The trails were very narrow in most spots and ran parallel with a meandering creek most of the time. We were single file the entire way. Tyler lead the way and I was the caboose. I was afraid to take my eyes off the trail directly in front of me most of the time, fearing that I would lose balance and end up falling of the cliff into the creek. The trails were full of huge rocks, fallen trees, large tree roots, hills, mud holes, creek crossings, and occasionally, you could tell that a horse or two had been through previously that day (I'll leave that one to your imagination). We were all spread out and going our own pace and it seemed like it was a race to get to the waterfalls.
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| The first of several creek crossings. |
I was the last one to make it to the falls. The boys were wet to their waists from playing in the water by the time I pulled up. Bo was standing in the middle of the creek on a large white slab of rock, holding his phone up, ready to film my reaction to the vision of my first waterfall. It was a neat moment and a gorgeous sight! It was so beautiful and the audible sound of the rushing water was peaceful. We played around for just a minute and took a few photos, but Bo was getting worried that dark was setting in and he was ready to head back. We knew we had pushed our luck when we began this adventure so late in the day.
We rode back in the same order that we came. We began racing back and pedaling as fast as possible attempting to gain as much ground as we could with what little light we had. The moon provided us no light that night, so once the sun set, we were on our own.
At this point, Bo went into survival mode and took the lead since we were completely blinded by the dark. He used the flash on his phone to lead the way. The battery was low, so we used it sparingly. We were running single file through the woods while pushing our bikes along side of us, our calves hitting the pedal with every step. At one point, we came to a three way crossing in the trail and we weren't certain which path to take. Bo used two large fallen tree branches and laid them across one another to serve as a marker of where to turn back to had we chosen the incorrect path. This provided a very useful landmark about 10 yards later when he realized that we had indeed taken an incorrect path. Luckily, we hadn't gone far before the realization set in. We knew we still had a few areas where we had to cross the creek and the boys were struggling (okay, we all were!) with the bikes. Connor decided to ditch his bike in the woods and come back for it in the morning. The thought crossed my mind to lay mine down as well, but Bo had just purchased my bike hours before the ride. I just couldn't bring myself to walk away from it! About 15 minutes later, Tyler decided it would be beneficial to leave his bike as well. Dropping two bikes, made for a speedier exit, but we still had several obstacles. We came across the next, and deepest, creek crossing. Still using the faint light from Bo's phone, Tyler held the phone high and illuminated the rocks below that we would use to jump across the creek bed. Meanwhile, Bo went ahead of us and carried the remaining bikes across and up a steep hill. He came back to help us all across, but not before Connor tried to cross alone, slipped off of a rock, and fell in. I think this was the scariest part of the entire ordeal. I reached my hand out for him, but even with the little light from the flash, he couldn't see my extended hand. I was finally able to grab him by the arm. Once he realized where I was, he grabbed my hand and pulled himself up on rock that protruded above the surface of the water. Wet and tired, we all made it to the top of the hill. From this point, it was fairly drama free, but not without the occasional mud hole that tried to steal our shoes and tree roots that tripped us up. Once we made it to the main road, we all gave out a huge sigh of relief. We still had a way to go, but it was a straight, wide gravel road and we knew we were home free at the point. This eased our anxiety and the adrenalin began to dissipate. By the end, we were all drenched in sweat, along with creek water, mud, and other unidentified substances.
We followed the gravel road to the parking lot. We were completely out of breath and our legs were giving out. Looking back, we should have been in this physical state much sooner, but I believe our adrenalin kept us going. Once back at the truck, we all took in some water and took a selfie to remember Mom's first waterfall before departing.
On our way home, we talked about all the things that we were thankful for. Obviously, all of us were thankful for the light of Bo's phone and his leadership. Connor was thankful that he didn't wear his new shoes (this was a source of tension when were leaving the house). I was thankful that, although we all have bruised calves from the bicycle pedal beatings, we made it out safely. We were thankful for one another and how each one of us contributed to the three mile rescue. We discussed how Daddy was our hero that night, but God was our guiding light and gave Bo the instincts to protect his family. We saw this as a test from God. We were challenged to work together and find each others strengths. God knew that we needed that at this time.
It was heartwarming to see how these young boys that normally fight each other over which one gets the last cereal bar from the pantry or whines about taking out the kitchen trash, came together for the good of the family and safety of one another. We were so proud of Tyler for running the entire time, never complaining (not once!) and showing zero fear. He cleared the way for his brother many times and tried to yell back and give us warnings of tree roots or huge rocks that he tripped over. It was so nice to see him put others ahead of himself in those moments. Every few minutes, with the sweetest concern in his voice, Connor would turn and say "Momma, are you okay?" What a change it was from a few hours earlier when he raced ahead of me to the waterfall, never looking back. Being only 10 years old, he was the one that had the most fear in this situation, but was still concerned about all of us. Each time I fell, he would call to Bo and Ty to tell them to wait (I fell a lot!). He helped me up and got me back on my feet.
The next morning Bo and Tyler left the house early and went back to the trails to retrieve the boys' bikes. It took them 40 minutes to get to the first bike from the parking lot and another 15 minutes past that to find Connor's bike. Once the bikes were recovered and home, it was clear they all needed a good washing.
Overall, it was fun! I'm ready to explore some more...when we have plenty of time and daylight!
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