Wednesday, March 12th, was a great day... sunny, warm... high temperature of about 75 degrees. Greg and I had been looking through some old pictures of my grandparents' and found some of Bridal Veil Falls. We decided that was the perfect location for our hike.We drove to the west side of the falls and parked near the entrance to a YBMC park (which has been closed due to vandalism, sadly). I don't think I had ever hiked to the Falls from the west side... as a child we always went in from the east (behind what is now Southside Baptist Church). Once my Girl Scout troop hiked from the old First United Methodist Church on Spring Street... trekking up the creek to the Falls. Honestly, I can't see my nieces or little friends walking that far today! I definitely can't see them hiking BACK afterwards!
The falls are as spectacular as ever, and even more amazing is thinking of all of the people who have hiked to them, had a picnic, and enjoyed a warm sunny day on that same rocky bank that joins the pool of water at the base of the Falls. The first photo was taken on the west side from the top. The rest of the photos follow our path down the western slope to the creek, and then to the falls themselves. The last few pictures were taken back on top... Greg videotaping over the edge of the falls... the slick flat rocks where we entered from the east when I was a child... and even a beautiful smaller waterfall up creek of the main event.
It is hard to imagine that we were literally a few city blocks from town... less than a half mile from a major highway into town, and yet we were in a pristine, undeveloped area that was serene, relaxing, and breathtaking. It evoked such wonderful memories of times spent there in my childhood... and now I have wonderful NEW memories of time spent there on a beautiful spring day with Greg.
Before we left, I walked back up under the Falls to stand on the little pebbles at the edge of the pool underneath the waterfalls. I thanked God for such a beautiful day, and the ability to walk down the steep path just one year after my nasty fall. I thanked Him for so many blessings in my life, and I asked Him to bless every person in my family, my friends, and all of those who are in His care. I asked that whatever they were experiencing at that moment, He would be with them. And then I looked up. Do not miss the last two pictures of the tree that grows at the base of the waterfall. Don't miss what I saw as I finished my prayer! If you think God isn't in the smallest of details as well as the bigger ones, take a look at the last two photos and see if you still feel that way! I know I had a completely different perspective on the hike after that... and I will never forget that awesome spring day and our hike to Bridal Veil Falls.
