The day was lovely- cold and foggy with the sun peeking through. The river and streams misty with the change in temperature and the ice beginning to form on the water. The leaves were crisp and I was inspired! I ran home yesterday to get the camera and take some pictures of nature... and that is where the trouble began.
I had been told by the school bus driver that Batten Road is a great view of the dam once the leaves are off the trees. So I went. It sure is! Let me say that it runs across the ridge at the top of Croton Gorge with a magnificent view of the "New" (1903) Croton Dam. This Dam is the largest hand hewn built structure on earth outside of the Egyptian Pyramids.
Ok, so you have an idea of how big this dam is right? And if I am on a ridge that is actually slightly higher up then I am pretty high up the gorge no?
So I take a picture. And I decide I want to change out lenses. Hmmm... one would think an intelligent woman would step AWAY from the edge of the gorge. But, no... I do not and as I take off the lens it flips out of my hand and down the gorge. I watch it flip and roll and bounce while saying quietly to myself... No! Stop! No! Crap!!!!!
It did stop- amazing because it really had nothing to stop it. This is not a slope- that would be a kind description. It really is as close to a cliff as you can get without a sheer drop. It is so steep one MUST use hands to help get down and up... I know this because, yes, I did it.
What was I thinking? I don't know... surely not that if I fell I would more than likely die because nothing would stop my roll but the river at the bottom. Surely not that I have 4 children who need a mother. No, I was thinking Lance will kill me if I come home with one fewer lenses. I was thinking, well if I fall, I better have my coat on so I don't get hypothermia while I wait for someone to find me (seriously, I thought this!!! NOW do you get how steep this thing is?)In the same thought though, I took my cell phone OUT of my pocket and put it in the car lest I drop it and lose it. Uh- huh. Smart girl you know!
Mind you I spent my early childhood in the mountains of California and I was not afraid to climb massive boulders and trees and anything else. I have not however, done that as an adult!
This slope was far steeper than the black diamond slopes on the Zugspitze in Germany. With me still? Yeah, well you would have probably NOT have been.
It was something else and apparently after the adrenaline rush that lasted about 40 minutes to climb down and back up, I could NOT stop shaking. Finally I put some protein in me and the shaking eased... but the muscles in every part of my body are killing me today. Oh and so is my vanity. I did this in 4 inch heeled dress boots with no tread. Yup. My hands are torn up, I have a nasty thorn in one from desperately grabbing a scrawny bush as I felt my foot sliding- only to realize the whole bush was a thorn bush.
After, Jason(Tiffy's husband) over the phone said... "Isn't that the one you have two of? You probably could have gotten a replacement on eBay for like $30" All I could say is "shut up Jason, I don't want to know that now!"
The pictures do not do justice. I got to the top and thought to grab the camera out of the car (where I put it for the climb, thus I know my brain was functioning at some level prior to the escapade) and took some pics of the slope to TRY to show you what I did. I will go back today with Lance and let him see if he can do more justice to the site. You know pictures never do justice.
I am home, I am fine. I am sore... and I am realizing I am still a little spontaneous. I thought I had lost that. This is inspiring at this point in my life. I am not a boring mom... I am ...well I don't know... but I am still learning.
For all the pics I took, visit our online albums at Picasa...http://picasaweb.google.com/lancenjulie/LateFall08?authkey=G4VNioWHAM4#
If you have trouble with that we are under picasa web albums and our user name is lancenjulie.
Happy Holidays All!
