What started out as a peaceful day on the river turned into something resembling a scene out of the Blair Witch Project, and even included a skeleton right in my path!
I couldn’t have picked a spookier hike for Halloween weekend, lol… EEK! 😯
If you can’t see the video above, click here to watch it.
I woke up feeling tense on Saturday morning after two big hikes this week, and my fun trip to the Grundy Forest the day before.
It was too beautiful to stay indoors though, so I packed up some work and headed to “the beach” (a sandbar on the river about 20 minutes from where I live).
I picked a nice quiet sandy spot by the water, laid out a blanket, and really DID do some work while I was there. 🙂
That’s my Inner Guide Planner which is great for goal setting and planning out life improvements and positive changes. I’m in love with this planner! 🙂
I spent about two hours on the beach, sunbathing and thinking, working, wading and exploring a bit in the river… and finally decided to swim across the river and back. 🙂
It was a warm day, but the river was ice cold and insanely refreshing!
This is where the beautiful day took a very strange turn…
It was already 4pm so I knew I had limited daylight (even less in the woods – or “down in a holler” as people might say in this area, lol).
I just wanted to peek around the bend upriver a bit.
That’s all I had in mind – I promise. It was an innocent excursion. One that required climbing a bluff – but still, innocent enough for ME. 🙂
Luckily I had my favorite hiking shoes and my Calicase waterproof phone case in the car. I pretty much keep them “on me” anymore, lol.
Very lucky indeed, because I ended up getting completely drenched…
I wasn’t planning “a hike” obviously. I had just thrown on a comfy cotton dress over my bathing suit with intentions of taking it easy by the river.
My peek around the bend didn’t prove as simple as I expected.
I thought for sure there would be a trail, but the river dropped off deep and the bluff rose up high right there at the turn in the river. I decided to climb it.
Wait – I have to stop here and share something with you, so you understand the “why” behind that decision (lol).
See the photo above? Right after I took that, I turned around to scope out the landscape and it looked pretty impossible. Just then, an inner voice urged me to GO.
“There’s something I want you to see.”
Now at this point you are welcome to call me crazy. I wasn’t 100% sure myself whether I was having a gut feeling, a spiritual experience, or if those “head meds” had finally kicked in (lol).
Whatever the case, I scoped out my options and I kept my eyes peeled. I looked for shells, artifacts, I don’t know what I was supposed to find or see but I was keenly aware of everything in my path the whole way – curious.
The only way was UP, so I climbed the bluff…
I still only meant to peek around the corner a ways.
I mean, I was in a dress!
The stretch of river below was a “no swimming area” with strong dangerous undercurrents. Plus I had my shoulder bag, which was full of necessary stuffs: lip gloss, dental floss, pecans, etc (lol).
The view was amazing… the hike across the rock bluff, treacherous.
I had to get on my hands and knees and double check my next move every step of the way, watching for wildlife as I secured hand and footholds and inched along.
Yes, I know this was nuts – especially alone. I just wanted to get around the corner and see… whatever there was to see.
I was aware of the danger. I was especially aware of the fact that I hadn’t checked in anywhere, given it was an unplanned adventure. And I was aware that daylight was fading. I know the area fairly well though, so I knew there was a Blue Hole with a hiking trail up the river a ways – or I could go back the way I came.
Still, I felt driven forward. That inner voice was strong: Go.
I felt calm, curious, happy and FREE. And so I went…
When I got to the bend, I heard the waterfall. 🙂
You can’t see it here, well barely maybe, but I could… and it was beautiful!!
I’ve had this fascination with waterfalls lately, and the biggest smile crossed my face when I saw it. I thought, I’ll just explore this waterfall and head back.
It required a bit of sketchy rock climbing to get to it, but nothing too terrible.
The waterfall was beautiful. 🙂
At this point the daylight is just starting to fade, and I’m guessing I’m halfway to the Blue Hole. Guessing being the key word, lol.
Going back the way I came seemed more dangerous (in hindsight, ha!) so I decided to keep going, hike up out of the Blue Hole, then take the road back down to my car.
Looking upriver, from what I could see at least, that seemed smartest…
From this bend to the next one looked easy enough with a rocky bank.
I was very aware of the quickly fading daylight though, and carefully trotted quickly across the large rocks to the next bend in the river…
When I got around that bend, I stopped in my tracks.
HOLY SH*T. (pardon my language)
“There’s no way I’m going to make it back the way I came before dark. I can’t climb those rock bluffs in the dark. The Blue Hole has to be pretty close now. I can make it. I can do this.” … This was the conversation in my head at the view in front of me.
The rocky bank, which was only there because of our current drought, dropped off completely and there was nothing but a wall of waterfalls as far as I could see. 😯
I had a moment of panic. I couldn’t backtrack, not before dark. Could I make it going forward? I wasn’t sure. I was scared of getting caught out there on the river after dark. Cutting a path was treacherous enough with full light…
The voice in my head said go forward.
At this point I started talking back to the voice. 😛 I talked to myself, out loud even, talking myself through every step, every grab, every foothold.
At this next bend I couldn’t see around the corner and had no idea what to expect when I got there. Would it get easier or harder? Would I have to backtrack yet?
“It’s getting darker by the second. GO!”
I inched my way around this slimy bluff, which was drizzling waterfalls from above and a steep drop off into a swift river below. The water looks calm, but it’s deceiving… with strong undertows, suitable only for kayaking.
Around that corner I had to step down on a very narrow rock shelf almost waist deep. I had to tie my dress up like a halter top and strap my shoulder bag high up on my shoulders. All while maintaining my balance on a narrow ledge, mind you.
Not out of concern for getting my dress wet, because it was already soaked and caked with mud at this point (lol) – but so I could scale the crazy rock bluff with a rushing river below, without my dress getting snagged on a point.
I literally had to pull myself up and hold my body weight with my arms (using every ounce of upper body strength I could muster) at times when I wasn’t sure of my footholds. At this point in the hike, it became as much a serious exercise in critical thinking… as it was physical exercise.
So you can get a better feel for the reality of this piece of the hike, here is what it looked like from the other side:
As you can see, this bend in the bluff blocked even more of the setting sun.
And to my right/forward?
It was nothing but wet bluff with non-stop waterfalls…
I was taking stock in my head of the items in my bag, in case I did need to try to swim a piece to make it to the Blue Hole. What could I afford to lose in the swim?
I was processing every possible scenario at this point, determined to find a way out before dark – swim or climb!
I was standing there on the rare wide spot, wide enough to stand on and catch my breath and assess the situation, when I looked down and saw THIS:
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!
Ugh 😐
Forget swimming 😛 lol. I decided to take my chances with the remaining stretch of bluffs and slimy waterfalls. It was slick, scary, but I just took it slow – while hurrying – and hung on for dear life. 😯
The crazy was starting to set in. What the h*ll was I thinking?! I should have checked in. How long will it take them to find me out here, off trail, in the middle of the river way between any two points, in the dark.
Will they even look, or just assume my parked car is a camper? I’m wet, it’s going to get cold, can I find somewhere to wait out the night if I have to?
I took a deep breath and talked myself through the trek, one foot in front of the other, watching my step, watching what I grabbed onto, watching the daylight fade but grateful for the reflection of the sunset from the water – which provided at least some light. Just keep going, just keep going.
I was soaked, caked in mud and smeared with green slime…
I had to face fears super fast (falling, getting injured, prehistoric looking skeletons, spiders, snakes, the dark) and just push myself forward as I climbed under a huge dripping slimy tree and up a steep bluff under a pouring waterfall, watching the sun set further by the minute.
I was talking to myself (out loud), encouraging myself forward: “you can do this.”
I talked to the bluff, I talked to the rocks, I talked to the river, “don’t give out on me now” as I carefully chose my steps.
I felt confident in myself, but was definitely further out than I realized: “where the h*ll is the Blue Hole?!” “you’re fine,” “one foot in front of the other.”
As the words kept rolling out of my mouth, giving me strength and confidence with each step, next I heard myself say something very familiar…
It’s a huge note on my writing desk in large red letters, “I WILL FINISH THIS TODAY. Prove to yourself, and to the world, that you CAN do it!”
I stopped. “No, you can’t stop!” I kept going, but it was then that I knew.
As I rushed (carefully) over large slick rocks, the voice in my head that kept pushing me forward with “there’s something I want you to see,” and “I want to show you something” all of a sudden made sense.
That note that I wrote had been sitting on my desk for about 3 months, maybe 2 – I don’t know, but “finish this today” was months ago, and “finishing” hadn’t happened yet.
I was chasing the last bit of reflection of light, thinking about how many times I glanced over at that note with a deep sense of disappointment in myself.
Every day I pretended I just wrote it that day. “It’s okay, make today the day.” So many tomorrow’s became yesterday’s, so much self-defeat had set in. I hadn’t give up on the project though, which is why the note remained perched on my desk.
As this message was really sinking in for me, a revelation of defeat and achievement, of priorities and goals, I pushed through some thick brush in the fading light… to find a trail marker.
*SIGH* 🙂 🙂 🙂
My very loud “WOO HOO!” echoed through the entire river gorge. 🙂
It’s a tricky trail, marked “strenuous” and “no swimming, dangerous waters.” I got turned around in the dark and backtracked several times, but at this point I knew I could climb UP (even in the dark) and that I was SAFE. 🙂
I picked my steps carefully, but I ran most of the steep wet trail up the bluff and up to the road. The road leading out was steep too, but I was shouting and dancing in circles all the way up the hill…
I felt so ALIVE!! 🙂
This is when I got “rescued” by the park ranger, lol.
He was probably just stopping to give me a drinking citation (haha) since I was dancing in the street and off balance from exhaustion 🙂 but he did insist on giving me a ride back to my car – green sludged dress and all.
“I don’t see many people hiking in dresses around here,” he said. (lol)
I got in my car with a huge smile on my face, waved goodbye to the ranger, and danced and shouted and SANG at the top of my lungs all the way up the hill and out to the highway.
I stopped there at the market, famished, and ordered dinner. Yes, soaking wet and covered in green slime lol. I got a hamburger steak topped with sauteed mushrooms, bacon & cheese with a side of tomatoes & mayo plus a side salad:
I was freezing, shivering even, but still smiling – and cleaned my plate. 🙂
I was high on life, happy to be alive, and thrilled with my life lesson. I was so elated and full of excitement that it felt hard to sleep, but my body was exhausted.
I woke up this morning stiff and tense all over, including back muscles I didn’t even know I had – lol. That crazy adventure was an amazing full body workout! 😛
What did I learn?
Um, never do THAT again. 🙂 lol…
I learned that I am capable.
I learned that I am stronger than I knew.
I learned that no matter how many times I failed, how many times my confidence was dented, how many moments I felt like a failure over yesterday’s… that TODAY, today I can achieve ANYTHING I set my mind to.
The difference between “goals” and “priorities” was made clear as mud (that was a pun). A goal is just a wish. A priority is something you MAKE happen – like getting the h*ll out of a stupid predicament, lol.
A goal is something you want to do.
A priority is something you GET DONE.
Just like the disappointments I left on the trails of Burgess Falls earlier this week, I climbed out of the Blue Hole leaving my feelings of self-defeat and disappointment far back in the dark wet woods. I came out knowing my priorities, and with a renewed sense of confidence and ambition… to finish that d*** project.
The Caney Fork River Gorge did not defeat me, and neither will this project. I will not give up, I won’t turn back, I won’t huddle up and wait it out. One foot in front of the other – no matter what. I will get it done.
I know that my “confidence crisis” has held me back, that my disappointment and sense of defeat deflated my enthusiasm. Just like surviving that river gorge though, this project IS important. It is a HUGE priority in my life, and I’ve been avoiding it (or not giving it my BEST) because I’ve been letting “the wrong voices” affect me.
Wisdom From The Gorge…
Whatever you think you want to achieve in your life, treat it like life or death. Make it THAT kind of priority. This IS your life, right now – today.
Forget your yesterday’s, and don’t count on your tomorrow’s – they are just more today’s, and they turn into even more yesterday’s. They’ll add up on you. Forget the stack of today’s that have already passed, forget your disappoinments over that…
MAKE TODAY COUNT.
One foot in front of the other, ignore your fears, force yourself to see what you’re really made of. And don’t go tempting fate in a dark slimy river gorge to get off your a** about it, lol. I did that for you. 🙂
It would be great if we never let ourselves get unhealthy, if we never dropped the ball on something important, if we never had regrets, if we never got behind on things, if we achieved everything we ever wanted to in life with “live or die” determination, if we never put things off which just makes the situation worse…
It would be great if life were as “easy” (heh) as surviving the river gorge.
All that would be great, yes. But today, every today from now on, I am going to wake up – and know that I am more capable and stronger than I realize, and I am going to get as laser focused on my priories as I was on getting out of that crazy gorge.
You are stronger than you realize, too.
Dig deep. It’s there. I promise you…
Starting today: Make your goals a true priority.
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. You can’t go back. There’s no end (success) in sight. You don’t know if you have what it takes to keep going. You feel mad for getting yourself IN this situation. You have no idea how (or if) you can get out of it. There’s no one to rescue you. It’s up to you. One foot in front of the other, it’s now or never. Victory dance at the end… or miserably cold and wet and lost in the dark and pissed at yourself for it? It’s up to you.
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
D**n girl! You are crazy! I’m glad you made it out safely but wow!
So inspiring! Thanks for sharing. Motivating start to my Monday
I grew up in southern California. I could see the mountains every day of my life until 11 years ago. You can hike from Mt. Baldy all the way to Oregon if you wanted. I hiked Mammoth Mountain 23 years ago with experienced hikers. It was 11 miles and a 4000 Ft. elevation change. It took 2 days and scaling rocks larger than my house. I was determined to make it, and had never attempted a hike like this. Could I have done it on my own? No. Determination isn’t enough when you are faced with obstacles alone that require help of other people.
Even today, living in my current situation, I know I will make it out just fine. I’ve taken all the steps that are in my opinion that are required of me to improve myself as a man. I started that at the end of June when I saw a candid photo posted of my that disgusted me. Although I was determined to do this, I had support. Lots of it.
I have lots of projects that need done. Some of these I will do on my own with the skills I have. Some will require help from others. That’s what separates me from what I was before. The ability to ask for help.
I’m not going to be mad at you. Was I concerned? Yes ma’am. Did I enjoy your story? Beyond belief.
The moral of the story for me? You learned.
A concerned friend. LOL
Ray in Indiana.
Wow! What an adventure! I lost my job of 23 years last month. I was a dental technician, made crowns,implants, bridges… I will be 59 in two days and not even close to retiring. I have fallen off the low carb life style gaining some of the 30 lb weight loss I had started losing. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. Just now and feel sick like I could throw up. As my husband was getting ready to leave for work he asked why I was up and I said I can not sleep and I can not keep eating like I have been I feel miserable, and picked up my IPad he said you are always on that. As I seen the title of your story I began reading… You could have been speaking directly to me! Love the part about the goals and the priorities! Thank you! So glad you made it out safe and and were able to tell your story! You are a brave woman!
Hmmmm, I’m certainly glad you made it out ok, (and I believe your prehistoric skeleton may be what we around here call a spoonbill catfish…google it….alive it looks even MORE prehistoric!) keep having fun and stay safe!
Part of me salutes you. You are so brave!!! The mother part of me wants to slap you up the side of your fool head for putting yourself in danger like that! LOLOL However, rest assured that the saluting your bravery wins the day. I could never do anything like this at my age and physical condition; however, there are other ways to be brave. I am thrilled that you are coming to grips with exactly how strong and confident you truly are. It can only help you in all your future endeavors. And now. . . . please don’t so it again! π
I feel like this shouldve been titled ‘hey Casey I’m talkin to you girl!’ lol. I really REALLY needed to read this! I was just talking over the weekend how disappointed I am in myself that I may never reach my ‘goal’ but being brutally honest with myself I haven’t did my best to do so. I keep making excuses and reasoning myself out of it. So thanks so much!!!! And I am too very thankful you got out safely! π
Thank you for sharing and inspiring us all, Lynn. Wow! God was surely watching over you!
Hi Lynn,
Glad you’re safe and sound! You learned a lesson and you taught us a lesson. I have been putting things off too long. It’s time I got on a hike on and achieved my goals instead of just dreaming about them!
A well written article.
And thanks,
Mat
Omg Lyn. Please never do this again without checking in. Please!!!
Remember when you would always stress the point to never go hiking alone. You were lucky this time that the park ranger found you. I worry.
At least if you go alone, get an early start and finish
Well sorry for preaching at you. I am sure you learned your lesson now. Yikes…..this was a scary story
Great adventure, you are so brave doing that by yourself, I am so inspired over it, but trust me, very dangerous, do not ever do that again!!!!!!! Love Bonnie
You are one crazy ass girl! Lol. Courageous! I will tell you though…you have VERY STRONG SPIRIT GUIDES always with you…guiding you and your actually smart enough to listen! I’m impressed… even though your the curious-adventurous type…your safe with the company you keep! :D. (I bet you thought those were YOUR thoughts in that noggin….huh?! Lol). Stay safe crazy!β€οΈ
Woo! Great article, you’ve got a real southerner’s gift of story! Glad to hear you made it back in one piece, and I’m really curious about what kind of critter that skeleton was. I’m really enjoying this hiking series, since we’re in the same neck of the woods, and I’m pretty familiar with the places you write about (although I’m in far less better shape, so I have more of a “drive-by” perspective). I also really admire and appreciate the way you’re so open with your personal demons, it really helps me get perspective on my own and helps me realize how universal these issues are (referencing previous articles).
Holy moly Lynn! Climbing rocks in a dress in slime near dark! Lmao! Are you sure it wasn’t an evil spirit trying to do you in! JK lol Another life lesson! Glad you made it out safely!
OK remember I’m old enough to be your Mother, so QUIT IT!!!!! You don’t have to prove anything more to yourself or anyone else. Your luck is running out with these very dangerous “solo” hikes and climbs.
Amazing story, you’re a fantastic writer and I know from reading the other posts that you have inspired people but …… QUIT IT!!!!
Please, I’m serious.
I agree Roy. As a mother myself i would be terrified if one of my kids tried something like this.
Sorry i cannot take this as an inspirational post at all, but rather a lesson to us all, to never go hiking and venturing out to unknown territories alone and at dusk. Scary
This sounds like a chapter out of a scary or mystery novel where lady is chased by a scary man witha big knife or hatchet and chops her in a million pieces or falls off a steep cliff into the river never to be found again until one day an innocent hiker finds her remains washed up upon the shores
Lyn this is the dumbest thi g youve ever done
Better stop listening to those voices. Yikes. Be careful
I understand your point to all this and lesson of inspiration. Just know you aee very lucky to be alive to tell your story.
I am not judging….just a worried friend
Its my motberly instincts
How would you have reacted if you heard that your daughter or son did something like this?
I bet you would have chided them…..because you’d fearfor their safety
Smh. Sorry. I had to be honest
Lyn. I see how you tried to turn this horrific experience into a self motivational or inspirational post but i just cannot get past the dangers involved there. You possibly would not be here to tell your story today had the worse case scenario occured…..This reminds me of a scary movie i had watched recently of a couple lost in the woods after dark…..one murdered….the other eaten by a bear
This was not your wisest decision ever
I am not trying to judge you but like most of your friends here, i am concerned about your safety.
Sorry.
Your adventure sounds exactly like something I would do. Glad you came out okay in the end! Great post and great lesson for all of us! (But try to do it in a safer way next time?) Thanks for sharing!
Glad you’re safe Lynn. Have you ever thought about installing some type of locator app on your phone that your friends have access to in the event that you forget to check in and something happens? I’m sure there must be something like that out there.
So glad that you made it safely out!!! So happy that you wrote this and shared it with us despite the palpitations that my heart experienced worrying for you while reading it. LOL Beautiful scenery. Love that you are grateful for every day and every adventure!!!
I was fine. π I knew that I could trek forward or trek back, swim if I had to (close to the edge), I had plenty of battery and a flashlight app on my phone, and grew up in the area – so I knew I’d make it to that Blue Hole and trail marker eventually. π
It was a little sketchy, but honestly not that bad. Or I would have turned back, if I didn’t feel capable – obviously.
Plus it was FUN, it was the adrenaline rush and amazing adventure – and test of character – of a lifetime!!! π π π
Would I do it again? No, lol. Once was plenty! But man… what an incredible experience! One I will never forget…
One last note: It wasn’t a planned or intentional situation, just a little adventuring on a river I grew up on. And it’s also not something I am recommending. Thus endeth my disclaimer, lol…
Well this was not a story I should have read at bedtime. WOW, adrenaline rush is flowing. I couldn’t read that fast enough. You are amazing, so brave. Such a strong woman, I’m not sure you give yourself enough credit for. Thankful you made it out in one piece. Thankful for your lessons learned. You took your “solo hiking” to a new level, please be careful. Great story. Take Care.
lol, mission accomplished – this being my “Halloween post” I was going for a suspenseful cliffhanger (ha, more pun! π lol). It was a really fun hike and cool experience. The park ranger didn’t even raise an eyebrow though. I think all he said was, “that’s a pretty far piece.” π
Exciting adventure Lynn, even though not for everyone. π I don’t think I’d venture out on my own on such a journey. On the other hand, I’ve done quite a few things which made my heart beat fast when I was much younger. I’d love to regain that sense of adventure. But most of all – to overcome my fears and self-defeating thoughts. I am doing it now, bit by bit. And maybe my feeling about the word ‘goal’ was right all along – I’ve never liked it much. π
It actually wasn’t intentional – this adventure. It was meant to be a leisurely day by the river lol.
It did turn out to be a great lesson in facing my fears and testing my strength – but not just my fear of “death by river gorge” (lol) or my physical strength…
… but my fear of failure, and my deeper inner strength. Those are the lessons I love most about my adventures.
I’m off tomorrow to put some dirt beneath my feet and gain some much needed inner clarity – yet again. π *cheers*
The lessons are priceless and I am sure resonate with many. They certainly do with me. All the best for tomorrow! π