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There are things that can only be seen in winter, and there are things that can only be seen in the mind’s eye. The bare branches of the oak and poplar allow glimpses of the tall waterfalls and cascades tumbling down the Whitewater River Gorge. Bundled up against the cold, we’re idling in the boat at the base of the rocks. In front of us the Whitewater River runs free, as it has for years beyond measure. Behind us, the Jocassee Valley lies inundated by hundreds of feet of water that have been impounded for years. Just over fifty years. Some of us time travellers remember what the world looked like just over fifty years ago. Our guide today, John Hains, walked this valley in the days before the waters rose. He regaled us with tales of exploring the area by logging roads, and crossing rivers by way of makeshift bridges. When we find ourselves boating over the confluence of the Whitewater and Thompson rivers, John asks us to stop the boat. He recalls that his younger self stood in the midst of this valley, the land freshly logged and prepared for the deluge. His younger self saw the rocks and the rivers and the hills, and he pondered what was about to be lost. Some of us time travellers grow wistful listening to tales of times gone by, and it is good to know what was. Our job, however, is to be good stewards of what will be. There are some things that are first seen only in the mind’s eye. ~Steve Lewis, JLT Naturalist guide