Wish You Were Here

So I'm taking my walk tonight, listening to my ipod. I hear those wonderful guitar chords marking the beginning of my most favorite song, Wish You Were Here. Got me thinking of days gone by. There's a place in Alabama, Cheaha State Park. At the top of the mountain is Bald Rock. Used to be, to get there you had to maneuver over rocks and trees roots. The rocks were magnificent, sandstones and the like shot through with quartz and quartzite veins. You risked a stubbed toe or worse walking through there too close to dark. But it was part of the experience to get there.

Couple million years ago the top of that mountain was located several hundred feet closer to sea level and a couple hundred miles to the southeast. It was a quiet beach, most likely. Imagine, a beach on top of a mountain. Thrills me just to think of it. Any way, the path is all pussified now with lights and a damned old wooden path. Took a lot out of going there, it did.

So, the stage is set, we're walking to Bald Rock. Once you reach the end of the path, everything sorta opens up. The path ends and there's a drop off of a good hundred, hundred fifty feet. You're looking west, and you see flat land punctuated with these small cliffs moving away from you, like the land has been pushed and stacked like slabs of, well, rock. Which is exactly how that part of the southeast formed. Georgia and Alabama were pushed up a shoved inland, buckling and creating Cheaha mountain in the process. Standing there, I can almost see it happening. It is truly a beautiful place. Y'all come visit, we'll go.

As we're walking, one guy has brought a guitar. We walk from the campsite to the outcrop to watch the sunset, a sight no Southerner should be remiss in seeing. He's softly playing that song as the sun gets lower and lower, peoples' voices drop to a murmur, then fade away with the last light. I can help but think about that evening whenever I hear that song.

Found this picture, but it doesn't really do the place justice. Seems like a road trip is in order.