Grandma Bearly Makes It

    I have been a grandma for almost two years now. But I never really felt like a grandmother until last weekend when I hiked to Rainbow Falls with a group of photographers 

    Rainbow Falls is over 100 feet high. Isn't it beautiful?

    When you think of rainbows you think of love, peace and happiness don't you? 

    Well, this rainbow almost killed me!

     Rainbow Falls is in a very steep part of the southeastern United States. Getting to the falls involved one hour of hiking down a steep mountain. Those of you who have not done this are thinking, "Oh! Downhill. That's easy." Not so! This is more of a "downmountain" type of thing. It involved stepping down from one ledge to another over and over again, using my thigh muscles as brakes, until those muscles turned to jelly. The ledges were very irregular, sometimes a few inches high, sometimes a foot high. At times it involved stepping from dirt collected by a root to an area below where rain had washed the earth away. At other times it meant stepping from root-to-rock or root-to-slippery-fallen-leaves. Every step was different and there was no way to establish the rhythm that we normally have while walking.

    One part of the trail was so steep that ropes were provided as an aid for descending two sections of large rocks.

    By the time we reached the falls I knew I was in trouble and would have difficulty on the steep ascent back out. I desperately gulped down an energy bar and water in an effort to avoid my personal train wreck looming up ahead.

    When we were done photographing the falls it was time to leave. We had spent about an hour resting there, but it was no use. After climbing just a few yards I began having serious difficulty.

    My quadriceps muscles were so exhausted from the trip down that in no time the climb up became nearly impossible. When my legs became too heavy to lift I resorted to crawling. I used my hands to  grip roots, tree trunks, and rocks to pull myself along. All of this with 24 lbs of camera gear on my back. Pretty soon my arm muscles became fatigued as well. And to say that my heart was pounding is an understatement. I was audibly panting and I didn't care who heard me. I was having so much difficulty I thought I might have to spend a night out there!

    Somewhere on the mountain Mama Bear set the table for dinner.

    All of this happened before we reached the section with the ropes. I'm guessing that as I approached all the young men drew straws. One tall athletic fellow must have been the loser. While I labored upwards he stood at the bottom, cursed with the job of catching Granny, should she fall. 

    To add to my embarrassment, the group of hikers I was with (all in their twenties and thirties) had to stop and wait for me.  They were quick studies and soon learned my name.  "Liz, are you okay?"  "Liz, do you need to rest?"  "Liz, do you want some of my water?" One slender young lady who could talk without gasping for oxygen must have also thought I would be spending the night out. She asked, "Do you want some food?" Bless their healthy little hearts! Their concern for Granny was heartwarming!

    The only way I completed the climb was by drowning out the sound of my own pounding heart with positive mental chatter. I told myself that I could make it,  and I chanted a marching cadence silently to myself as I put one foot (or one knee) in front of the other.

    Finally we reached the top. My shame was overcome by the  pride of a job well done. I bragged to our guide that I was probably the oldest person to have made this hike. Before you could say "You bet your sweet bippy!" he replied, "My dad has done it a few times. He's 74 years old." That really busted my bubble!

    Later we visited several more falls. This is Shower Bath Falls. So named because campers used to shower there. Brrrrrrr!

    I crawled under the ledge at the right side of the falls to video the water from another angle. I had to crouch down under the rock ledge, not an easy maneuver  after the beating my muscles had taken at Rainbow.

    Here are two close ups taken near the bottom of another falls. Sometimes these are prettier than wide angle shots of waterfalls.    

    This photo is taken along a trail to one of the falls. See where the sunbeam hits the rock? Look just to the left of that. Where the rock meets the tree roots is where the "trail" is. This is not the trail to Rainbow, this is what our guide called an "easy" trail.

    In addition to waterfalls, we visited this mountain which is one mile above sea level and known for its windy weather. The day we were there the wind was blowing about 35 mph. It blew so hard that it was difficult to open the car door and at times I was blown off course while walking. There was no way I would have walked out onto the edge of this cliff!

    And that's the truth!