Devil's Falls - Cheaha State Park

So far on the trip we had encountered the steepest roads in our airstream expereince, conquered leveling the camper, experienced a mini flood inside the camper, endured the heat of a hike that ended in a pitiful waterfall.

So now, time for just fun.

But wait, not quite yet. Between day two and day three there was an abrupt awakening during the night. I had been bit. On my stomach. I laid there for several minutes thinking that that was not it. But as the burning continued my mind wandered back to earlier in the day - BLACK WIDOW.

I got up and went back to the bathroom mirror and took a look. Yes, I was bit. I woke up Will. For two reasons: 1) in case the spider was still alive and well in the bed; 2) in case it was a black widow at least he would know and if I started acting weird or foaming at the mouth (I don't think that is actually a symptom) he would know what was going on.

We studied the sheets, no spider. But we pulled them off and shook them out anyway. By the time all the comotion was over and we were settling back in to try to go to sleep, enough time had lapsed, that we felt comfortable that it was not a Black Widow bite (it did take nearly two weeks to heal).

So day 3 meant another hike.  This time to another set of falls. 

Let me say, the day dawned beautiful! The ride to the entrance of the trail was amazing.  The entrance to the trail (after the trash that rude people left laying),refreshing.

Francie hurried to the rocks and hopped around before stepping into the water. We were still pleasantly surprised.

This is the beginning of this section of the trail to the falls. Isn't it lush?!?

It seemed this path was mostly up hill. Most of the way shady, but then it opened up into a dry, rocky section with a nice, steep fall to the right.

And then:

We could hear voices and laughter..

The falls, with a swimming hole, with locals enjoying.

When you arrived at the rocks to the left in the above picture, and turned to look away

from the pool below, this is what you saw:

Crystal clear

 Cool water

 Beautiful trees

As we walked around taking it all in, we were approached by one of the local swimmers.

He asked, "y'all bin hawkin?"

Loogy was the first thing that came to mind.

And being a southern lady (cough), I don't do loogies!

But I did not say that, believing I had heard him wrong,

so I ever so politely said, "I'm sorry, what did you say"

again, "y'all bin hawkin?!?"

I gave him a puzzled look and he repeated himself again, but pointed, this time,

to the trail we had arrived on.

"ohhhhh, hiking! Yes, you could say that"

(In a really we are out of shape 1.5 in and 1.5 out might be the death of us sorta hiking)

We left the congested area went up above that fall you see above.

Funny how with a little more "hawking" and the sound of water, all the noise of

others can be drowned out. We found ourselves in the most serene, peaceful setting.

Sometimes, tough beginnings, or those wrenches, or hurdles, whatever one chooses to call them, lend way to a more pleasant time. I am glad that we did not let the heat, or bugs, or spiders, or.... stop us in our tracks.

We were refreshed at that spot, the name so suitable for the time leading up to that moment - Devil's falls. All the "devilish" details fell away . . .

http://youtu.be/HrQMsGjrwiA

 

Smiles!

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