Sliding Rock

16Sept2015
In the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard is nature’s waterslide, as dramatic as any water park. This granite boulder has been eroded to a gentle waterfall, though with 11,000 gallons of water going down the rock every minute there is plenty of force to propel slippery sliding. It is about 60 feet tall, ending in a pool around 7 feet deep.
This is mainly a summer attraction, since even at its warmest the water here is never more than 50 to 60 degrees. There were some hearty sliders though I was not among them, choosing instead to stand on one of the two viewing platforms to photograph the slide. I was especially amused by one tourist determined to document his descent with what appeared to be a GoPro. He made several attempts though as you can see by the time he reached the bottom his instincts kicked in and he was more focused on his landing spot than smiling for a selfie. So for photographers who want photos of themselves, maybe there should be a genre of photographer portrait photography to allow for a carefree and camera free slide down a cool mountain waterfall. Sometimes you just need to be in the moment!