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For most people, it's a good thing that we are making Nature more and more accessible. The widening of trails, creation of access roads, addition of parking lots and other amenities makes outdoor excursions easier and more readily available to the general public.
On the one hand, that's good, in that it allows more people to experience the Great Outdoors, develop an appreciation for Nature, and encourages people to protect these beautiful places.
On the other hand, opening up access, allowing more visitors and amenities can compromise the natural state of the environment being visited. That's just the way it is... It's a basic tenet of Quantum Physics -- the mere act of observation affects that which is being observed.
So, what's the answer? Is there an answer? We've already turned most of our wilderness into parks to protect it from development, but the debate rages over whether we improve access to this wilderness or do we simply leave it alone and let it do what it's done for millions of years? Or, maybe we can have it both ways... Is there any middle ground?
I really don't know. That's why I'm glad that my friend Darin, from Camping World in Chattanooga, took me up to a place undisturbed by Man, to show me one of Tennessee's natural treasures, surrounded by man-made park trails, but itself untouched and as beautiful as the day it was discovered.
Rainbow Falls is a secluded waterfall off the Cumberland Trail near the top of Signal Mountain outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. The majority of the trails in the area are relatively easy for the average hiker, and some are even kid-friendly. But direct access to the falls has been intentionally limited in an effort to keep it pristine and as close to its original state as possible. There are no "official" trails to the falls (though a couple of "hiker-made" trails can be found if you know where to look.)
Darin broght his two-year-old son, Maverick, and I brought my two-year-old camera gear and we went hiking. The hike in, along the Cumberland Trail, is easy, and much of it has been widened and laid with gravel to make the trek to the creek easier for the general public to enjoy. But, the hike to the falls, though only about a mile or so in distance, is another story. Not for the faint of heart, this barely visible path is steep, rocky, muddy, slick with trickles from mountain springs, and supports a large amount of dangerous wildlife (bears, mountain lions, bobcats, snakes, etc.) But, that's what makes it interesting -- and what keeps it from being overburdened by visitors.
So few people even make it down to the falls that you could spend an entire day there and never see another soul. It's just too difficult to get to. But, we made it without incident (though there were some scary moments -- like when we lost the trail and had to cross the steep, wet, rocky ledges of the feeder stream to find our way back to navigable terrain. One slip and the only thing that will find your mangled body at the bottom of the ravine will be a hungry animal delighted to find a free meal.)
So, it was a tough downhill trek, but the falls were worth it. A picture-perfect cascade of water spilling into a deep, green pool, surrounded by rockface on three sides and feeding a small stream on the fourth. The air was cool, and the water was even cooler. And, after getting a few photos for the website, I stripped down to my shorts and jumped into the icy mountain water for a refreshing dip. (Well... actually, I tiptoed in, ducked under, and jumped back out. That water was COLD!)
The hike back up to the top of the ravine was as tough as you might imagine. Hauling camera gear, stopping to shoot video (SurvivorMan-style), and trying not to get lost in the process provided a great workout and renewed my belief that, sometimes, leaving Nature alone is a very good thing.
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