The Crutch

Feeling re-energized by my new knee has motivated me to be out and about not worrying about pain, and this in turn has inspired a major creativity... more

by Angelo Marcialis

Title

The Crutch

Artist

Angelo Marcialis

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Photography

Description

Feeling re-energized by my new knee has motivated me to be out and about not worrying about pain, and this in turn has inspired a major creativity spurt. The latest one was to drive out to the "Dingmans Falls Visitor's Center", located in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania.

This was first time back there since I last visited back in 2015, and it was more beautiful than I remembered!

I planned my trip so that I would arrive during the Golden Hour. The light was gorgeous as I photographed one of the two waterfalls found there. This one is called 'Dingmans Falls'.

The photo's title was inspired by single tree branch placed there by Tropical Storm Henri's recent visit to the area.

About DIngmans Creek Trail:

The Dingmans Creek Trail is an adventure. From the walking bridge over Dingmans Creek to the wooden and Trex™ walkways and rustic benches along the way. The Dingmans Creek Trail is a great place to get away, under a canopy of hemlock and hardwood trees. This trail has benches at multiple locations along the trail where you can sit and enjoy nature. There are plenty of hand holds along most of the walkway, particularly at places where the walkway is slightly elevated. Use caution on any wet walkway surfaces.

The Dingmans Creek Trail is one of the most popular sites within the park. That popularity means more people and fewer places to park, usually. We always advise visitors to arrive early to get parking and to avoid any crowds

Some of the best times to visit this site are either in the spring after a strong rain storm, the first or second week of July when the rhododendrons bloom all along the trail, or for the hardy visitor, the winter when the falls are covered in ice and snow shoes or cross-country skis are the recommended way to travel the trail.

Trail Description:

This boardwalk trail begins by leaving the parking lot and entering the trail head located between the visitor center and the restrooms. As you pass thru a break in the trees, you emerge under the trees and the world under the canopy opens up to you. After a short path, visitors cross the Dingmans Creek on a strong bridge. Almost immediately after crossing the walking bridge, Silverthread Falls will be on your right side. This narrow, but tall waterfall gracefully drops 80 feet in a thin ribbon of water through a narrow channel of what was once a layer of Earth. At some point in its journey, this layer of Earth was thrust up and turned 90 degrees allowing for water to carve a channel down through this layer in time, eroding it away and leaving behind the waterfall we get to experience today.

The boardwalk then continues, as it winds to the right, past a bench and then straight through a open area past tall hemlocks with their dense canopy, sheltering visitors from the sun. You might begin to hear the increasing sound of a stream in the distance, or feel its cool breeze on your skin. The boardwalk makes its way to the left over a second walking bridge before curving to the right. The trail then proceeds slightly uphill and to the left as you make your way through more rhododendron plants that have grown large in their maturity. You'll then move past a sitting area on the right where bird watchers and others can rest, listen, and search for their favorite birds, squirrels, or other critters.

From this point on, the sounds of a waterfall roaring ahead are unmistakable to those with hearing and you might even feel the breeze or temperature change in the air created by gravity and all that water, before you get there.

Further ahead, a set of steep wooden stairs appear on the left, allowing the adventurous to climb to the extra 0.1 miles to the fenced viewing area at the top of Dingmans Falls. This is where the Dingmans Creek Trail ends.

Uploaded

August 25th, 2021