Letterboxing Mimser: The Rock

***Please note that this trail is narrow at times along a steep edge along Trough Creek. Narrow stone steps that can be slippery during times of recent rain or ice can be treacherous. Please do not attempt this box if the trail is closed due to poor conditions as will often be the case in winter and early spring. There is a road that will get you near Balanced Rock at the top end of the trail, but you need a good map and you are on your own. We are not responsible for injuries or accidents.***

This is the beginning of the clues for another box which I have wanted to get for a long time. However, notes like this tend to scare me.....more than just a little. I have a terrible fear of heights. I also am not as agile as I once was so I was sure that if there was a way to fall off this mountainside, I would do it. I was especially sure after JBZfarm updated their clues to include this disclaimer. However, I was in the area so I decided to take a look for myself. I finally found the rock after driving what seemed like miles of windy narrow roads through the park. See it on the side of the hill?

I think more than my fear of heights was my fear of the suspension bridge. However, as I sat in the parking lot and watched four year old kids bouncing down the trail and running across the bridge, I decided that I could handle it. As it turned out, my fears were MUCH worse than the actual walk.

The trail was actually pretty easy to walk but I can imagine it would be a little slick on a rainy day.

The falls were lovely especially surrounded by the autumn colors.

These were the steps that are warned about in the disclaimer.

The Balanced Rock sits perched on the side of the hill.

See, I really did make it! A family from Louisiana and I took turns taking pictures of each other.

The view from the rock was beautiful. I am so glad that I decided to take this particular weekend to explore. The leaves were at their peak. One more weekend and I would have not only missed the color but I also would have encountered snow from the freak October snow storm that we had.