I was planning to relax by a couple waterfalls over two days. Instead, I ended up doing a whirlwind tour of five falls in three hours, then I almost drowned. Hahaaaa- a fitting cap to this strange summer.

Glen Falls

Sequoyah Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Dry Falls (the most stunning of these falls for sure)

Aaaand Bust Your Butt Falls

What a day! Jason had cracked a rib awhile ago, then his back got messed up. Jen had to take care of some things before heading up. Thunderstorms were predicted. I headed up early to get in Glen Falls before the rain. That waterfall is like something out of a fairytale. I took my time heading down to the bottom and dipped my toes in a freezing cold pool. The way back up was brutal! Jason and Jen drove up later, with Jason barely able to get out of the car. We met at the Will Henry Stevens covered bridge and took off up 64 to see Sequoyah Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls and Bust Your Butt Falls. For the window of clear skies and Jason’s extraordinary pain, these were good falls to see. Very close together and you could just drive up to most of them. At Bust Your Butt, I slipped down a dry, but very steep rock into some surprisingly deep rushing water. There was a drowning-not-waving moment where Jason thought I’d jumped in and was goofing off, before he realized this dip was UNINTENTIONAL. I hilariously prioritized my phone and chucked it at him, then flailed wildly, gasping for air when my head was above water. A burly vet came down and tried to reach out to grab me, he then slipped on the same spot I had. Amidst the churning water, he was able to toss me up onto land like I weighed nothing (wow!) and I had a second of clear-headed freak strength where I was able to reach back for him, then up to Jen and strangers in a human chain where we were both pulled up onto a steady surface. I’m so thankful for the help of these strangers, and that I wasn’t alone on this trip. Everytime I watch suffering in the news, or a dire survival situation in movie/book fiction, I think to myself, ‘not worth the struggle. I’d rather die on the spot,’ but I have to admit, survival mode kicked in here. I was really shook up and had to calm down and dry out on Rabun beach before driving home.