Okay, so this Ben Morton Overlook spot everyone talks about? Yeah, figured I knew it well enough. Wrong! Decided to really slow down last Tuesday morning, like way before the crowds show up. My goal? Find the dumb little things everyone walks past. Grabbed my beat-up notebook and an old thermos of coffee, way too hot and probably burnt.
The Usual Rush (Slowed Way Down)
Pulled into the parking lot super early, fog was still hanging low. Saw one other car, looked like someone sleeping. Locked my truck and walked slow. Like, embarrassingly slow. Started looking down. Immediately kicked a weirdly smooth rock, not native to the area. Huh. Stopped. Picked it up. Pocketed it. Was just there, almost tripped me.
Followed the paved trail, same one everyone uses. Got to that first big viewpoint everyone takes selfies at. Instead of rushing to the rail, I went left along the edge where the bushes are thick. Found a little worn spot in the dirt. Squatted down. Hidden amongst the roots? A perfect, tiny little quartz crystal cluster. Probably fell out of someone’s pocket ages ago. Snapped a pic with my phone.
Listening (Not Just Looking)
Sat on one of those rough wooden benches. Closed my eyes for a minute. Usually, you just hear people talking, maybe wind. But underneath that?
- The Chains: Listen close. The big viewpoint rail isn’t just bolted down. Those upright posts? If the wind hits just right, they hum. Like a low, deep whistle. Only lasts a few seconds. Gotta be quiet.
- Water Trick: Followed a faint trickling sound off to the side of the main overlook. Little crevice in the rock wall, maybe from rain runoff? Actually damp, little ferns clinging to the sides. Tiny mossy pool at the bottom the size of my palm. Never noticed that sound before.
- Bird Routine: A blue jay dive-bombed some squirrels near the trash can. Same pair, same spot, every time I’ve come here for months. Guess it’s their territory.
The Railings Tell Tales
Instead of leaning on the main railing, I walked its whole length. Really looked at the wood. Sun-bleached, cracked.
- Carved Initials… Maybe? Down near the bottom corner, where people kick it, super faint scratches. Not modern scratchy-graffiti. Might have been initials decades old, worn smooth. Couldn’t tell.
- Metal Clamps: Looked at the metal brackets holding the railing posts down. One of the nuts was loose. Tried tightening it by hand – gave a little. Guess it wiggles.
- Stain Spot: Spilled like 3 drops of my coffee near the last post. Perfect little brown circle. Now that’s a modern artifact. Sorry, nature.
Weird Angles & Crawling Stuff
Got down low. Like, on my hands and knees near the less popular south ledge where the juniper bushes crowd the view. Peered under them, where the sun rarely hits.
- Spiderweb Factory: Massive, intricate webs connecting the rock face to the undersides of the bushes. Dew still on them, catching the early sun like diamonds. Dust and dead bugs piled up in the center like trophies.
- Moss Map: On the shaded side of a boulder? This incredibly detailed patchwork of different mosses. Bright greens, darker greens, almost black patches. Little miniature landscape.
- The “Extra” Step: Seriously, almost fell over. Off the edge of the paved section, buried in leaf litter, was half of a worn-down concrete step. Probably part of the original path from like 50 years ago. Shoved my hip right into it trying to get back up. Real grace there.
Leaving Was Part of It
Heard people laughing coming up the trail. Crowd time. Packed up my thermos and notebook.
- Parking Lot Pavement: Walking back through the nearly empty lot. Noticed a huge crack in the asphalt near my truck. Filled with dirt, tiny weeds forcing their way out. One lone dandelion growing right in the middle. Tough little weed.
- Sign Post Patch Job: Glanced at the big info signpost. Bottom corner where it meets the concrete base? Splashed with faded white paint. Totally not part of the sign. Somebody botched a repair job years ago. Looks like bird crap from a distance.
Point is, that overlook? Everyone sees the big obvious view. But the weird stuff? The hidden things? That’s where the place actually lives. You gotta stop rushing, get off the path (mostly), look down, look up, listen hard, and pay attention to the grubby little details the scenery hoarders ignore. Found way more rocks in my pocket than I went in with.
