Went on a local hike last weekend with my brother Jonathan and good friend Jason. The primary goal was to kick our butts into shape. I grew far too sedentary last year. So far, I’ve been working out regularly and going on short but strenuous hikes whenever possible. The Walls of Jericho is a small canyon on the headwaters of the Paint Rock River on the border between Alabama and Tennessee. The rocks in the area are spectacular. Waterfalls and cascades abound this time of year (much of the stream is dry during summer and fall). On seeing the photos, many people don’t believe it’s in Alabama. Here are a few shots of one of the nicer waterfalls, including one of me pretending to use my tenkara rod at the base of the falls. There are no fish in this stream, at least not this far up. I took the rod hoping to fish the larger stream at the bottom of the valley, but it was muddied from recent rain. The fish will wait till next time.
A pretty waterfall at the Walls of Jericho.
If you look closely, you can see a rainbow in the waterfall. This is a shot from the base.
I couldn't resist a shot of me fishing in this pool, even if there are no fish.
The hike in is a fairly steep 2.5 mile descent, followed by another up and down half mile. The hike back out is the opposite, so you end the 6 mile trip with a nice climb. I decided to hike out as quickly as I could. I kept up a rigorous pace and managed okay, but I was gasping pretty good on the last stretch before the parking lot. Still need a lot of work before I’m ready for all the backpacking I hope to do this year, but I think this helped. Plus it was a brilliant day to be outside, even if we weren’t fishing.
~Nathan
