“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” – John Muir
Winter is no doubt one of the hardest times of the year for everyone who lives in the northern United states. Freezing cold temperatures, snow, wind, and unpleasant weather keep us trapped inside with only the thoughts of a summer day to keep us warm. But sometimes, you must take a little bit of a chance, step out into the cold, and get out of the routine you are so accustomed to. That’s exactly what we did last weekend as we traveled to southern Ohio to Corkscrew Falls and Hocking Hills State Park.
Corkscrew Falls is in a state wildlife area in Ohio which you must receive a special permit to access or you could be prosecuted if caught trespassing. It is a grand waterfall that has carved its way through the sandstone for thousands of years. It is the state's only naturally blue aquifer; the water looks like something you would see out of a Lord of The Rings movie with different hues of blue all mixed in. Luckily, Beth worked her magic just days before we were set to leave and came through with not only a pass to enter the area, but a pass to park, which is good because walking there from the nearest town was simply not an option.
We drove the 3 and a half hours across the hilly terrain of Ohio, winding and twisting through the back roads until finally we arrived at our first destination. The falls are a short .10-mile hike off the road, downhill and the beauty of this place quickly over takes you as you become surrounded by towering pine trees, green moss, and a cascading blue waterfall. I couldn’t have imagined a more wondrous place if I would have just walked through a wardrobe and stumbled into Narnia.
We stopped to take in the view from the top of the hill before venturing down to the edge of the stream. As we arrived at the bottom of the stream we found the only way to get close to the waterfall was either through the water or by carefully walking across a hollowed-out cliff with only about a foot and half of rock before it dropped off into the stream. Being the daring person I am, I volunteered to go first to make sure things were safe to cross via the rock. As it turns out, it wasn’t. About midway across the overhanging ledge, the water turned to ice without me noticing, and I quickly fell into the icy stream. Luckily the water was only up to my knees, but when it’s 24° it doesn’t take much before hypothermia and other problems set in.
I stood there in the icy water shocked that I had just fallen in and walked out back onto the bank. Despite my failed attempt, I ventured across the ledge again successfully bringing both myself and Beth closer to the falls. However, as the minutes wore on I could feel the cold setting in so we had to hurriedly pack up and leave to get back to the car where I luckily had another pair of shoes and socks.
After getting to the car and warming up, we headed southward to Hocking Hills State Park arriving only 20 minutes later. We weren’t sure exactly where to go to see the many features we heard about, so after getting directions from a local jogger we set out to discover that 30 minutes later either we were crazy or he had no clue how to give directions as we were moving farther and farther from the areas we wanted to be. We turned around and doubled back trying to figure out where to go. We quickly found the sign to Old Man’s Cave and after just a quick little hike down some steps, we rounded the corner coming out under an immense cliff looking down over a gorge with a gentle steam flowing through it.
As you venture around the inner rim of the cave along the trail. you can’t help but lose yourself in how enormous and incredible this cliff is. Around every little twist and turn is a new view, a new outlook on the park. The feeling of wonder and realizing how small you are in all the grand scheme of just this one area is truly breath-taking.
As you continue down the trail and get to the bottom of the gorge, you look back to see upstream there is a waterfall with a series of waterfalls above it, all flowing out into a quiet rippling stream filled with water so clear you’d think it was glass. As you continue down the path all you can think about is what is around the next cliff and the next corner. That feeling of wonder and excitement comes back to you; I can only describe it as the feeling you used to get on Christmas day as a kid.
It’s at that time, you realize nothing else really matters but that moment. In that moment, you feel like only you and nature exist in the world. The feeling of adventure, wonder, and bliss all coming together perfectly to make you realize why you exist. It’s a feeling that can only be obtained through exploring, taking some chances, and setting aside the things you feel like you have to do, to make room for the things you likely don’t realize you need to do.
It's for these reasons that travel and adventure will keep us coming back again and again for more. It’s the fuel to the fire to keep exploring and keep living that you can’t put out. It’s that place where you realize that maybe your problems, stresses, and routines aren’t that big, and where you realize where you belong in the world. Explorer Josh Gates may have said it best when he wrote “Seeing the world is a prerequisite to understanding one’s place in it.”
