One With Nature
This was my first Easter that I spent alone. Easter is usually spent at a family member's house, Baked Ham and Mom's deviled eggs and sweet treats for my niece and nephew. So, in contrast, spending the day in solitude felt a bit strange.
I went to church, a new church I might add. Finding a new church home in a town you aren't too familiar with, is hard y'all! Moving to the mountains has been great, learning more about my intended career path is awesome but settling in in a new place can take some time.
I rounded the path to my driveway. It was one of those days where you don't know whether to just call it a day or explore the whole mountainside. My decision came in the form of a Facebook notification. Grandfather Mountain holds an event all throughout the month of April where admission for residents is only $3. I changed my clothes and grabbed my camera.
The drive to get to Grandfather Mountain is beautiful. Barren trees still stand, their spring debut halted from a rare spring snow. The winding roads curve around small produce shacks boarded up, awaiting the next produce season.
To tell you the truth, I hadn't visited Grandfather Mountain in years, 20 years to be exact. The last time I was at the park, bagpipes echoed off the hills and men in kilts were roaming the park for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. I barely remembered anything specific about the park.
I took the winding road past a field, past picnic benches and wooded hiking paths. Fun fact: When Forest Gump starts running all over America, part of the running montage is on Grandfather Mountain. You can actually take the Forest Gump Curve up to the bridge. That's all I have to say about that.
One of the many amenities of the park is a wildlife habitat of several different animals. There are eagles and otters and bears, oh my. Sorry, that was really corny. The habitat has elk (who evidently hate getting their pictures taken), bears (who literally emerged from their hibernation period that week) and playful otters who make me want to take them home. The cougars, which used to be found in our area, are also camera shy and stayed close to the food gate.
I listened as the park guide named and discussed the animals at the habitat, children"ooh-ed" and "ahh-ed" and the flapping of eagles’ wings in the air created brief gusts of wind.
I returned to my car and drove the rest of the way up the zig-zag road to the top of the mountain. The park is famous for its "Mile High Swinging Bridge."
We all have those moments where we are paralyzed with fear. Think Ralphie meeting Santa in “The Christmas Story.” The Swinging bridge is mine. For a nine-year-old, 5,284 feet feels massive. For a 29-year-old, 5,284 feet feels massive.
The winds on Grandfather Mountain are strong. So much that when you see the trees, they look windblown to one side. They actually grow in that direction due to the wind. The elevator was broken in the gift shop, so I climbed the three-story flight of stairs to the top. The wind was blowing as I approached the top of the mountain. The "Grandfather" profile of the mountain is seen from the left side of the bridge.
I stepped onto the bridge. The normal give that the bridge allows felt too much. Yes, I saw the two-year-olds walking the path with no fear. I retreated and stood to the side. A bird flew over head and I could hear the swoosh of the wings as it glided over the mountain peaks.
On an Easter Sunday, I was as close to God as I could get, or at least 5,284 feet closer.
Sincerely,
Caitlin
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Meet Caitlin
Caitlin is a storyteller and photographer currently based in the coastal city of Wilmington, N.C.
A self-confessed romantic, she is a firm believer that there is good in the world.
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