After conquering “the bully” on Little Devils Stairs, I felt I should meet his neighbor along Piney Ridge and Piney Branch. “The girl next door” is actually quite pretty: lots of big trees and logs, a rocky river, huge rock formations on the side of waterfalls… Pretty does not mean easy, though – I had to step on shaky slippery stones to cross the stream four times and walk up a steep rocky path to complete the loop.
It was sunny. There was a warm expansiveness in the woods. No wind. Only when I paused to take a snapshot, standing still, did I hear little quiet sounds, murmuring nature’s secrets to my ears.
