It’s not easy to find a fairy cross rock.
They are rare, for a start, found in just a few places worldwide. The shore of the Blanchard Dam, near Little Falls along the Wobegon Trail, is one of them.
We got close.
But close doesn’t guarantee a fairy cross rock.
In our family there are six living siblings.
Four of us, together for the first time in many years, drove to the Blanchard Dam.
It was my fourth attempt to try and find the magical spot to search for fairy crosses.
I’ve learned over the years that you can hunt for these elusive little gems the hard way or the easier way.
Next time (now that I know there is one) I’ll try the easier way – down the bank next to the Wobegon Trail on the left side of the dam.
We’d parked on the opposite bank, traversing a steep path of slippery pebbles down to the base of the dam.
I made it as far as the big boulders that blocked access to the flat stony area below the dam.
“It’s not worth it,” was big brother’s advice after watching me wobble across a few of the boulders, with six or seven still to come.
Having fractured my hip and wrist a few years ago, I knew he was right. It’s amazing what our bodies can withstand, but they can also be seriously hurt in one mad instant.
So we turned back, to find our sisters waiting above us.
Marti hadn’t made it down the steep gravel path – she’d slipped and badly scraped her arm.
No rock, not even one with mythical powers, is worth life and limb.
But we did see that gentler access was possible on the other side of the river.
By then, burgers and beers appealed more than another hazardous descent to find a fairy cross rock.
We’ll resume our search next time we’re in proximity of Little Falls and the Wobegon Trail.
We’ll be taking the easier way down to the base of the dam, and suggest that you do too!
Photos LenaMina.com
