Take a Hike!

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No, the lady at the information center wasn't being rude. She was just telling me how to get to the waterfall. My stops yesterday included Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. It's named for a peak that gets snow covered (at over 3,300 feet) before other hills in the area (not for someone running around without a cap in the winter [or insert a joke about an unzipped zipper here]). The scenery was beautiful, of course, with yellows dominating but lots of red and orange to be found as well. Oh, did I say "waterfall"? There are two waterfalls in the park. The second, on the Emory Gap Trail, was out of my reach. The first one on the trail, Debord Falls, was accessible, so I made that my destination. Because of the overcast conditions (not complaining, the south has needed the rain) the walk through the forest was not as bright as it would have been had the sun been shining. That made it a different type of beauty. The Emory Gap Branch flowed along the path the entire way, happily announcing the previous day's rainfall with plenty of sound. A cascade emanated from a cliff on the other side of the creek. Debord Falls was rather impressive, given that it's (a) on a creek instead of a river, and (b) been subjected to drought conditions for the past 2-3 months. A steep staircase leads down to the base of the falls, where the riverbed is visible due to the lack of rain (and the part that has water is easily crossable if you're wearing hiking boots or waterproof shoes). It didn't matter. It was beautiful. Everything about autumn was there: the cool, comfortable temperature, the fresh air, the colors...and the joy of finding another waterfall.