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Pinnacles Description
Some believe that the beauty of the Pinnacles lies in the High Peaks. Nevertheless, there is a place familiar to an elite few that surpasses the beauty of the imposing rock faces and sun-drenched spires of the Peaks. This is a strange place; a deep, round valley that bears a resemblance to a water pitcher, only instead of being poured out, water cascades in from the uppermost rim of the valley, hanging in midair for a moment before splashing merrily onto the rocks below, black from the mineral-rich waterfall. In the springtime, the quantity of water running off the mountainside is plentiful, but as the sometimes oppressive heat of summer approaches, it diminishes to an unsteady trickle, and from time to time in drought years vanishes completely. The shade of the trees in summertime is a mixed blessing; among the towering sycamores and buckeyes thrive poison oaks with their contrast of bright green and red leaves. Wildflowers open their petals in the early morning sunlight, a glorious array of colors as varying as a rainbow. The aroma of these delicate blossoms is no less breathtaking, and mingles with the odor of moist earth to create nature's perfume. The air has the taste of mist, chalky red dust, and that intangible, indescribable taste of wilderness. The sky has varied colors; velvety black at midnight, cerulean blue on a cloudless summer day, stormy gray in the misty autumn time, and on peaceful evenings, it turns a deep blue untainted by harsh city streetlights. The animals are as varied as the sky; red-tailed hawks soaring high above the earth on thermals, gray coyotes slinking around in the twilight shadows, timid rabbits hiding behind decaying stumps, sparrows and thrushes roosting comfortably in the branches of the ancient oaks, and brilliant dragonflies darting rapidly everywhere, zooming and twisting like show airplanes at a country fair. The pool made by the cascade is ice-cold, and quite refreshing for a summer swim. This is the most beautiful of places.
