Hiking Trip

This past weekend Anna and I went on a hiking trip to Jones Gap State Park, which is a half hour north of Greenville, SC, in the Smoky Mountains. Even though we got up at 5:00 am, got lost for two hours on the way there, and almost ran out of gas, when we finally got there, we were not at all tired. We set up our gear, met up with the other members of the Lowcountry Backpacker Association, and were ready to go. It was just breathtaking. Hiking the trail in those gorgeous mountains, with waterfalls everywhere and the only sounds being those of nature and the friendly chatter of our companions, all of the stress of recent weeks slowly seeped out of me, until I was left feeling quiet inside, relaxed, and focused on nothing but the placement of my feet. That night, we built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows, while sharing stories about ourselves... we got to bed late, got up early, and headed out again. This time, Anna and I decided to hike Ravencliff Falls, and because it was scheduled to rain, everyone else decided to go home. So we went on by ourselves, and encountered some of the most gorgeous scenery. The waterfall was huge, and when we got there, we walked over a rickety old bridge and looked down to the valley below. By that time it was raining and the drops felt like a cleanser on my skin, literally washing away every ounce of stress that was left. I don't know how to explain what it was like, except to say that it was "renewal." Anna and I talked all the way there and most of the way back, finally catching up on our friendship that had suffered due to our busy lives. 10 miles later, we reached our car and the hiking trip was over. Wet and hungry, we stopped on our drive home at a small country restaurant, and had the best Southern style buffet I've ever tasted. Then we sang country tunes along to the radio and finally made it home, spent, sore, and incredibly happy.