“Me and Hoot want to invite you on a hike.”
“Sure! Let’s go when I get back from the beach.”
Thus went the conversation that led to my first foray to Burgen Creek Falls, which is roughly 1 1/4 miles off Atoah Road.
Somehow, this editor managed to book the trip for the morning after deadline night. However groggily, I climbed into my car and made the trek to meet Hoot Gibbs and Marshall McClung, a pair of well-known local historians and retired members of the Graham County Rescue Squad.
“Take it easy on us,” Hoot joked as we began the steep ascent.
“No, no; take it easy on me,” I replied.
The duo thought I was kidding.
My rapid heartbeat as we reached the top of the ridge – a half-mile into our journey – proved otherwise.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out my childhood journeys into the wilderness. Growing up in the mountains of north Georgia, I had plenty of rugged terrain to explore. Hunting, fishing, “coon” and even hog hunting with my family and friends occupied plenty of the days in my youth.
So I’m no stranger to this sort of thing. It’s like riding a bicycle.
Once we reached the ridge and began descending into the woods, the foliage was breathtaking. Mostly untouched – save for a tiny trail Hoot and Marshall had carved out and maintain with twice-yearly visits – the area we were in proved that there are still hidden gems to be discovered in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Crossing water three times, we finally reached our destination, which Marshall first discovered while growing up on Atoah. The water trickled down the falls and everything was just so … peaceful. That’s the only word I have for it.
However, Hoot and Marshall wanted to solve a mystery in the woods, and didn’t need to call Scooby or Shaggy to do so: Just how high are these falls?
I watched in awe as the childhood (and lifelong) friends worked together to crunch the numbers, with Hoot implementing an altimeter to determine elevation and Marshall holding one end of a measuring tape while Hoot stretched to the base of the falls for accuracy. Quickly, I surmised that this was not their first time working together toward this common goal.
When all the calculations were completed, the estimated height of the falls was 31 feet. Hoot and Marshall next want to hike in from the top of the falls, but admittedly are still trying to map out a route.
I told them I would love to tag along. While I was on the trip, I was reminded just how much I missed exploring the wilderness – not to mention the camaraderie of solving the world’s problems without worrying about outside sources trying to deter your logic.
Hey, maybe by the time our next trip is scheduled, my cardio will make the experience even more enjoyable.
Kevin Hensley is the publisher/editor of The Graham Star. He can be reached via phone, 479-3383; email, editor@grahamstar.com; and Twitter @KevinHensleyCNI.