After I graduated college in 1982, I was well on my way to launching my career a few years later. I decided to take my parents on a little vacation. I was making some pretty good money, no college debt, and living at home so I was banking most of it. We traveled up Florida, Georgia, and went as far north as this park in North Carolina.
While my parents took a break, I walked the entire two mile, two hour trail to the waterfall and back. That trip was etched in my mind for life. It was the most difficult hike I had done to that point and set a pattern for me that I still enjoy.
I have come back every few years. Probably 10 times or so. This last time was a bit more difficult as 1) I'm older, and 2) the elevator was being repaired. Yes there is an elevator built right into the side of a mountain here.
I often think of this place and one particular trip comes to mind. After a most devastating year with many personal failures, I basically got on a plane and took a one way trip to Asheville. Yes there was a time you could easily walk into the airport with a bag and just pick a destination and hop a plane. At the time of my departure I had no real plans of returning nor did I tell anyone I was going. I'm sure most people have days they feel like that. Not everyone acts upon them.
I remember driving up the steep, switch back road to the park so fast, the tires on the rental car were smoking. Try it. See if you can make it or sling yourself off the road. I remember I didn't really care either way. It was a wet, rainy, foggy day. The steps then were not nearly as even and regularly spaced as they are today and the trail was mostly uneven rock. Easy to twist an ankle or slip right over the side of a sheer drop. After sitting in the cafe here for a bit, I just took off up the stairs.
Along the trail I passed a woman and her boyfriend. The woman had an artificial leg. I walked by them in total disbelief. My all fired hurry to get somewhere turned into a wait for them to catch up. There were at the time little rain shelters along the trail. It was raining. I took shelter and waited. In a few moments they arrived and sat with me. I asked what were they doing on this trail that I could barely navigate.
Apparently she was in a car accident but loved this trail so much that she wanted to walk it again. A trail I was hardly noticing in my hurry to run away from my life. It was my first time meeting anyone superhuman enough to make this journey with little better than an old fashioned wooden leg. It was also the first time I ever saw in person this level of determination in the face of incredible odds against success.
I am pretty sure this happened in 1994-1995. I remember why I was there, just not exactly when. I also remember how insignificant my problems and possibly my entire life became in the moments after I spoke with them. Not being very social at the time, I headed on. The trail is a loop so I did not come across them again. I did spend a very long time sitting perfectly still in a light rain memorizing with every possible sense a particularly scenic spot among the trees. I still to this day go to it in my head whenever life seems more than I care to handle. I will always remember the two people who I will never meet again and who will never know they were the biggest positive change in my life. I remember driving very carefully down the mountain and back to the airport. I also remember that when I got home I saw everything in my life differently. Even though the circumstances in my life never really changed all that much, I became a much happier and contented person.
