08/22/2024
Pro tip: When you Google "natural body of water I can swim in near me," double-check that itās actually near you. š¤¦āāļø I found myself on a nearly hour-and-a-half drive to Blue Hole Falls in Hiawassee, GA with friends, convinced by the promise of an "easy, one-mile hike." Perfect for those not acclimated to long hikes, right? Wrong.
We set off later in the afternoon (first mistake) with spirits high. The hike down was delightfulāmushrooms, critters, beautiful scenery. And then we arrived at the falls. š Picture a stunning waterfall plunging into a 10-foot-deep swimming hole. Ice-cold water? Yes, please! (My friends did not share the same excitement.) We swam until our fingers were blue, had a quick snack, and thenā¦ began the hike back.
Remember that lovely downhill hike? Yeah, what goes down must come up. š² As the light faded, so did our energy, and the āeasyā mile started to feel more like a marathon. To top it off, we heard rustling in the treesācue the horror movie soundtrack. Deer? Raccoons? No big dealā¦ until I looked up and saw a baby bear. š» And where thereās a baby, thereās a mama.
In a moment of pure panic, I did the only logical thing: Yelled at the bear (sorry for the potty mouth, little bear, but I was freaking the **** out). Luckily, black bears are shy, and our noisy exit was enough to convince this curious cub to retreat. Crisis averted? Not quite.
As we rounded the corner, I felt a sharp stingāthen another, and another. A swarm of hornets decided to join the fun. š Running, swatting, yellingā¦ it was a blur of chaos. We eventually escaped and made it back to the car by 9 pm, pitch black and utterly exhausted.
5 hornet stings later and a trip to urgent care (because sleep is impossible when you're stung half a dozen times), I give this hike a solid 10/10. Would visit againābut next time, much earlier in the day. š
BTW, just when I thought Iād been through it all, my phone cheerfully informed me that the āone-mileā hike was actually 5 miles round trip. So, whoās lyingāmy GPS, or the trail map? Either way, āeasy,ā my hiking boots.
