Losing my Mind in Pennsylvania Wilds

There are times it is good to lose your mind-this last weekend was one such time for me. It seemed I had not taken any time to enjoy myself for about a month, and I was sure due for some relaxation. So, when a friend called and asked if I would like to do something, I jumped at the opportunity to share some of the sights of the Pennsylvania Wilds with him.

The day was bright and warm, with a slight crisp coolness to the shaded areas. I planned to take my friend to see Table Falls for the first time; its a pleasant hour's drive through Elk country from our area. One thing was remarkable about our drive through the wilds-there were few people moving about-on a day I figured would be quite busy, there were only about 5 cars from the time we left the last town (Medix, PA)!

My friend's sharp eyes picked out some movement at the side of the road, and since there was no traffic on the flat plateau, we pulled over and backed up slowly, our eyes having a very tough time picking out the pheasant in the brush, as they blended so well. I got a fleeting photo, then it flew, spooking another one we hadn't even seen!

A couple miles further and we arrived at the Table Falls. It is a small area on a forest service road that is easily missed if you don't know exactly what to look for. I instructed my friend where to pull off the road and retrieved my camera bag and tripod before walking down to the falls. After showing my friend the top of the falls, he went his own way, knowing I would be seeing through the lens, lol.

For the next hour I was completely under the spell of the falls, reminding me of one of the biggest reasons I enjoy the wilderness-being able to lose my mind for a time and simply BE. For that hour, nothing else intruded, not even my friend, who was roaming around the area, looking around on his own. The falls were deafeningly loud, in a very pleasant form, allowing me to get into a groove and forget about absolutely everything except the sights and sounds around me. For that hour, I was a new man, a wild man, interested only in that moment. It is rather puzzling, but I had to lose my mind in order to find my heart.