I hiked the Gorge Floor Trail at Tallulah Gorge today. I arrived about 9 a.m. and filled out my permit. They only allow 100 people a day to make this hike. I was number 5. A slow day no doubt. I was hoping for that. I decided to do the Tallulah Gorge hike on Friday because it is the more public hike I have planned for this weekend. I'm not really looking for alot of company so when they said there were only 4 people before me, I was very pleased.
My first geocache was in the center of the hurricane falls suspension bridge. I was instructed to take a picture of the gorge walls and decide what type of rock formation Tallulah Gorge is. I'm saying dome. Who knows if I'm right or wrong. That's my theory. It just seemed like the lines and folds were always headed upward and it seemed more gradual at the bottom than the top. So it looked more "rounded" or "dome" shaped to me.
The stairs down went pretty quickly. The sound of the roaring hurricane falls filled my ears as I carefully headed down the 1099 steps. I thought it was 1000 but whose counting. The suspension bridge is before the last 221 stairs. It's 80 feet up. Glorious view. Beautiful white cascades somehow ending in this yummy green pool. It looks so cool and inviting after 800 stairs. The bridge looks sturdy and safe. Definitely a concern to me because I'm somewhat afraid of heights. The boards creak though. I kept looking behind me expecting to see someone. No one there, just a creaky suspension bridge playing tricks on me.
221 more steps and my legs are feeling pretty darn wobbly. So I take advantage of the bench at the observation deck. I'm looking at the crossing. It's a natural crossing created by mother nature from boulders. There's a real tricky section about 2/3 of the way across that I just know I'm going to end up in the water. Don't get me wrong. Right now the thought of that cold water sounds great. It's the thought of my backpack going in with the gps, digital camera and multiple hiking an nature books that really bothers me. Plus it would be embarrassing if anyone were actually watching, which thank god they weren't. Alone there is good in this case.
So I decide to proceed. Thank god Sally insisted that have shoes with good tread on the bottom. These rocks are sliding right into the water and you are naturally sliding right along the rocks. Good tread a must here for sure. I made it to the tricky part. Basically I was going to have to step down and way out to the tiny dry spot in the middle of a much smaller rock that was barely sticking out of the water. Then step on another that was actually under water and then up and a stretch to get up on a bigger boulder.
You're probably thinking that doesn't sound to bad. There is something everyone needs to know about mountain river rocks. If they are wet, those suckers are more slippery than if you put baby oil on them. You've never encountered anything so slippery in your life. That one rock under water mine as well be the worlds best lubricated slip and slide. Bad news right there. That one rock with the little bit of dry at the top, just step anywhere else even a little and you my friend are on your backside sliding down the river with a super sopping wet backpack full of digital and literary parapanalia.
So I sat on the boulder before the two little tricky rocks for about 15 minutes, trying to determine if there was any other way around it. And there wasn't. I stretched out so carefully and thanked god for pilates and yoga as I placed my foot very carefully on the dry spot. I then had to push myself up into a balanced position with my right arm. So far so good. I oh so carefully put my right foot onto the completely submerged rock to test it, expecting to go flying downstream. It held. A quick leap onto the next border had me scrambing because my soles were now wet and as slippery as the river rocks. I mad it up using my hands and knees instead. One bruise on the left knee to show for it. I had to rub my shoes on the rock to dry them off before I could proceed to the other side. But I had passed the first test. Which actually turned out to be the hardest.
The rest of the trail is mostly scrambling around on boulders and cliff sides, but if you take it slow it isn't too bad. Definitely don't want to get in a hurry on this trail. It's gorgeous the whole way so you also have to go slow to really look around and enjoy it. Gorgeous stream, sheer cliffs with geological lining going 700 feet above you. Huge boulders that look like they were thrown down by the gods. And everywhere the rushing sound of waterfalls. You can't really hear much else. Not exactly peaceful. Adrenaline for sure.
Oceana Falls was tricky to go around. They say if it rains, that is where you get stuck. And I can see it. I basically sat down and slid on my bottom and using that new tread for breaks as I slid down the cliff side towards the falls. You don't want to go into that. Pretty falls.
I passed the swim hole before the Bridal Veil, but I didn't wear my suit anyways. I thought the swimming was at the bottom perhaps but I wouldn't recommend that. It's those slick rocks again. I think you could get into the pool easier than you probably want, but getting out would be really difficult.
I was thinking to myself, is this it? Is this the end? I new it probably was but I decided to be sure, so I picked my way along the bolders just maybe 100 yards further. More underbrush here, less defineable paths. I came around a really gigantic boulder to see a heron flying away. I didn't have time to get a picture. Too bad. And I want back to a spot in the shade by the pool. It was around 11 am and the sun still hadn't made it over the gorge wall here. I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants legs, stuck my feet in the welcoming cold water, and proceeded to douse myself with the nice cool water. It felt so good and I was so hot from scrambling around boulders. I'm going to be sore tomorrow for sure.
I noticed a guy without his shirt on at the top of bridal veil and realized I had missed the swimming hole. Just as well anyways. He was there with a gorgeous red head and I wouldn't have wanted to interrupt. I chilled for a bit and ate a snack and decided to head back. No hurry just relax and climb back up the 700 feet in about a mile.
I made it back and back across the nemesis rock, still amazingly dry. Back up the 221 stairs, back across the suspension brige and up the remaining steps. Just thinking about it makes me tired.
Then I was off to find my second geocache of the day. It was along the north rim, back away from the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive center towards the campground and beach. I missed it the first time of course. I was walking under 441 on the trail to the beach when I realized both the longitude and latitude were going the wrong way. I turned back and after 30 minutes I found it. I'll get better at this for sure. I was basically almost standing on it, looking all around. I looked down and barely caught the grass green of the box under the small pieces of branch that were used to disguise it. Pretty cool really. I read some of the log and signed mine. I took out a black firetruck eraser and put in one of my little ceramic turtles. It was in this little small glade of pine trees and the pine needles were under my knees and it was cool and silent and really a nice experience. What fun.
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