Another Adventure

Joyce and I decided that we should take time with the beautiful weather to take another hike and explore a path about 30 miles from our home. A place called Mill Creek and it was advertised as a easy to moderate hike. We cleared our calendars and took off. It was a beautiful day and we found the location in Narrows , Va. I had tried to download a map of the trails but the colors on the monitor and the colors printed on the map did not match up. I tried to enlarge the printing but even that was challenging. So, up the path we ascended and this little stone structure was the first thing I saw up above me . I do not know what it was built to be but I love anything stone. Plus, the air was so clean and refreshing that you could tell such a difference from getting away from society.

As I turned to look up our path opened up in front of us. This was quiet a different world than I was accustomed to.

There was a little stream that ran constantly to our right as we headed up the mountain. The sound was very soothing and you could feel the difference in the atmosphere .

This was my friend Joyce stretching her back when we arrived at a handmade dam built in the 1800's. It is hard to see it because the leaves have started to fall and cover the top of it.

This is the front of the little dam showing the hand carved stones that were carried and put in place. It is totally amazing how the people pulled this off and how it has withstood the test of time -especially when you consider the force of the water once the mountain floods and water pours down?

I wished for a minute that I could be a mermaid and just jump in and take a look around under the water-boy would that be COLD. lol

The forest all around us was mind-blowingly beautiful. It is hard to take in all this beauty at one time.  I did secretly keep asking God to Please not let us bump into a BEAR. ~smile~

It never ceases to amaze me how God paints every leaf and designs every twist and turn in this world of beauty. Plus, the smell - if only you could have smelled it - it was totally different from anything in my everyday life.

I asked Joyce to let me have a picture of her going up this one trail as a measurement . She is sitting on a tree across our path and the path continues up and around the side of this mountain. 

Along the way someone had arranged rock piles into formations I found very interesting?

You could look up and all you saw was more rock boulders above you.

Beneath those boulders was another simple rock formation but it really intrigued me.

There was a turn off of the main path and I wondered "WHERE in the world is she taking me"????Straight down a slope and hanging onto trees to descend brought us to this lovely waterfall.  The sound was more than any orchestra could produce and my eyes were giving me problems so at first I thought we were walking on water????? LOL Turned out to be a monstrous big flat rock .

And to our right it dropped down into this beautiful pool -but those rocks were SLICK.

Across the water was what looked like monster steps going UP and then disappearing- I was HOPING we did not have to go UP THERE??

I turned to look to my left and Joyce was taking a picture of the waterfall. They talk about when you are around water that it releases negative ions that influence your health and I sure do believe it. My body seemed to be just soaking it in and loving it.
Here is a short article about them:

Experiencing headache, uneasiness or sudden nausea in an overcrowded room is a common problem. Sometimes even in an air-conditioned room you might experience these problems.  Reason? Lack of negative ions in the room.

Don’t go by the name, there is nothing negative or unhealthy about negative ions. Negative ions are beneficial for the human body while positive ions are harmful. In fact, you will find the highest concentrations of negative ions in natural, clean air. Ions are invisible charged particles in the air – either molecules or atoms, which bear an electric charge. Some particles are positively charged and some are negatively charged. To put it simply, positive ions are molecules that have lost one or more electrons whereas negative ions are actually oxygen atoms with extra-negatively-charged electrons. Negative ions are abundant in nature, especially around waterfalls, on the ocean surf, at the beach and after a storm. They are widespread in mountains and forests.

Negative ions are present in the air we breathe in and they are also present in our bodies. The degree to which negative ions contribute to overall well-being and health is scientifically proven:

* They neutralize free radicals.
* They revitalize cell metabolism.
* They enhance immune function.
* They purify the blood.
* They balance the autonomic nervous system, promoting deep sleep and healthy digestion.
(Source: kiflow.com)

On the other hand, in polluted cities, crowded areas and in confined spaces such as offices, industrial areas, schools and cars, you will find the highest concentration of unhealthy positive ions.

AirTamer’s design is ultra compact and incredibly versatile. You can wear it around your neck (strap included) since it is smaller than most MP3 players.

The most important benefit of negative ions is that they clear the air of airborne allergens such as pollen, mold spores, bacteria and viruses. Besides they also clear the air of dust, pet dander and cigarette smoke. Negative ions perform this function by attaching themselves to positively charged particles in large numbers and negatively charging those particles. As a result, these viruses, bacteria and pollen spores become too heavy to remain airborne and are thus prevented from entering your breathing passage where they can make you fall sick. In other words, negative ions form a protective circle around you

We clawed our way back up to the mail path and on up the mountain until we came to another waterfall. It was beautiful but the path was  treacherous so we turned back on that one , but mostly because the closer you got to the waterfall -the less you could see of it???

Joyce finally got cell phone service on her phone and took a moment to call her daughter who lives in California! I can hardly believe we are on a mountain in Virginia and she is talking to her daughter all the way across the United States???????????

Joyce was an avid photographer at one time and you can find her hot on the trail for a delectable shot.

This was what she was after. I had Never seen one and probably never will again. Turns out they are called an Indian Pipe and are considered rare. They say as they continue on they will start to droop down and look like a pipe. To me - they resembled lovely Roses.

This was the only view where we could peek out and see civilization beyond us. Yuck, I am not for sure I want to go back. lol Especially when we meet two really nice ladies coming UP the mountain that we are now Descending from. They warn us that footing is slippery as all the little rocks like to rumble around under your feet. My toes complained about being squished in the tips of my shoes. I was Good and Tired now and asked the kind lady if she could guesstimate how far we were to the parking lot -hoping she would say not far!!!!!!! She laughed and peeked at her fitbit and told me Just 2.7 miles?????????????????????????? BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!

Wonder what happened to that Little Hike we had planned to recoup from our last 2 mile hike???????  Joyce was kind and bought me our lunch of supper or dinner or what ever you would call it -I was too dumified to even know. I scarfed it down with great appreciation.

We made it home in time for me to do my evening chores and I hit the bed- ONLY to discover I was now TOO WIRED to sleep.  Every time I closed my eyes I would see visions of that mountain.

One funny scene was where we were scrambling down that mountain and all of a sudden we ran across an OLD swing set for kids and an OLD wire table . I kind of chuckled to myself , thinking??? and I am carrying in my fanny pack the ONE plastic wrapper that Joyce had found a little bag of nuts in????? in her fanny pack and shared with me.