Adventure...which I will define as an activity that challenges your mind and your body in such a way that you have to show up and give that moment your full attention...which means...no talking, among other things.
While living away from the mountains, I actually forgot...what it’s like to immerse oneself in surroundings that are rugged and wild. Where the outcome of your traversing through this might be questionable...depending upon the choices you make. I also forgot that given the unpredictability that exists within this realm, you...as a human being...make surprisingly good choices (although sometimes there’s mistakes made) because you know your own body’s capabilities and generally err on the side of your physical best interests.
There’s a knowledge and a knowing that’s been re-activated within me about navigating nature’s terrain here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And creek crossings are definitely one place that causes either new learning or a re-awakening of how to read one’s surroundings and navigate natural elements.
I met up with a fellow river guide yesterday (Meet Jay) and we chose to challenge ourselves with a land adventure by hiking to Little Bradley Falls.
He and I had a lot to catch up on so we talked and talked and talked about much of the events that have unfolded in our lives (before and after Helene) while we hiked. Jay reminded me that he was on that last Green River Adventure whitewater kayaking trip back on September 20th that I wrote about. We reminisced about how tumultuous that trip was...quite a few things that day went “off script”...but what we talked about mostly was how much it didn’t seem to bother us as much as it did earlier in the season. We had learned (while resisting of course) how to let go of our need for these trips to go how WE wanted them to go and just let them unfold and manage circumstances as best we could in the moment.
Here come the creek crossings. There are three creek crossings enroute to Little Bradley Falls and each one naturally provides its own challenges. We arrived at the first pretty gung-ho and ready to face wet feet if need be. We found a route that required some rock-hopping (which if you’ve been around rivers and creeks you know that rocks often are slippery...we were ready...and turns out...neither of us slipped and fell into the creek) and made it across...dry footed. Yeah!
When we arrived at the second creek crossing, a short while later, it was evident that wet feet might be the thing here. Until Jay spied a way across where someone before us has laid two logs (more like branches because these were only about 5 inches in diameter) side-by-side and about 8 feet long across a section where there were no rocks to cross. So we rock hopped half-way across and then one behind the other, Charlie Chaplin style, walked across these logs. Now...something of note...logs of this diameter tend to flex….which both of these did. So as you put one foot down on one log...it flexed causing it to drop lower than your other foot that was planted on the other log right next to it. But if you went slow enough....and maintained razer-sharp focus in each moment...one step after the other….POOF, you made it across without any sort of flailing of arms or landing on your butt in the creek.
My whole point in telling this story is what happened on the returning creek crossing here at this same spot. We quickly discovered that talking while attempting this feat caused epic failure! Complete attention to the task...as if you had to link your mind to your feet and your arms and your attention to detail was what this moment required of us both. (Which is one of the MANY reasons I love adventures like these! 100% presence is required. No talking, no thinking about tomorrow, none of that. Just total attention to detail and focus.) Funny thing...since we’d already made it across this spot on the way TO the falls...I think there was a sort of “oh yeah...I can do this” letting down of our guard sorta thing that happened on the way back.) I’m happy to report neither of us fell into the creek on this second attempt...but there was flaying of arms and some pretty hilarious gestures and yes, wet feet after this...and of course a lot of laughter.
Jay and I both agreed after discussing our whitewater kayaking escapades while guiding for Green River Adventures and also our creek crossing adventures here on this trail this day...that Nature is the greatest classroom!
Thank you Jay for suggesting we go hiking this particular balmy day. Fun was had by all!
Get outside as often as possible. Challenge yourself to try new things. And be kind to yourself if you fall down, get wet, screw-it-up...it’s all part of the adventure!
Go, Be, Do!
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