Life, finds a way.

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

This had been a stressful week for me at work as well as in my personal life.  Today I needed a retreat, and it came in the form of Hemlock Cliffs.  As I once heard in the first Jurassic Park movie “Life, finds a way”, I today learned why I should apply that quote on how to live my life.

I arrived at the gravel parking lot and slowly backed my car into an available slot.  I turned the car off and climbed out.  I retrieved my backpack, camera and ensured my keys were in my pocket then shut the door of my car.  As I waited for the rest of my party to arrive I gazed into the eyes of the forest.  A cool breeze hit the back of my neck and a shiver ran down my spine.  The breeze was not one of winter but of the ever-approaching spring season that will soon be upon us.  I knew today I would not be alone so I took a few moments to soak up the surroundings alone and begin to declutter my brain from all the things that have stressed me out this week.

It was not long when Matthew and Julia arrived, soon followed by Debbie, Gavin, and Piper.  Everyone unloaded from the cars, we said our hellos and we embarked on our adventure.  Julia had been the only one who had been here before (besides me), but she had only seen the section we would conclude our hike with today.

The start of the trail was a slight descent toward a small flowing creek.  The woods seem to engulf me like a warm blanket, and I felt the warmth and comfort like a cozy blanket on a cold winter’s night.  The trail through mostly dry providing an occasional reminder that we were not far from the recent flooding rains, and between the mud and tree roots, attention should not wavy too far from where I am placing my feet.

In the distance, I could hear a bubbling brook and waterfall.  As we approached it the sound became louder, but in my mind was the white noise I needed to tune out the stressful thoughts that clouded my brain.  With camera in hand, my attention easily was diverted to the beauty of nature and what I could capture today.

We soon reached the bottom of the hill and our path directed us to the east toward a split in the trail.  To the left was a giant waterfall and inlet carved within a rock wall.  Our party made our way up the steps and behind the giant waterfall that was flowing at a little more than a trickle.  I took the time to soak in the surroundings and take the shot seen here.  This place and the enormity of this waterfall reminded me of how nature can quickly humble me with its size and beauty.

After some time we continued on the journey that soon led us to the most popular sport in the area, the main waterfall.  I approached the waterfall careful maneuvering the wet rocks, and tree roots that were itching to trip me up.  This section of the trail soon provided us with nature’s steps as the tree roots now looked like steps that almost guided us to a place directly behind the waterfall.  I stopped and took a few shots, one, in particular, was the sun showing through the flowing water, which I particularly liked.

After some time exploring we began our ascent toward the parking area.  As I made my way up the uneven and wet rocks I could feel the blood thumping in my temples, matching in synchronicity to my heart pounding in my chest.  As we reached the top of the rocky staircase I paused for a moment to catch my breath and take a look around at the raven and large drop off only steps from where I rested.  I thought to myself about chaotic life can become, but that I have to find a way to offset it as nature does. The picture I took here was a perfect reminder of that.  In an unlikely place, a tree found a way to survive and grow out of a rock.  It now appears to have a symbiotic relationship that will likely provide the most solid foundation for the rest of that tree’s life.  As nature knocks down other trees rooted in the soil, this tree due to its rocky upbringing will weather those storms.  As I will take my recent stresses, like this rock, and build a strong foundation from it.  God showed me that today, and I got the message loud and clear.

Until next time,

Tim