My second adventure found me up at 6:00 am on a Saturday morning in October to meet my friends at one of their houses to head into north Georgia. We were all pretty delirious by the time we all met up at 6:30a, and some were even running late. I was calling my late friend, slick nervous that we would not make it in time. Why did this adventure have us up so early?
Because we were headed to Tallulah Gorge, and the first 100 visitors to the park that attended an orientation session would be able to receive passes to go to the bottom and hike along the gorge floor. When I decided to visit Georgia’s 7 Natural Wonders, I also decided that I wanted to be able to get the full experience for each. For Tallulah Gorge, that meant being able to do the gorge floor trail for which you had to receive a pass. It was a good 1.5 hour drive up to the park plus time to stop for snacks and things. We got to the park around 8:30 am, 30 minutes after opening. I was nervous that there would be a long line for the park passes, but luckily, my friends and I were able to attend the training and get park passes.
As we sat in the training and reviewed the paper work, one thing on the sheet stood out to me “Gorge Floor trail strenuous and not recommended for non-swimmers.” For most people, this would not be an issue. However, I count myself among those who are considered non-swimmers. I had a choice to make, whether I would do the trail that I had traveled to do or not. In the training, they discussed to hike the gorge floor trail, you would have to wade through water and on slippery rocks, which could be very dangerous for those who are not able to swim. I was disappointed by this news but decided that I had come too far not to go to the bottom of the gorge floor to see for myself. We left the training and headed out into the park. It was the beginning of fall, so the trees were turning beautiful shades of yellow, red, orange, and brown with some green still speckled throughout. There are trails on which you can walk around the top of the gorge and see down into the bottom of the gorge and across the gorge opening. This gorge also is home to some waterfalls as well, which could be seen from the upper view.
We headed towards the trail that would lead us to the gorge floor, walking across a suspension bridge over a waterfall and down more flights of stairs than I cared to count. Once we got to the bottom of the gorge floor, my legs were experiencing the stiff feeling of tiredness from having walked too long and receiving an unexpected leg day work out. There was a small balcony overlook where we could stand and take in the view along with a small deck that set right before the water. We were at the bottom of one of the waterfalls where a group of rocks spread across the bottom of the floor. People were using the rocks to cross the water. I watched as some other people tried to cross and failed, slipping on the rocks and falling into the water (sometimes hitting a rock along the way). The current of the water from Tallulah River flowing across the bottom of the gorge floor was not too heavy, but I knew that I would be swept away if I fell into the water. I quickly realized that I would not be crossing to the other side to do the entirety of the gorge floor trail that day.
However, my sense of adventure got the best of me, and I still found myself trying to cross out onto the rocks to the middle of the floor before the water got too deep. This turned out to be just as much fun for me because by the time my friends and I had finished crossing the rocks and hanging out, we were too tired to keep going. It was peaceful to sit out on the rocks in the middle of the water and looking at the scenery. Being on the gorge floor was such a contrast from looking at the views from the rim. I felt so small in the middle of this valley cutting between towering rocks 1,000 feet high. (I am only 4 ft 9 in, so I was definitely outsized here!) Going out on the rocks was as risky as I was willing to be, and I definitely needed some help from my friends to make it back to the dock safely, as I did almost slip at one point.
After taking in the beautiful scenery from the gorge floor of the rocks that had been cut through by the waterfall, the surrounding trees, and the other visitors also enjoying their time at the park, we headed back up all the stairs. Since we did not do the entirety of the gorge floor trail, we decided to walk on the trail around the upper rim of the gorge, taking in all of the views from above. Along the way, we ended up seeing the top of Tallulah Falls, which creates the river that we saw at the bottom of the floor, and some local art murals.
While I did not expect that I would not be able to do the gorge floor trail, I had a great time being out near the water, sitting along the rocks and taking in the scenery. I always find water to be calming and peaceful, so this was a nice surprise. This shift in plans also caused us to get a greater perspective of the park and its surrounding area, not only seeing the gorge but the water fall that creates it.
I am often a person that likes things to go exactly to plan, and sometimes, I even find myself getting frustrated when things do not work out exactly as I have them planned in my mind. My friends are not shy in telling me that I am Type A. This was a good reminder that sometimes things are better when you are willing to be flexible, go with the flow, and let go of control. There was a time when I would have gotten upset that I could not do the trail that I wanted and even let it ruin my whole day. Being willing to explore and make the best of it with my friends led me to discover some other enjoyable parts of the park that I would have missed such as the art mural, the views from the upper rim, and even the adventure of just climbing out on the rocks instead of trying to cross through the water. I was grateful that I decided to embrace an attitude of openness for the day and work against my previous habits to truly enjoy the day.
How many times have you planned something for it to not work out as expected?
How do you tend to react when things do not go to plan?
How did your attitude towards this change impact the outcome of the event?
Post-Lude:
What is a gorge you may ask? Before I came here, I honestly was not clear on the definition of a gorge myself, so I have saved you the trouble of googling it and included the definition below:
Gorge – a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.
Read more about my challenge to see Georgia’s 7 Natural Wonders: