On wednesday I kicked off early from work and drove to Chestnut Ridge park. It felt great to be in the woods. I only saw a few other people making it easy to enjoy getting lost in the trees. As an added bonus the leaves are just beginning to change. Chestnut Ridge is home to one of the two “eternal flames” in the Buffalo area. The flame burns underneath a small waterfall, fueled by a natural gas leak. I’ve been told there’s another near Glen Falls in Williamsville but haven’t seen it yet. In search of the Chestnut Ridge eternal flame, I hiked down into the valley. Chipmunks abound and I chased a few into the brush, hoping to get a picture of one peeking out at me.

The trail to the flame is well worn. Rather than follow the beaten path, I created my own through the woods. Note that I really had no idea where to find the flame. I could just imagine the sun dipping below the horizon before I’d found it. There was no way I could go back and tell people that I didn’t see it when the trail is so well marked. Hey, what fun is getting lost when there are trail markers to guide you? I ended up at a stream and decided to follow it. As I hiked, the empty beer cans and cold firepits told me I was headed in the right direction. It wasn’t long before I came around a bend in the stream and found the waterfall. Below it in a small nook is the burning flame.

I felt much more accomplished than if I’d followed a blazed trail all the way. I have no problem making myself believe that I’ve discovered something no one has seen before. Sometimes it’s more exciting to fool yourself.

On my way back to the car I found an eager seven or eight-year old with his family in tow.

“Do you know where the fire is!?”
“I do.”

He got closer. I pointed down the path and told him to follow the stream back up to the waterfall. His parents caught up as the boy continued to hurtle down the path. I repeated the directions to the father just in case the orienteering-skills of their over-enthusiastic young person weren’t up to snuff. The father thanked me. I walked on and I hear a yell.

“You are very polite!”

The irony of hearing the boy shout his gratitude across the woods in such an astute way made me smile.

The rest of my photos from the day are on flickr. Or watch the slideshow.