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Hoping to capture the glorious light around dusk, we deliberately started late on Saturday to find the golden riches of autumn that are hidden along the Roaring Plains. We hiked out the Roaring Plains Trail equipped with enough photographic gear for a National Geographic expedition. But the photo gear couldn't compete with MaryAnn's Magical Map. With the map and the advice of a mythical-mountain pixie called Chip, we headed out. We were looking for a "water-break, where the trail changed from single track to overgrown rail grade." We hiked past it. After consulting the magical map, we turned around and started exploring every little game trail we could detect. While exploring one false path, I almost stabbed myself in the chest with a pine-tree-pungy stick. Lucky that I was wearing my backpack; its shoulder strap snapped the stick off the tree.
After several false starts and numerous Rhododendron bruises, we stumbled down the trail to find what was obviously a rail grade and a water-break. To call this path a trail would be generous. We meandered around the Rhododendrons, Laurel, and pines in what seemed like a serpents path. One of the nearby "trails" is called "Mountain Laurel Maze." This trail was indeed a maze. The trail was so tight that you were generally unable to see the footpath. Following this trail was like Luke Skywalker putting on his blindfold and using a lightsaber. "Trust in the force" and you will find the trail.
As he was pulling his leg out of an unseen mud puddle, the guy with the bum knee exclaimed "I guess I won't be wearing these pants to work again!" Mrs. Pixie was caught in a melee with a Rhododendron when she yelled "Help, I'm high-centered on a bush!"
But, we found it.
It was 4:00 in the afternoon when we finally found the rocky edge. We made frantic stops along the outcroppings where we snapped photos as fast as possible while trying to soak-in the beauty and grandeur--to capture the fleeting moments. I am not sure whether we were racing to catch the beautiful light that photographers covet or to avoid route-finding through the spruce glades by headlamp. Just as dusk was settling into darkness, we popped out onto the open pipeline. It was just a few minutes after 7:00. The near-full moon lit our way home.
(This entry was backdated to the actual date of the hike.)
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