Walls of Jericho

This was that one hike I mentioned last week (last Tuesday) that I felt in the moment for, where both Katie and I lost about 3 hours of the day living in that moment.

Katie had been telling me she was looking forward to the bridge and I was like is it a cool bridge? In response, she said no it’s just a log with a railing. As soon as we got the the river, I said that is more than just a log Katie.

New bridge

As we got closer, you could see the old bridge next to the bridge in the photo above. Made of steel, wood, and concrete, over a body of water no more than 4 feet deep, this bridge seemed overqualified, even for a creek named, “Hurricane Creek” Look at those railings! 😮

Skeleton Tree

The tree above, surprisingly was nothing but skeleton, completely hallow on the inside. I’ve personally have never seen anything like this before.

This spot was sooooo tranquil. I could have hung out here for hours.

I’m not too sure why I am able to fully relax while hiking with Katie, but it might be because I know in my mind that she is good. I’m not saying the other people I hike with can’t handle themselves, it’s more like I personally know what she has hiked through, so I can fully relax.

The Gorge

Can you find me?

We ate lunch in the open gorge area in front of the cave in the photo above. While eating, there was a couple of people Katie and I helped climb up to the waterfall. As soon as Katie mentioned how long this one guy had been struggling to get over this one ledge, I looked over, jumped up, ran over, and provided the extra support he needed to get up on to the ledge. Katie got the next person that she noticed was struggling. Fortunately, coming down was significantly easier so I wasn’t too concerned with them getting back down.

On the way back, there was a period of time where we weren’t talking to each other, maybe 10-15 minutes of peaceful silence. I was in awe afterward. I believe we both were. It was probably the closest thing to meditation I have had since the trail. It’s nice to know I am still capable of putting myself back into such headspace.

Name	Walls of Jericho
Location	Estillfork, AL
Parking/Trailhead	34.976707, -86.080538
Trail Name	Walls of Jericho Trail
Hike Length	6.6 miles (Out&Back)

Side Notes:

If you have a hard time trusting your footing, this trail will be difficult for you. If you are questioning your ability, go on a beautiful weekend, for this trail gets foot travel. Plus, the parking lot is very large. I would advise all hikers to avoid this trail in the rain. You wouldn’t necessarily die, but it would certainly hurt if you fell.
Oh I have been told by Katie that there is an alternative hiking trail that is a bit longer which starts in Tennessee: here.
It is recommended that you bring shoes you can get wet, but if you have good balance like myself, you can get by with just one pair of shoes.