"Go with your gut feeling." This quote definitely played a part in my hiking adventure with my brother one humid July afternoon in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We were walking down a typical trail having a leisurely time exploring when all of a sudden I spotted a giant sign to our right. The sign read,
"Warning: Drop Off! Keep Out!"
To the normal person's eyes, this sign screams out,
"Danger, beware, trouble!"
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However, my brother and I had a different idea. We told our parents that we would be right back. They didn't see a problem because they were unaware of the danger sign. Thus, I led the way down the trail. As we got deeper into the woods, we caught sight of a mule deer and almost got close enough to reach out and touch it. A few minutes later, I heard a sound that resembled two rocks being smashed against each other. My brother and I ran towards the sound to see two mountain sheep aggresively fighting each other by banging their heads together in rage. This confrontation startled us and made us want to retreat back to Mom and Dad. We were about to turn back when my brother shouted,
"Hey! Look over there! Is that what I think it is?"
He pointed towards our left. I was shaking with excitement because my brother doesn't normally get too excited about anything. To my surprise, I saw a cascading waterfall about a half mile away. I could scarcely hear the gushing water babbling over the jagged rocks. This was the first waterfall I had ever witnessed in person. Out of excitement, we rushed towards the waterfall!
As we ran on the trail, I noticed the path was getting more rocky and unlevel. For a splint second, I thought back to the sign that stated to keep out. But this thought quickly slipped through my mind, and we continued to sprint towards our goal: the waterfall. Next, I suddenly slipped on a rock that was shaped like a football. I caught myself with my left hand. We finally slowed down enough to catch our breaths when I leaned over to pick up my sunglasses that were dropped. As I leaned over, I lost my balance again. However, this time I couldn't catch myself in time. I slipped and fell on the rocky surface. All at once, I began falling off the trail. An image of the "Danger" sign flashed through my mind as I was falling. My brother swiftly grabbed my arm while the rest of my body was hanging of the cliff. I dared not to look down. But I could see the fear in my brother's eyes. He called out,
"Hold on! I got you."
His hand was starting to get sweaty and I knew that this wasn't going to end well. When all of a sudden, my Dad came running to the rescue. He grabbed my other arm and pulled me up to safety like I was weightless. I stood up and carefully looked over the edge where I had fallen. It was an extremely frightening view.
After this life threatening experience was over, we headed back to our car. We were all speechless because of the scare I had given my family. Now, whenever I see a sign, I read it carefully and obey the danger precautions. Danger really does mean danger and serves as a safety reminder .
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