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Description

What do I like most about photographing waterfalls? It’s the outdoor nature adventure! We pick our waterfalls trying to avoid Epic Adventure, but by definition every waterfall involves water free falling and smashing against something, usually rocks. Humans are mostly water and I don’t want to become one with the waterfall. However, I think some element of danger is implied in “adventure”and it’s certainly true for any waterfall adventure. Thus having a waterfall buddy is essential. Mine is Don and he's in some of my photos.

The only downside to adventuring with a waterfall buddy is trying to avoid “photo-bombing”. Some waterfalls are like large crown jewels and others like strings of pearls. For the crown jewel waterfalls we start at the edges and work our way in. On the string of pearls waterfalls we separately explore nearby pearls.

This waterfall (Alarka, N.C.) is kind of a string of pearls waterfall and we were working our way upstream. While I was photographing one pearl, Don went upslope to look for another. When I finished I followed Don upstream. What I didn’t know was that Don had gone back down the trail. I should have figured this out because there really wasn’t a “trail” going to the top of the falls. It got worse the further I went and I kept thinking, what the hell is Crazy Don doing? I should have known, but kept going up and up. Just before the top I found this little pearl and spent some time photographing it, thinking Don might show up. That didn’t happen and the trail further up had really old sketchy ropes. So I went down, which for me is much worse than going up. I was thrilled when I got back to the “real” trail and flatter terrain.

But the thrill disappeared when I stepped into a yellow jacket nest. I escaped with 4 or 5 stings, and now just wanted to get the heck out of Alarka. Next thing I know I hear someone coming up the trail calling my name. I wasn’t Don, but some guy packing a semi-auto. I’m thinking, do I really want to tell him I’m Ken? It turns out he was part of a rescue team that Don had called thinking I was injured or dead. He was sure there was no way I would go up that non-trail and got worried when he didn’t see me for several hours. When we got back to the trailhead there were other rescue team members and I felt bad that I had caused a false rescue.

We got to talking and they warned us about the adjacent property owner who was shooting at people using the trailhead (on USFS land). “What”I said in shock, “Why isn’t he in jail?!!!!”. The reply was “he missed”. So I asked the rescue guy packing the semi auto “If I shot at you and missed wouldn’t you call the police?” He said “No, I would shoot you dead”. Well it was that kind of day and needless to say Alarka isn’t on our “go back” list.

Description

What do I like most about photographing waterfalls? It’s the outdoor nature adventure! We pick our waterfalls trying to avoid Epic Adventure, but by definition every waterfall involves water free falling and smashing against something, usually rocks. Humans are mostly water and I don’t want to become one with the waterfall. However, I think some element of danger is implied in “adventure”and it’s certainly true for any waterfall adventure. Thus having a waterfall buddy is essential. Mine is Don and he's in some of my photos.

The only downside to adventuring with a waterfall buddy is trying to avoid “photo-bombing”. Some waterfalls are like large crown jewels and others like strings of pearls. For the crown jewel waterfalls we start at the edges and work our way in. On the string of pearls waterfalls we separately explore nearby pearls.

This waterfall (Alarka, N.C.) is kind of a string of pearls waterfall and we were working our way upstream. While I was photographing one pearl, Don went upslope to look for another. When I finished I followed Don upstream. What I didn’t know was that Don had gone back down the trail. I should have figured this out because there really wasn’t a “trail” going to the top of the falls. It got worse the further I went and I kept thinking, what the hell is Crazy Don doing? I should have known, but kept going up and up. Just before the top I found this little pearl and spent some time photographing it, thinking Don might show up. That didn’t happen and the trail further up had really old sketchy ropes. So I went down, which for me is much worse than going up. I was thrilled when I got back to the “real” trail and flatter terrain.

But the thrill disappeared when I stepped into a yellow jacket nest. I escaped with 4 or 5 stings, and now just wanted to get the heck out of Alarka. Next thing I know I hear someone coming up the trail calling my name. I wasn’t Don, but some guy packing a semi-auto. I’m thinking, do I really want to tell him I’m Ken? It turns out he was part of a rescue team that Don had called thinking I was injured or dead. He was sure there was no way I would go up that non-trail and got worried when he didn’t see me for several hours. When we got back to the trailhead there were other rescue team members and I felt bad that I had caused a false rescue.

We got to talking and they warned us about the adjacent property owner who was shooting at people using the trailhead (on USFS land). “What”I said in shock, “Why isn’t he in jail?!!!!”. The reply was “he missed”. So I asked the rescue guy packing the semi auto “If I shot at you and missed wouldn’t you call the police?” He said “No, I would shoot you dead”. Well it was that kind of day and needless to say Alarka isn’t on our “go back” list.