Faith in Humanity Restored!
The other day, we went in search of yet another waterfall near Rosman, NC. The falls is part of the new Headwaters State Forest, which is between Gorges State Park and DuPont State Recreational Forest. As is my mantra, leaving the house early enough is, in my opinion, half the battle when you live in and around a true destination; the mountains of Western North Carolina. Even though it was quite balmy for early February, we found ourselves driving in dense fog, ultimately missing the trailhead and ending up in South Carolina. Circling back, we ended up back in Rosman more frustrated than ever, deciding to head back home. Upon arriving at home, we both sat down to “Google” the waterfall and find better directions. Not to be outdone by mother nature, we headed back out to find the waterfall and trailhead, only this time we could see where we were going!
The waterfall being chased, Graveley Falls, is now a part of the newly formed State Forest. While it’s a wonderful playground for those hot summer days, we found Graveley Falls to be a quiet beauty. Satisfied that we had beaten mother nature, we headed back home, only to stop again to shoot a roadside cascade. (Glady Fork Road) It was at this shoot, I changed my process ever so slightly. I hopped out of the car with just my camera and cell phone. Returning to the vehicle, I was absolutely sure we could mark the day as a success, even though the start of the day was a bit frustrating.
Upon arriving back home after an exhausting day, I realized I didn’t have my camera bag with me. I still had my camera and cell phone, but no camera accessories, maps, SD cards, or my ID & wallet! My heart sank into my toes. We threw our gear into the house and hopped back in the car and raced back to Headwaters and the roadside cascade to see if the bag might still be there. This would mark our third time driving along East Fork/Glady Fork Road in a single day. Sadly, we did not find the camera bag. As we drove home in silence, I began thinking about everything that lie ahead of me; cancelling credit/debit cards, obtaining a new driver’s license, and changing a plethora of passwords.
I had just cancelled my debit card and two credit cards when my cell phone rang. I typically do not answer my cell phone if it’s a number I don’t recognize. The no call list does not work. Just sayin. If someone really wants to contact me, they can leave a message. There was a message with this call.
The caller, originating from Asheville, did leave me a message. He mentioned his name and that he had found my book bag along Glady Fork Road. Because the number he mentioned didn’t match up with the number displayed, I immediately hit the call back button and left him a message thanking him for finding my bag and for wanting to return it to me. What happened after that has truly restored my faith in humanity. Glen, who left me the voicemail message is a UPS driver. He contacted the UPS driver on our particular route and gave him my bag. I believe our UPS driver’s name is Brent. At 8pm last night there was a knock on the door and it was Brent, our UPS guy, handing me my camera bag!!!
I have never been so lucky in my entire life! I would have lost camera accessories; extra battery, battery charger, SD cards, flashlight, bear spray, maps, and replaceable items. Replacing my ID & credit cards were the real hassle.
I can’t thank UPS drivers Glen & Brent enough!!! You have truly restored my faith in humanity! There are still good people in this world despite what we hear/read day in and day out.
Be sure to take a peek at the photos taken of Graveley Falls at our stock photography website.