Editor’s note: For the next four weeks, sports editor Tim Schmitt will hike the Niagara Gorge Trail System. Next Sunday, he’ll return to Artpark for another hike.

Delete. Delete. Delete.

Any hike I’ve talked about before, any spots I’ve said you can’t miss on this series of trips through the Niagara Gorge, let me back up and start over with this:

Mark a spot on your planner to hit the Whirlpool Rapids Trail. Soon.

Of the three gorge hikes I’ve done to this point, all have had their moments. But none like the one where the trail opens at the foot of the Whirlpool Rapids, and a huge rock shelf lets you teeter on the edge of a treacherous stretch of water that’s among the most dangerous in the world.

Spectacular. Yet serene.

While the lazy folks sit high above on a perch at Whirlpool State Park — I’m kidding, that had been me before this hike — the experience down next to the rapids is something you won’t soon forget. On a warm Thursday afternoon only a handful of others were at the bottom enjoying the trail. Above, however, hordes of tourists, including a bus of name-tag wearing out-of-towners, milled around the parking lot. Nice, but not exactly the same.

The hike starts smoothly, and helpful maps at the Whirlpool Park center mark the way. This is in contrast to the Devil’s Hole hike, which is the next link downstream. And unfortunately, as a “friend” told me by phone, I’d already taken the Whirlpool stairs during a previous hike.

Here’s how that friendly voicemail to my work line (282-2311, ext. 2266) went:

“Ummm, Schmitty, after reading your story on Devil’s Hole, I’m pretty sure you took the Whirlpool stairs to the bottom. Don’t you know you’re supposed to go the other way? Sheesh.”

No name, no phone number. Thanks, friend.

Here’s the point — if I don’t know to head downstream to the Devil’s Hole steps, and I was born and bred in Tonawanda, how would, say, a Turkish tourist find them?

So there was nothing new about the trek down, but once you get to the bottom of the gorge on the Whirlpool steps, the trail heads left, or upstream. It’s flat and quiet for a bit, although an incredible rock pile on the left side is something to see. Unlike previous trails, this one forces you to scale a number of big rocks, jumping through boulder stacks to continue. It’s fun, although I did it after a morning rain, and parts were slick.

As you approach the whirlpool, the action gets more intense. The river’s volume gets a boost, roaring jet boats seem a constant, the Spanish Aerocar is visible above and helicopters circle. It’s the tourist equivalent of the 290 on-ramp next to Amherst’s big blue water tower.

Chaotic.

That’s when something incredible happens. The river takes a turn, you duck back in the trees and after a few more minutes of hiking you get there. There being the aforementioned shelf, a spot worn down by time and rushing water, leaving behind a smooth stretch of rock that leads out to the water. When I was there, a Hungarian tourist was taking pictures. He had only decided to try the Whirlpool Trail because his visa wouldn’t let him into Canada. He seemed pleasantly surprised by his accidental discovery.

The only others in the gorge were a couple sitting and holding hands. They sat silently just a few feet from an incredible, roaring wall of water that splashes and darts through the rapids.

All along the shelf, water-worn crevices hold pools of water and foliage. This is worth some exploration time, if you can pull your eyes from the rapids. It’s not easy.

From there, the rest of the trail heads up near the Whirlpool Bridge, and although you can link up with the Great Gorgeway Trail, a sign strongly suggests against it because of a sinkhole.

By this time, though, you’ve seen the trail’s best.

Maybe even the gorge’s best.

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.