Serendipity at Silver Run Falls
Sep. 30th, 2023 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerNorth Carolina Travelog #20
Near the SC border - Fri, 22 Sep 2023. 2:30pm
One of the things I like about travel is serendipity. It's the act of finding something you didn't know about or didn't expect, choosing to experience it, and enjoying it.
Enjoying serendipity requires two things: First, you've got to be in a place where you're likely to find things you enjoy. We're in the mountains surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls; check. Second, you've got to have your eyes open as well as your mind open to finding something unplanned. Check.
Here's the situation: We're on the way to Whitewater Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state, and as we're driving down a canyon road on the way we see a sign for Silver Run Falls. Silver Run Falls? That sounds interesting! We pull over at the next safe spot, turn around, and go back. Meanwhile we dial up trail info on AllTrails.com. Yup, this looks like a good one to hike. How did we ever miss it in planning? No matter now; we've found it serendipitously!
Silver Run Falls certainly isn't the tallest waterfall in the state. In fact it's the third tallest we've seen so far today, and we've got an even taller one planned next. 🤣 But it was a short walk down an easy trail to this nice little oasis, a rock lined pool with a twin-ribbon falls dropping about 25 feet in front of us. Better yet, we had it to ourselves— almost. One group who were at the falls when we arrived headed back toward the trailhead a few minutes later.
I hopped across those rocks at the lower edge of the first picture, making my way— without getting my feet wet— to the ground opposite the falls. The sun came out, too! Alas our solitude at the falls didn't last. A big group, maybe even two groups, came in behind us. I wonder if they saw our car parked in the tiny parking area and figured, "Huh, a car with out-of-state plates, this must be good!" And they definitely saw me on the other side of the pool and figured, "Huh, he got over there, I bet we can do it, too!"
Though I appreciate solitude in beauty when I can find it, the mere presence of other people on trails and at scenes of beauty does not bother me. They have as much right to enjoy the beauty as I do. But there are two kinds of travelers in the backcountry— those who quietly appreciate the beauty in which they walk, and those who mar its enjoyment for everybody by talking over each other constantly in overly loud voices.
Well, it was a good time to leave. We have at least one more falls to get to today anyway!
In beauty I walk. Respectfully.
Near the SC border - Fri, 22 Sep 2023. 2:30pm
One of the things I like about travel is serendipity. It's the act of finding something you didn't know about or didn't expect, choosing to experience it, and enjoying it.
Enjoying serendipity requires two things: First, you've got to be in a place where you're likely to find things you enjoy. We're in the mountains surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls; check. Second, you've got to have your eyes open as well as your mind open to finding something unplanned. Check.
Here's the situation: We're on the way to Whitewater Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state, and as we're driving down a canyon road on the way we see a sign for Silver Run Falls. Silver Run Falls? That sounds interesting! We pull over at the next safe spot, turn around, and go back. Meanwhile we dial up trail info on AllTrails.com. Yup, this looks like a good one to hike. How did we ever miss it in planning? No matter now; we've found it serendipitously!
Silver Run Falls certainly isn't the tallest waterfall in the state. In fact it's the third tallest we've seen so far today, and we've got an even taller one planned next. 🤣 But it was a short walk down an easy trail to this nice little oasis, a rock lined pool with a twin-ribbon falls dropping about 25 feet in front of us. Better yet, we had it to ourselves— almost. One group who were at the falls when we arrived headed back toward the trailhead a few minutes later.
I hopped across those rocks at the lower edge of the first picture, making my way— without getting my feet wet— to the ground opposite the falls. The sun came out, too! Alas our solitude at the falls didn't last. A big group, maybe even two groups, came in behind us. I wonder if they saw our car parked in the tiny parking area and figured, "Huh, a car with out-of-state plates, this must be good!" And they definitely saw me on the other side of the pool and figured, "Huh, he got over there, I bet we can do it, too!"
Though I appreciate solitude in beauty when I can find it, the mere presence of other people on trails and at scenes of beauty does not bother me. They have as much right to enjoy the beauty as I do. But there are two kinds of travelers in the backcountry— those who quietly appreciate the beauty in which they walk, and those who mar its enjoyment for everybody by talking over each other constantly in overly loud voices.
Well, it was a good time to leave. We have at least one more falls to get to today anyway!
In beauty I walk. Respectfully.
