionsongpublications.com. I have 10 dogs puppies, 7 of which are Black Mouth Curr and adorable. Anyone want a puppy? Email: jimmysdevoted2@bellsouth.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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