Kaat is a friend who listened to to me talk about the importance of staying on the path. She commented, “but sometimes you have to step aside to see more.” She’s right! Sometimes we do step aside to see more.
On the first official day of my Appalachian Trail journey, I began walking north from Springer Mountain. The weather and temperature felt like spring, but it was early March and winter would make itself known soon enough, but not today. It was an exciting day, warm, and sunny. As I walked, first descending down into Three Forks Junction and then climbing up Hawk Mountain. After about five miles into the journey, I saw a blue blaze off to my left. There was a wood sign with “Long Creek Falls” carved into its face. I stood at the juncture. Looking ahead was the white blaze of the Appalachian Trail calling me onward. I planned to hike another three miles before stopping to pitch my tent, boil water for my instant dinner, and sleep my first night on the Trail. But the blue blaze also spoke and said, “You may never come this way again. I have sights for you to see. Come here. Step aside and see more.” I stepped aside and walked down the path toward the sound of rushing water.
At the end of the blue blazed path was a waterfall. It was amazing! The trail had been sort of monotonous all along the way. Not monotonous in a bad way. It was all new and exciting. It is exciting to see the white blazes on the trees, the rhododendron that thickly borders each side of the worn pathway, and little log bridges that offer dry crossings over streams that crisscross the trail. These are common views as I walk. Then there are the openings between the trees near the mountaintops. Those openings are like nature’s windows to show the beautiful vistas that extend from layer upon layer of mountain ranges, separated only by tree covered valleys. However, here was something different. Here was more. Water cascaded down over rocky steps, foamed white by the power of its flow, and crashed ten feet into a pool where the water became crystal clear before rushing on down the creek through rapids around large boulders worn smooth by the ageless stream. Only a single, overused word came into my mind as I stood there – beautiful! I was so glad that I had listened to the blue blaze, stepped aside, and seen much more.