b'Falling from 80 feet and climbingback up again(by Sheraz Syed)July 4th 2010 was a momentous day in my life. On this dayNonetheless, the difcult climb to the top was well worth I willed myself up the same waterfall which had left meit. The views from above were breathtakingsitting atop badly broken and clinging to life just ve years earlier.the rst tier and overlooking the stream and the mountainous, rugged terrain was serene and exhilarating. The rst tier lands into a natural pool made by the rock formation and if one was brave enough to endure the cold water, one could swim in it. A few of us did just that as we enjoyed the setting. Our group left that day euphoricthe sort of euphoria that only nature can induce.The next morning my girlfriend arrived and I decided to take her to Kaaterskill Falls while the rest of our group decided to go tubing at a nearby river. At the time we entered the park, it was still quite early and felt as though she and I were among the few people there. We hiked the 45 minutes or so to the base of the waterfall and climbed to the top. We stood enjoying the views and relaxed for an hour in the sun before heading back, trying to carefully negotiate the narrow ledge, with the waterfall and cliff on our right side. My girlfriend was a few feet behind me and she saw me slip off that edge, without a sound she said. In those few seconds my life changed.5th year anniversary of my accidentAll I remember is trying to reach to grab something to hold Over the July 4th weekend in 2005 a big group of friendson to. I dont have any recollection of the fall itself but I do and I rented a house in Catskills, New York. The settinghave foggy memory of the moments afterwards. In a daze couldnt have been more idyllic, with our house nestledwhen I was trying to get out of the water, I was thinking cozily next to Hunter Mountaina perfect setting for aoh man why is my arm and leg not working. My memory healthy, outdoorsy, relaxing weekend with barbecues, beer,is quite intact thereafter when the rescue began led by my music, outdoor sporta classic American summersavior, a NYC reman who just happened to be hiking with holiday weekend. his daughter a few feet from where I fell. He saw me fall and I remember him telling me I didnt expect to nd you On our second day our group awoke early and decided toalive.challenge the mountain hovering over us with a hike. The owner of the house we were renting from had given us a list of local attractions and a climb up Kaaterskill Falls was the featured event. The 260 foot two-tier waterfall, billed as the highest in New York State, looked beautiful and the hike to the falls seemed ideal for our diverse group. The hike to the falls was actually surprisingly challenging considering its easy access to a very non-hiking mostly touristy crowd. The climb was at times very difcult and quite treacherous where one wrong step or slip could leave one in perilous circumstances. I think most of us were quite surprised at the danger considering the unmarked trails and the difcult terrain. Seeing all the other hikers and knowing this was a state park gave us, perhaps, all a false sense of safety. View of the falls from the hike in04'