The Climax

     When I first wrote The Narrows Escape, the climax was the flash flood - because that was where it happened in real life. Unfortunately, in a work of fiction, that doesn't work. Although there was plenty of action in the second half of the book, there needed to be a climax near the end. This picture from my uncle's slide show helped inspire the climactic ending:

     The picture was staged by three of my cousins (Troy, Barry, and Trevor) while at the grotto following the flood, and is one of my favorite pictures from the hike.
     Another picture that I drew on for that scene was the picture of the goose egg my dad received:

     It was miraculously the only injury we suffered during the ordeal, and I transferred the injury to Brady as he made his mad dash to the finish line over the slippery moss-covered boulders in an attempt to escape the wave.
     The next picture is one I took this last summer, visiting the Narrows with my daughter, brother-in-law, and nephew. I staged the triumphant leap to the tree at the end of the trail, the one that Uncle Randy clung to in his effort to escape the tidal wave. Here it is:

  Until next time.