These two places always will be special to me simply because as soon as it's warm enough I'm frequently walking the trails and finding new ones I've yet to walk. I've been hiking at natural bridge since I was around 5 or 6 years old. I still remember the first time up on the bridge wanting to lay down and look over the edge and my mom becoming frantic at the idea that I may fall until my dad agreed to hold onto me.
This past fall I shared this special places to my niece and three nephews. I can honestly say it wasn't the brightest idea to take a three year old, nor to go on a day there was a slight chance of rain. But I definitely learnt a lesson-and also that the park rangers kind of aren't the best.
The day started out fine, everyone was having a good time, my two youngest nephews, 3 &4, were even enjoying themselves. We took one of the more strenuous trails up to the bridge, then decided to take a different one down. Halfway down the trail it starts sprinkling, which wasn't really a big deal until about ten minutes later when it was pouring down rain and pitch black. Like legit 6 o'clock in the afternoon can barely make out the trail. My boyfriend, his sister and I agreed it'd be better to just go with the trail then risk being in the wild all night. Which was fine with me, the way I saw it I wasn't going to get much wetter and I'd rather not become a snack to a bear. Once we got to a splitting point in the trail we used the light from our phones to read it, deciphering that we we're supposed to go right since left was another 4 mile loop. After a while we couldn't tell if we were still on the trail or not and the rain wasn't only getting worse, it was like wading through a creek at some points and it was becoming much harder to walk, especially while holding a four year old, regardless of how much you love them.
Realizing we had phone signal we did the sensible thing-call 911 and ask to be connected to a park ranger. Once we were connected to the lovely park ranger he proceeds to say, even after e was informed children were with us, to keep walking and he would be on his way shortly. So we keep walking... And walking... And walking, all the while the rain is getting even worse, and the trails have literally started to wash away.
Once we eventually reach the bottom the parking lot has at least 2 inches of water standing. We still joke about it until this day, and surprisingly the 4 year old asks when we can go back all the time. Next time I'm just making sure there's a 0% chance of rain.
Being in the middle of a pitch black, torrential downpour with no phone service really is scary, until the adrenaline kicks in and you realize it's not only about you but the sleeping kid your carrying and the others with you. You really wonder If you'll make it out and if the shadows are bears until the lightening strikes. I definitely appreciate nature a lot more after this.
Oh yeah, and the park ranger? He pulled up in his truck about ten minutes after we got in the van. His reason for never showing? "I had to get snow gear."
Maybe they need Ranger Rick to take over.... He was cuter anyways.
(the second picture is of a rock garden we happened to come across that I'd never seen before)
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