![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx28U2CMQwgkivaA1U-6oqSb0gn4Fxi-eC4_Ue3Jdxk_9s23FvyceAZ2IwFd40xgIHA0Iph4wyF0jnn26j7Mlaf6p_GVytZV3YqaqoimJYQ2CYHUCrGAGCKBppIgvAHukSpGxY0gW3sU/s1600/11.jpg) |
The 1,000-foot-high falls overlooks Leah as she climbs. |
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Even in winter, it's gorgeous. |
My friend Leah Weiss and I began what I hope is a Christmas tradition today with a hike into one of the wondrous corners of our mountains: Crabtree Falls in Nelson County. This is a string of waterfalls, counting 1,000 feet ultimately and the hike is almost straight up the side of the mountain.
It's 3.4 miles and I don't know whether it's more tiring going up or coming down, but it is breathtakingly beautiful either way.
Here is some of what we saw today. I look forward to a series of Christmas hikes in the future--if I get to live that long. What a wondrous way to spend one of my favorite days of the year.
We ran into some delightful people with the same idea we had, and also a couple of mysteries. Leah rested in a bench dedicated to a man named Bill Christmas, who died in 1978 at 22. Did he fall into the waterfall at this dangerous junction?
A bit further up, I discovered a bunch of roses and a photograph of a pretty young blonde. What's the story there?
The falls are quite dangerous in many places, but far less dangerous today with all the build-up than in the past. It's worth your time to walk it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpzBubrxbvPdlkjTKfo97Z2fS7L0APD6QtpxQCSYrZ_OBgBEo0-ndVUOQW2q8co3hheBJNlUVfUD_RYmBs9ILzP570LYOC4lPau99oLOpL3fNiJZ-GV2bnIBtoZiilvfLfHn_7JW258g/s1600/12.jpg) |
The water is powerful and beautiful, the colors vivid. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqQ0soD1sicKt7o0_FAwCuqHwZN5zRo9cLDXuQrESE7Nl3eJmuAlxU0YUIV-nDL0MMikhmL-TLovnEWkbWlU6K3M960OBrULbecIarl_pmvXc1JebB17N97Gw1QHs_vuUyW-6F1DiYQ0/s1600/1.jpg) |
Leah at the entrance to the trail, ready to hike. |
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Steps are steep and today they were wet. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZlYaOEweWHXMPESPZF5WLl93rRaLwCxJYDEdFyIT1yftjbM8PArsNSkY26scb7h5sscQPb84muYPaTMpVaQkNAdMZv_b5WM_vJ2Got5MWicG1Pz6hRryRtoPKZT6dvuUw1Mf_4Rh1Ds/s1600/4.jpg) |
Happy? Yep. Doing what I love to do. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacmhd-r4BRZD3kwaOlXz4KbC4Xb-cSpu_pZog3XiTyWRZPYCPv-N6_yEKNSz8lQBBj_qnbx3xXaVS7N8kl-EMIAzXU7mJ7tdt9bR5v6BR-s7HUs8CHerbPSn2DThjsVx-JgdTK6KL29k/s1600/3.jpg) |
The prettiest girl in the room, even the big room. |
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Meandering nicely. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdgW6v7e1S_piWSTOJKmJxA315fz8B0QIZTBJ6BccLHiztvpJfrhEV_20VLob2zHR_538e-XOVHKre4pP3rb7yppZf94KYjzwu6ZGuVXEl_0RnxeCRC-v3BvlyCMiMu7ZZLsWRmLhtNE/s1600/7.jpg) |
The falls fall in pieces. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseWzoHhSoQWsbB5p7Es40oSA9rit9ox0druClWIegC02BidWmZvRtpDyUFYX_a3-54p0182lDzo87miGYWbcQjhbRYQmRj7PzVsxBzLaXNKECyHH4IivB5KCu0zI5Fy8XlLTdb0GWGHU/s1600/13.jpg) |
And here's another piece. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxorTTbcmF3rcDPOt95J-s3NqWgabHeEia9lnfGm8sCaX7sSvb4fRxj7w8XpbfC_RHmIMIaFC0by1k2YinhaBgILeo4LX3UM00qJCZEdSKPVFITJHFO2IPUDR0n0xefN_Rd2RSSNYRq5Q/s1600/14.jpg) |
The trail was wet, dangerous. |
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More steep steps. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u68c02gHR8sBnc4WWJV0xJ9NpCLY-cIPi-2JR1lkgLHSRAQ8Q4adkv16LvUgIIcmjtHZhnxJm58F96icwlZeooRKQFkglgX7cj4cCfKRFoD2XXfX9AxpbgQa03V2H3gfqX9_FWJWX6k/s1600/16.jpg) |
Pampa the hikerman at the halfway point. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaIFauQ0RPhRnqqit0xgb0IB17jfJqLvUKDxBYRqndsQaPZd8AWL4oP3EF0gPCGlVq6aTP92w5effjw6r3h3E79bPLtIQWxSmX5FEH8_CWn7Zme3VhgQCAzpTwg27E0q1m8q_QI1nR2k/s1600/17.jpg) |
These guys grow on the logs and catch my eye every time. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuYT7Ysdec6fDD4y9odeBaj34-ihtEWZ7N5cpFXS351ScS0iwC-FGHBXdDWJtBiXps7R6kWER9EZ84JYbR_M06bhlAjsrsE8NPNVpnk8g_lOsyQYPzPRGB36leEWYeTKoPTc2zlHZwsc/s1600/18.jpg) |
This bench is a memorial to Bill Christmas, who died at 22 in 1978, perhaps on the trail. I don't know. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM_upKj9eU-XSeXik-dVTKhQ0WDGk6lCwIyp0QKwiIMDOZQVZ2_DVb5xgMezNzjLHF27cbX2ah9Tlz2Ymm18_9Y_3BiSez9aFqkxTNiALMstUerudRETLsJmQrS9utBUHPdIU0wLFHoY/s1600/19.jpg) |
Little Red Leah-hood: Black and white and color. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IHDaUMr34M0Z9YwowcFHksfiW4S8UOmRs0YZYo9H1pKJRouayGmEHAab4JY2e8SUTIuSvo3Uic19lVkqLO0TSq1jnzOsn1m2HkIJT5QlNHdwCrXc9hFDPJxzWAd2RMGQTJihT539oEQ/s1600/24.jpg) |
Pampa in red. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ts6M9SnX44tf8BVPYq-JIIxIXyZ1avoywK7kGqnbWjxqCOzpyRL9pASR7p6zumlmNBxh2I3NEDi20Z78JUmHljzIwLh3xH11uCyG64uLh8xsnYWJt9fp9Od2PTZJ_Qb8SX53atfcTeo/s1600/23.jpg) |
Top of the falls. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6p3dhwI2vBtU-WWfgbmb_tFh6wClClmIcFNtbwg7hBOfuV9ihscF-SVx-NOb2NBlVOUALA8hOl9E1Y76Xewvsp0n91WiKTuEPkx163pZviMqx0B4TyzkQCctgSyMKL6K9dBkFsXCmPU/s1600/22.jpg) |
This is the view from the top of the falls. Can't see the water. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO8iMMH_UczoP-lfzFnkQ698NdW2b1HIBPtWtsFqE4PbN9P3QA1aDzeHVGzqcSxWTT11MIq93XoBpGbhWkArpnFHt2chBAfCBmqxosTqaTtGtef3Zu8KgTOLc_IDpIA_txKt6njP_tYA/s1600/26.jpg) |
Roses and a photo and a lot of questions why. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthiqJRkIpZWjRZtH8DzM41lulYByNDleQdKkCfqnb_TPzM_FItclEzfb21Eysf9jyCq0qgNvy0k366ACM8c4nO72EzaYpCnXOMJHqyRQBCtDaK0aLihVesoTdKJPNfW4GmK3qhFjSGhE/s1600/27.jpg) |
Leah coming down ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX2VBE9Qd3z4dVMxaK6FRmo7CehsCgMUPZdCYgUmzc6enPPJs3xCAjSJWHNCxrlE4hd6GUmYT_D2ZKEvmgzdjLSDLMkW2bMLZewUUJaGj9u2ZGSYtVjqtlVrOnqpyyUCbR8FEP68ZxR8/s1600/28.jpg) |
... and down and down and down ... |
Gorgeous pix! What a great way to spend Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love that we've started this tradition. I love that the sun shown on Christmas. I love that we weren't couch potatoes and that our muscles ache for legitimate reasons.
ReplyDelete