Lick Brook Falls (part 2)

[Part 1]

Standing next to the stream, we can’t tell how the other hikers made it across; there are a few rocks sticking up out of the water, but most are submerged under several inches of water – the very thing that has brought us to the falls (high water) is making it extra difficult to get to them. My hiking boots are waterproof, but only up to my laces. If the water’s higher than that, my feet will find themselves bathed in a swampy mixture of muddy water and sweat.

Eventually, we decide that the best way to cross the stream is to climb out onto a tree root that extends half a foot over the stream and leap to the bank on the other side. Yes, really. Once that’s accomplished, we (finally) find ourselves on the Lick Brook Falls trail. From there, it’s a leisurely stroll through sunlit forests as butterflies flutter through the flowers steep. Very steep. We pick our way up the incline and are rewarded by several waterfalls. The last part of the hike finally levels out a bit and we get to walk next to undeveloped gorge.

The Big One

At the end of the trail, we sign the trail register, letting future hikers know of our enviable pathfinding skills. Then we have to get back to Treman, so back down the slope we go. We each slip (no one falls) a couple times on the way down, and I can’t tell if it’s because of loose rock, decaying leaves, or just mud underfoot. Near the stream, we decide we have a little time to look for another waterfall, but don’t end up finding it. We see a snake near the Lick Brook Falls parking lot and my roommate stops to take pictures.

Smaller falls in the gorge

All of that becomes important, because back at Treman, I look at my watch. It’s getting very close to when the bus is supposed to pick us up, so we run back to the playground where the bus dropped us off. As we round the corner, we see the bus pull up to the stop. We start running faster. About thirty feet from the bus, we pause to get out our IDs to board. The bus pulls away from the stop.

My roommate and I look at each other. We contemplate calling someone to pick us up. We decide to walk the four miles to Wegmans, because after all, we still need groceries. Fortunately, route 13 has a nice wide shoulder, but it’s still not very pleasant, and we’re glad when we make it to the shopping area. Since we’re out there anyway, we stop by the Salvation Army store to see if they have any good jigsaw puzzles. We forget the Salvation Army store is closed on Sundays.

Continuing on our way to Wegmans, we pass an abandoned McDonald’s. It looks like something out of The Walking Dead. So does the railroad we passed earlier, actually. A little over an hour after being left by the bus at Treman, we walk into the Wegmans parking lot. The last bus from Wegman’s has left about ten minutes ago.

After our shopping is complete, we shoulder our bags for the next leg of our trip and walk to the Commons. We wait at the Green Street bus station for any buses heading to campus. I eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Finally, the 51 shows up. Its final destination is listed via Collegetown. When we make it back to Collegetown, I ask my roommate if she wants to take the stairs up to our apartment. She says no. We take the elevator and lie on the living room floor before peeling ourselves off to make dinner. Our other roommate later vacuums up the mud from the living room floor. I wouldn’t change a thing about our trip.