Return To Paradise

It was like a breath of fresh air. I had been passing up hiking invitations for around 10 years. The Last Hike really did a number on us and I guess I felt guilty about the outcome more than anything else.

The timing was just good for the return trip. I was re-turning over an old leaf, cleaning up my act. It was a generic invitation but only one person accepted. KT, who is definitely an elf in disguise, was ready to rock.

Finally ready to put the past behind me I had only my fitness level to deal with. The hike was in August so I had about a month to prepare. With everything on track it became the main focus and I trained my ass off to get ready for it.

Weather looked bad at first but by the time we hit the trail it cleared up. There was a lot of mud and even some doggy doo which lightened the mood a bit. After a time the apprehension went away and I rejoined the rest of the party.

Occassional drops of rain sprinkled the area. Much of the ground was soft from the previous morning shower leaving fresh pockets of mud and muddy water spread over the path. The wind picked up some too and there was a slight chill in the air.

In years past I had a difficult time locating and identifying the correct trail markers. This didn't change much but fortunately we had map. It took some reorientating to determine the right one to take.

We continued until familiarity set in. I suppose the change in landscape over time distorted most of the memories. The only real thing I remembered was the mud. It wasn't until the bamboo forest that most of it started flowing back into consciousness.

Now we were in business. The area was muddy but my thoughts were now clear as we continued up the trail. I knew we were close by when it started to open up in the distance, exposing a gloomy sky and leaves rustling in the strong wind.

The lookout is actually a smallish area openly exposed to the elements - it's so windy there that you could jump forward and get blown back! There's a small seating area (like a bench) and a trail marker designating the end. To the left is a fairly steep hill with mud, water, and loose rocks. That path takes you through another trail system that eventually forks into oblivion. On the right, the waterfall!!

Overgrown from infrequent use, the path to the waterfall was partially hidden from view. Yet, I knew it was there, waiting, beckoning. I reminisced for a brief moment before retiring to rest and snap some shots. We headed back shortly after.

I had some personal doubts about bombing out on the trail. After all the only activity I was used to doing in recent years was feeding my face!! But thanks to my hiking bud it turned out to be a fun adventure that left me charged for the next one.

Here are some pix: