The Incredible Rock-Climbing Adventures of HT

So, it's hot today. Really hot. And so humid. I feel too hot to move or eat or do anything except sleep and complain. So, in an effort to entertain myself and others, I will tell the story of yesterday's trip to Three Pools with Zenon, Ross, Darrell and Sean.

Yesterday was also pretty freaking hot and humid, so a trip to this place with cold water sounded like a good idea. The first hint of trouble came after we arrived and realized that we didn't have sunscreen. I wasn't too worried, since I don't burn very easily, but it was a concern for others. The next (and more major) hurdle came when Zenon, Darrell and I stopped following Ross and Sean, and decided to find our own way down to the pools. Our unique way involved about forty-five minutes or more of climbing up and down cliffs in the forest and up and down sharp and scary looking rocks by the water. When we finally got to a pool and found Sean (Ross having at this point gone back up to look for us), we realized that our pool was stagnant and we'd be better off at one of the ones higher up. So, that meant more climbing over scary jagged rocks and leaping across small streams and such.

I have to say that I've never been rock-climbing before, and my scholar's body is not used to exertions like this. But, I actually impressed myself. I'm not saying that I looked like the most agile person there, because I try not to lie, but I didn't make a total ass of myself either. And, perhaps more importantly, didn't sustain any injuries beyond a few bruises and scratches. Some of the climbs were quite scary where the rocks were slippery and smooth and I realized that there was no way for anyone to catch me if I fell, but I didn't let myself think about that too much and plunged ahead. The whole excursion seemed designed to prey on my weaknesses and insecurities, but since everything was successful, I feel actually very proud of myself.

When we had climbed and slid and grappled enough to find a pool that we liked, we were quite ready to go swimming. I don't think I've ever sweat that much in my life. The water, however, was freezing. It took me a while to work my way in, but after a bit it was very pleasant - kind of like a hot tub in January reversed. I found the only not-jagged rock in the pool (it was rounded and fit my buttocks comfortably) and parked myself on it for a rest.

After we had enough of the cold water, we climbed up onto some nearby rocks to dry off in the sun. Three Pools is a sublimely beautiful place. From where I was sitting on my rock, I had the waterfall cascading down the rocks high to my left, forest all around me, the sun overhead, and more rocky cliffs and pools to my right. It was rugged and fiercely beautiful. I'm going to share something with you now that I wouldn't normally post on the internet. As I sat there, my body exhausted yet happy with its workout and climbing accomplishments, soaking up the sun and the scenery (I wish I'd had a camera) and the banter around me, I felt a few moments of perfect happiness. For those few minutes, everything outside of the present faded away, and my life consisted only of sitting on a rock in the sun by the waterfall amongst the trees and birds surrounded by good people, and I suddenly realized that it would all be OK.

In contrast to the trip down, the trip back to the cars was rather anticlimactic. It only took about six minutes or something, and the only really difficult bit of climbing was at the beginning where we had to climb up a steep bit of rock. Actually, except for the steepness, it wasn't too hard at all - lots of footholds and such, and nothing was slippery. It was actually one of the easier climbs of the day. After I arrived home, I had myself a small snack and a peaceful nap to rest my wearied body as I relived the highlights of the trip. Today I am very sore, my scholar's body protesting at the bit of living it had to do yesterday. However, I'm very glad I went, and I'm even glad that the trip was crazy and difficult and scary and different. Nothing else would have been as great.