chasin' waterfalls

time: 12:03 am (malaysian time)
book: just finished the Judson History and Legacy...a very humbling book
state of mind: missing B'ham in the spring with all of you but excited about new adventures
ugly babies: i can't remember the last time i saw a baby in person (actually, i think it was nate and jessie's baby...she was not ugly)

As some of you may know, I have a small infatuation with waterfalls. You see, something magical happened on a drizzly Friday afternoon in April three years ago (wow, has it really been three years?). My friend, John, convinced me to venture to Little River Canyon with a group of guys: Wardo, Lambuth, Hamilton, and Nate. Ahh, I just found an essay I wrote about this magical day for class...we had to write about a special place...

My Special Place

As I loaded my car, I checked to make sure I had all of the essential items: food, a towel, a bathing suit, and friends to keep me company along the way. With the backseat full of three young men and another in the passenger seat, I began to wonder why I was the only girl going to this special place. I turned left out of Samford’s gates with John’s words ringing in my ears, “We’ll hike a little and probably jump off some cliffs.” He had said it as if jumping off a cliff was as commonplace as watering the flowers.

“Sure, I’m up for that,” I’d replied, not sure what I was getting myself into on a cool, gloomy April day. Once my Toyota hit Interstate 59, everyone in the car realized that my music selection would not quite suffice for the two hour journey ahead. However, this minor roadblock only strengthened the conversation and allowed the five of us to bond as we traversed the interstate to reach this special place.

Ryan, the only one of us who had been to the special place before, informed us what was in store. “There are huge waterfalls, at least forty feet high, to jump off and then you can hike back up and around to do it again!” The enthusiasm in his voice was not as contagious as I had wished. A sinking feeling came over me as I felt my stomach drop. How could I, the girl who doesn’t enjoy or even ride roller coasters, enjoy this special place?

Ryan continued, “The locals showed me the best places to jump and informed me where the deep water lay. Even though it’s illegal, it’s perfectly safe and no one ever gets in trouble.” Illegal!? My heart stopped. Was I going to commit a crime today? I kept my mouth shut and pretended like illegally jumping off a forty foot waterfall was no big deal. Maybe we would have a wreck. Maybe we would run out of gas. Maybe we would decide to sight-see the sock-capitol of the world, tour the musical group Alabama’s museum and never make it to Little River Canyon.

As the road grew steeper and narrower, I withdrew from all conversation and attempted to create my excuse for not joining the guys on the trail. I could tell them driving gives me migraines, or tell them my stomach was killing me. Better yet, why not tell them I’d had ear surgery as a child and wasn’t even allowed to jump off a low dive. I knew the guys wouldn’t give me too hard of a time, considering I was the only girl brave enough to face the cold with them.

“Turn right directly after this bridge,” Ryan’s instructions brought me to reality as fast as I could see myself flying off the cliff. I parked the Toyota next to a blue Buick, proud that my car had made the journey, yet frightened by the approaching forty foot drop. We slowly winded our way around the thirty foot trail, passing notices to “Jump at Your Own Risk” and “Caution.” My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing as we finally reached the water’s edge. The frigid water took my breath away and the view demanded me to inhale deeply. The smell of spring was evidenced in the fresh, green leaves along with the sound of chirping birds. The water cascaded over the rocks, never slowing down but always running together, creating a beautiful image of life and teamwork. The shallow water flowed thinly at one spot, marked by jagged rocks and the sound of a roaring lion, which seemed to be waiting to eat me, alive. The apparent forty foot cliff appeared to tower high enough so that even a pebble would take an hour to reach the bottom.

As the guys crawled over the slippery rocks to the peak of the waterfall, I cautiously followed, still not sure if I wanted to take the leap. I remembered the words of my aunt: “Do something that scares you everyday.” Well, this would certainly scare me. All of the guys gave me great advice: “Put your feet here; Run, then leap;” and my favorite, “Be sure you clear that ledge!” They taught me how to estimate the best place to start my run to ensure I had the perfect trajectory angle. Ryan was the daredevil who jumped first and the other guys followed like lemming running to their death. The only difference, however, was that my friends came up sputtering and laughing. Once they had cleared the landing pad, I waved my hands, as if to say, “Get ready; here I come!” I stepped back to the designated starting point, took a running step, leapt through the air, praying the whole way down, then splat! Gurgling down below, I fought the water to reach the air and with a triumphant smile realized that this special place had helped me conquer my fear of heights and opened my eyes to one of the most gorgeous scenes I had ever seen!
All that to say, I finally found my first waterfall here! Ladies and gentlemen, Sungai Gabai...

It's probably the longest waterfall i've ever seen...this picture only shows a section of it.

But don't worry, when you come visit I'll be sure to take you there. And don't worry Wardo, all the locals showed me the best place to swim and slide down some cool rocks!