There is a sense of peace that I find only in the quiet nooks of Beavers Bend, Oklahoma. One of my favorite American writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote something that I believe sums it up best.
"I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Even in the year of 2023, I still find that to be true.
I have grown increasingly interested in hiking and spending time outdoors lately. I'm unsure if this is due to the recent change in weather from cold and lifeless to warm and glowing, but I'm not complaining.
I have loved Oklahoma since I was a little girl. We took a family vacation there once and it became our favorite place to visit.
But as an adult, I'm realizing that I don't have to wait for family vacations to go on an adventure anymore--I can just go! So I decided this March to take a day-trip to Beavers Bend State park with my sister and one of our mutual friends.
It was a crisp 33 degrees with a breeze the morning of our trek, and all I could think about was how I was going to need some serious caffeine to get me through the two-hour drive up to the park. However, when I saw the sunrise, I forgot about my need for a pick-me-up.
A friend of mine recommended taking the Friends Trail as it led to a waterfall. Even though it was a shorter hike (1.5 miles, round trip), the payoff was AMAZING. I'd seen the river before on my visits to Oklahoma as a child, but I had never seen the waterfall before.
I wish I could find the words to describe the insatiable roar of the water. It's one of the loudest and most powerful yet soothing sounds I've ever heard. The already-chilly breeze was significantly colder near the water as well, making all of us pull our jackets a little closer.
I would have been content to stay by the water's edge for the rest of the day. There was such a sense of peace and calm that I found it addictive.
It made me ponder why our busy, hectic lives have taken over and where the calm and silence have gone. Why must we fill our every day with such a sense of busyness that we forget to actually live and savor the moment?
Perhaps this is a little too introspective for a post about a hiking trip. But that's what went through my head on this hike.
I truly enjoyed hiking this trail, and I hope to visit again sometime in the near future. I won't forget how much this trip made me reflect and look at my life with a new perspective. I think it's safe to say that I will be going on a hike again soon.
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