Jumping off of a Train Trussle

This is one of my Absolute favorite things to do!!! Every year since I can remember my family vacations at Norris Lake in Tennessee. It is so beautiful there with the green glass-like water and its never congested with people. There are a multitude of exciting things that we can do there (many of them will come up later on this blog).

Coming out of the boat dock, we'll pass the 1st trussle (one pictured above) and a little ways farther is the 2nd trussle, practically identical to the first. The only difference is that next to the 2nd trussle is a rock cliff about 15 ft high in the summer that the younger children enjoy jumping off of.

In order to reach the top of the trussle, you have to swim to the far bank and climb up a rocky path full of overgrown weeds. It is a foot-wide path, with a sheer drop to one side and the mountain to the other. Once at the top, a white sign warns you of the possible dangers you could encounter if you were to proceed up the trussle. In addition, if you are caught, there will heavy financial consequences. Once you reach the top of the trussle, there is not turning back, since the path is too dangerous to attempt in reverse.

The most chilling part, at least for me, is having to navigate myself to the middle of the bridge. Having only the cross ties of the railroad to walk on, with each step taken I am privy to the immensity of the plunge to the water. Because of the uneven wood, it is that much harder to remember why on earth I talked myself into leaping from this ridiculously high trussle. The suspense builds with every step that takes you closer to the seemingly bottomless section of the lake, the safest point to dive off.

As for me, when I am about to step off the edge, I indulge delusions that I am not as high up as I really am. Then it all crunches down to that single second where I ignore the voice in the back of my head and inexplicable courage surges through my body, allowing me to take that final step. I shoot through the air with uncanny speed, like a dart reaching its target and I am engulfed by water.

Another aspect that adds to the thrill factor of this is that trains are periodically scheduled to pass through that area. We have a friend who loves to boast and yet never follows through with his claims. He climbed up the trussle swearing he would jump and ended up just sitting there for hours. Off in the distance we could hear the sound of a train approaching and we fervently tried to warn him. Not believing us at first, simply thinking we were only trying to force him to jump , he did not heed our warning. The train rounded the bend and belief flooded his eyes, while he raced back across the tracks the way he had come instead of just taking one step off. Luckily, he just barely made it off the tracks before the train overtook him.

I give this thrill a rank of 9.5. It is so AMAZING so get out there and try it!!!