Thanksgiving Hike Redux

After an unavoidable change in plans, I found myself with a free day for Hiking. I decided to check another trail off my list by hiking the Keown Falls and John's Mountain Loop trails between LaFayette and Dalton. Both trails are in the Pocket Recreation Area in the John's Mountain wilderness area. The parking area are completely deserted when I arrived, although I had seen a pickup truck (presumably hunters) every quarter mile on the drive through the park.

This hike is done as a double look. You climb to Keown Falls on the west side, pickup the John's Mountain loop, and come back on the east side of the falls. The initial hike to the falls (more like a strong drip this time of year) is reasonably easy until you get near the top. At this point, I encountered a long set of irregular stone steps which required caution. I stayed on the observation desk briefly viewing the drip, and proceeded with John's Mountain Loop.

I started the loop counterclockwise, and encountered a steep climb early in the hike. It was difficult because of the heavy leaf cover over large rocks, but I managed without too much trouble. Near the top, I encountered a family on their way down.

There is an observation platform at the top of John's Mountain affording a beautiful view to the west. I encountered the only other family I would see the whole day at the top. The loop was fairly easy to follow from this point, although footing was treacherous at times.

I finally got back to the falls loop, and proceeded back to the parking lot on via the east trail. This trail is poorly defined, and very difficuly to hike because of footing/traction issues. Definitely not a trail for the kids.

After a lunch break (and a challange finding anything open on Thanksgiving), I still has time available, so I did a 2.5 mile section of the Pinhoti Trail, which connects the AT in Georgia to Northern Alabama. I hiked west from the trailhead along Highway 136. The first part of the hike involves climbing to the ridge, after which the hike gets easier since the trail follows the ridge for some time. This is a nice section, but not as nice as the east section from the same trailhead. This is a multi-use trail allowing horses and mountain bikes, although I cannot imagine the latter using this trail. Horses are a different story however, as I dodged their calling cards all through the hike.

Other than a brief and ticketless (thank God and Officer Bennett) encounter with one of Marietta's finest, I returned home safely, but quite tired.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Subtitle: How Noah's Flood related to the election of Senator Obama

I made a return visit today to Sweetwater Creek State Park today. My first visit was Thanksgiving Day last year, but I have made a couple of visits since. I began with the yellow trail, which crosses the creek, climbs the ridge, and then comes back down – quickly. The short but steep climb to the ridge is a real thigh burner! The creek crossing over the military surplus portable bridge is interesting and unique.

Sweetwater Creek is probably mis-named, as it is far from my image of a creek. It is as wide as the Chattahoochee at this point, and loaded with large rocks, similar to the Chattahoochee at Palisades.

I finished the yellow trail, returned to the visitor center, and started the white trail. This one makes an easy climb to a grassy area, and then descents steeply along an old road bed to Jack’s Lake, a man-made recreational lake that pre-dates the park. After passing the lake, this trial gets very technical, crossing over some steep and narrow cliffs that I would not expect to find sanctioned in a state part. I took a detour across a bridge to a non-park trail which follows an old road to the historic New Manchester Colony. It now interconnects with a trail system built by a housing development. I took the opportunity to do some rock climbing out over the water.

The white trail dead-ends into the red trail, the main “consumer” trail in the park. It runs along the old mill ruins and is well interpreted. Half of this trail involves climbing over rocks. The kids and dogs particularly seem to love it.

Unlike my past visits, I took the time to pick-up the interpretive guides, and to read the appropriate parts as I passed each numbered marker. I occasionally had to chuckle in a somewhat frustrated fashion over their references to millions of years of the earth’s existence. This got me to thinking about Noah’s flood, and how it has served as a great mis-direction to the “wise” of this world. Imagine a scientist finding a sea fossil in the middle of the desert. God clearly does have a sense of humor.

In considering Noah’s flood, I began to think about why God did it the way he did. After all, he could have saved much trouble by having everyone but Noah’s family suddenly disappear and the blink of his eye without the need to have an ark or send a flood. Noah’s family and the animals could have gone about their business undisturbed. So then, why did God do it? I don’t pretend to know God’s mind, but these are my thoughts:

1) To build Noah’s faith. Many biblical historians believe that rain did not exist prior to the flood. Imagine what some people must have said to Noah when he explained that the ark would save people and animals from the flood. I am sure they thought he was out of his mind, and he might have thought the same about himself at some point. This serves as a lasting lesion to us that when God points us in a direction, we should move forward with all of our energy, not withstanding what the world might think.
2) As a witness to later generations. Early world history, and particularly the stories of God’s works, were passed via oral tradition. It is easier to preserve oral tradition when you have vivid stories such as Noah’s Ark. This remains true to this day, even with our printed versions. I remember from teaching 3rd grade Sunday School years ago how fascinated they were with this particular story. Our culture remains fascinated with it. After all, look at the documentaries and feature films that have been based on it. Many researchers still search for the ark.
3) As a lasting reminder that God continues to engineer the world (and I use that word deliberately). Many who otherwise believe in God seem to think that after the fall of man, God turned the world over to man, and said in effect “I will check on you later.” The flood serves as a lasting reminder that God is still in charge of every aspect and detail.

I like many, was very disappointed by the outcome of the Presidential election. I did not realize how much the process impacted me until I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like a new man. Just as it seemed odd to me that God would engineer a flood rather than taking care of business the “logical” way, it seems odd that his plan would involve Senator Obama. Noah’s flood however, at least in my mind, stands as a vivid and lasting reminder that God continues to engineer this world as he sees fit, and with a view to his eternal purpose, and not just a random four year period in life of a relatively new nation in North America. It sort of gives me a feeling of excitement as to what God will do with this!

Fort Mountain

I was blessed this week to be able to knock out another hike from my top 5 list - Fort Mountain State Park, between Chatsworth and Elijay. This park is literally at the top of a mountain, and incorporates a mysterious 855 foot stone wall, which was thought to have been built by Indians as a fortification.

My goal was to hike the Gahuti trail, an 8.8 mile loop which skirts the edge of the park. Depending on which guide book you reference, it is rated from moderate to strenuous, the latter being the appropriate rating based on my experience.

The hike begins near the aforementioned rock wall. I started in a counter-clockwise direction. It began innocently enough, with a gentle descent, following by a few moderate climbs. It was not long before I came to the first great view, overlooking the mountains to the West.

The trail then descents into a valley with a few streams, and a beautiful waterfall which I heard some time before I could actually see it. The footing in this area was quite difficult, because of yesterday's rain, and the fallen leaves covering small rocks.

The trail comes close to the campground, and I took advantage of the short detour to have a brief rest stop. I returned to the trail, which joined an old roadbed for a a steep climb. This was the first occassion on which I got a bit lost. This trail is blazed in orange, and when I hit the roadbed, the only blaze I could see was to the left. As I got close to the first blaze, it appeared to be red rather than orange (using red and orange for interesting trails is not a good idea). I followed it a short distance, and it dead-ended into the cabin road. I retraced my steps, and found the first orange blaze some distance beyond. This unplanned detour paid off, because I ran into a family looking for that very road, and I was able to give them accurate directions.

For the balance of the hike, the trail was a continuous series of steep climbs, followed by steep descents. Footing became even more difficult, causing me to have a non-serious fall at one point. No damage done.

I was planning to join my sister-in-law and the kids for a trip to the pumpkin patch, so I was hurring at this point to make it in time. Getting in a hurry when hiking however is never a good idea! Toward the end of the trail, it intersects with numerous other short trails in the area of the rock wall. I missed a turn, and found myself on the yellow trail, which follows the stone wall around the summit. I then mis-read the map, and ended taking the long way around the yellow trail. While this unplanned hike was very tiring, it was one of the most beautiful sections. The unplanned but enjoyed detour added 1.5 miles to the hike, which I finished in just under 5 hours.

I highly recommend this hike, but eat your Wheaties first!

Smith Creek Trail

Smith Creek trail in Helen has been on my short list for some time. With the beautiful fall weather, and a bunch if business decisions weighing heavily on my mind, this seemed like a good day to check it off.

The Smith Creek trail connects Anna Ruby Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Georgia, to Unicoi State Park. Since it is a pretty tough round trip hike, I decided to park at the Unicoi end, hike on the road to the falls, and take the trail back, a round trip of just under 9 miles.

To reach the trail from the falls, you must hike up to the falls on the paved walkway, and the start the trail from one of the viewing platforms. This is probably the most technically-demanding hike I have taken. The trail runs along the side of Smith Mountain somewhat down from the ridge. It is only two feet wide in most places, so there is only a few inches between you and the bottom. There are also some sections where the trail has washed out, making it a challenge to get from one side to the other. Finally, there are a number of trees down whose canopies cover the trail. In one instance I had to maneuver myself over and under various tight branches with my pack on., quite a challenge given that my body does not move around quite as easily as it did 10 years ago!

There are quite a variety of different micro-climates on this trail, including a dry ridge, wetlands, and an area with a canopy of rhododendrons so think that you think it is night time.

I began the hike with the prayer that God would guide me on some specific business issues, and not long into the hike, a great idea popped into my head. While I hesitate to read too much spiritual significance into that, the timing was certainly more than coincidental.

Overall this was a great hike, and one I look forward to repeating.

Fort Yargo State Park

Now that the weather is cooling down, I am back to focusing more on hiking and less on biking. My leg muscles are still making the adjustment however.

This week took me to Fort Yargo State Park in Winder. It is build around a reservoir lake on the site of a fort constructed in 1792 to provide protection against Indians.

This particular park has trails for use by both mountain bikers and hikers. There are two trail loops circling the lake; an inner loop and an outer loop. I began counter clockwise on the inner loop, which keeps the lake in site most of the time.

The trail is fairly flat, but still makes for an interesting hike, except when one has to dodge the mountain bikes. I made it around the a portion of the lake, passed through the wilderness camping area, and crossed over a fishing bridge to the other side of the lake. This is where the map provided by the park failed me. A portion of the lake is omitted from their map, so I found myself in a different spot that I thought. When I came to a sign announcing "thrill hill", I figured out I was on a section used mostly by bikers. I retraced my steps, and got back on track.

A mile after getting my bearings again, I crossed the long earthen dam that forms the lake out of a small creek. The lake itself did not appear to be low on water (I wish we could borrow some for Lanier). Following the dam, I came to a portion of the RV campground, where the map once again became nebulous. I managed to find my way through, and continued on the inner trail picking up from the edge of the campground.

Shortly after rejoining the trail, I came to a fork, and was not sure which way to go. One direction followed the lake closely, and had a foot bridge, leading me to believe it must the the proper way. I crossed the bridge, and hiked along looking well ahead for clues about whether I was on the right path. I suddenly stopped short, having come close to stepping on a 6 foot snake. I backed off, and threw a couple of items in his direction to encourage him to move. He seemed to think he had more right to the trail than I did, and I was not in the mood to argue the point, so I turned around and took the other path, which turned out to the the right one after all. Remind me to thank the snake!

The trail eventually intersected with a paved nature walk, which took me back the to trail head. Not my favorite hike to be sure, but a good way to spend a beautiful day.

Hike Inn Revisited

For the first time in awhile, I work up early on Saturday and felt energetic. As such, I decided an aggressive activity was in order. Although I did not know for sure what I would do until just before I left, I opted for a hike at Amicolola Falls State Park. I had done the Hike Inn loop some time back, and while it is quite strenuous, I liked it the first time around. This loop takes the 5 mile trail to the Hike Inn, and catches the AT approach trail back for a total of close to 11 miles.

This look has two things in particular going for it:

1) The Hike Inn provides a good rest, restrooms, and free food at the half way point.
2) The lodge is close to the end, and has a good buffet and a great view.

I made good time to the Inn, quickly found the restroom, and then the kitchen. The day hiker snack de jour was leftover chocolate pound cake. I assume the Inn was fairly busy, as I ran into a number of people on their way back. After a visit to an unusual granite sculpture, I headed toward the AT approach trail. The last mile from the Inn to the AT is the worst of the entire hike, climbing more than 600 feet in a short distance.

Once I hit the AT, there was still a good bit of climbing to do, after which it was mostly downhill. I actually stopped at the junction, and considered making the 3.4 mile trip to Springer Mountain. At a total of 17 miles however, I was not quite prepared for this.

I have often wondered how food and supplies make their way to the Inn. Not far after reaching the AT, I passed the foundation of an old fire tower, followed by two gravel roads, one of which had fresh tracks. My GPS shows these as active roads, so I guess they have a 4WD that makes the run.

I arrived back at the trail junction after 4.5 hours, and took the short trail to the Inn. I was seated next to the picture window with a panoramic view of the mountains, where I enjoyed my soup and salad.

If I only had a place to plug my fan in, I would do an overnight at the Inn in a heartbeat!

Arabia Mountain Trail

I was looking for a different place to ride my bike today. I had previously hiked at Arabia Mountain, known as the older and smaller sibling of Stone Mountain. I had noticed the greenway trail, and even hiked a bit of it, but did not know much about it otherwise. I did some additional research, and found that it ran from Stone Crest Mall on one end to Panola Mountain State Park on the other end, running around 11 miles one way. The web sites I read about it inidcated that he had much more significant elevation changes than Big Creek or Silver Comet, but I decided to give it a shot anyway.

I started the trip at the relatively new Polebridge trail head, which is close to the South end. I rode South 2 miles, at which point the trail connects to the Rockdale River Trail, which runs just over a mile to a fishing area in Panola Mountain State park. On the way back from Panola, I was beginning to really appreciate what my niece M. (age 9) goes through in the lasgt week before her monthly transfusion. I had been off my iron supplement for a bit, and with significant hills on this trail, I was really winded. I managed to do a round trip through this section, and make the ascent to Arabia Mountain. As I pressed on, I kept thinking of Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." While it is a bit out of context for a bike ride, it kept me going none the less. I did spend some time thinking about why I manage to push myself through a difficult ride, but have trouble pushing myself through the real race that Hebrews speaks of.

The descent from the mountain was easier, as was the next section, which was built in the right of way of the old quarry trail from the mountain. I reached the mall, and decided to get some lunch. Unfortunately, the trail end at one side of the mall, and all of the restrauants were on the other side. I had to navigate through traffic to get to the other end, but the thought of food kept me going.

After lunch, I reversed course, stopping for a brief hike to the peak of one of the secondary mountains at Arabia. The balance of the trip seemed much easier than the trip out. I has glad to chose this trail, but I am not likely to do it every week.

Exploring Fungus

I had to be in Cumming to deal with an issue at work. I have been missing the AT, and since I so close, I decided to go for it, despite the 95 degree temperature.

I went to Woody Gap along GA 60, and hiked North for an hour and a half. This is one of my favorite secitions because of the outstanding view at a few spots. When I arrived, the temperature had dropped almost 10 degrees.

During the hike, I was struck my the wide variety of wild mushrooms. It was almost like visiting an exhibit at Rock City, except that all of these were real.

Frankie's Italian Restrauant

I know you are expecting a hiking/biking blog entry, not a restaurant review. Bear with me however.

This morning, I decided to revisit the Silver Comet Trail (maybe not the best choice for my legs after a two hour hike the night before, and weight training). I drove to Hiram, and started from the parking lot referred to as "Rambo". It is named after the plant nursery in an adjacent parking lot. I planned to ride as far as Rockmart, and come back.

This is a particularly nice section of the trail. Most of it is quite secluded, passing through a nature preserve. It also includes the highest trestle on the trail, and a long, lighted tunnel.

I rode bast Rockmart to a sports complex, and took a rest stop. I was quickly running out of gas, having not eaten much. I went back east on the trail to the Main Street exit, and looped around, but found nothing. The trail goes right through a park further west, so I went back and got off again there.

Just off the trail, I happened across a storefront Italian restaurant named "Frankie's". Not being very adventurous in terms of restaurants, I started to pass it up. I did not see any alternatives however, and there were a couple of bikes in the rack, so I decided to go for it.

When I entered, I was greeted by two other friendly cyclists, who confessed to being weekly diners. They told me that once I had tried bread sticks, I would be hooked. Almost immediately, a basked of them appeared at my table. While I was admittedly very hungry, they were none the less outstanding. I could have stopped without eating the whole basket, until the creamy garlic dipping sauce appeared. It was over.

I ordered soup and half a sandwich. The sign at the entrance talked about the potato soup, so I decided to try it. Good call. It was without question the best I have ever had - irregular chunks of well cooked potatoes, in a cheesy brown soup. Wow.

While I was eating, Frankie herself stopped by and introduced herself. She invited me to write on the wall, a privilege reserved for Silver Comet riders. It was difficult to find a spot however, as the wall was almost full. Not surprising with the great food and southern hospitality.

The good lunch fueled me up enough to make the return trip.

I would drive to Rockmart just for more break sticks, so it you have occasion to ride this section of the trail, make sure you hit Rockmart at lunch or dinner!

Back to the Beginning

With an extra hour and comparatively cool Summer weather this afternoon, I decided a short hike was in order. With no time to drive anywhere, I decided to revisit Jones Bridge Park. This was the first hike in my official hiking career. It is only 20 minutes from my house by car, or 5 minutes by boat. Since I don't have boat, I had to stick with the car.

This park is more like a jungle along the Amazon River than a typlical North Georgia forest. The hike runs along the river for quite some time, and then turns inland to climb a ridge. It rejoins the river at one point, but at a higher elevation.

Because of the good trail signage in the Chattahoochee parks, I have always said that one must be pretty dumb to get lost in one of them. I guess it takes one to know one! I managed to miss a turn along the way, and ended up hiking 30 minutes longer than planned.

With the amount of wildlife I saw, it is hard to believe this part is so close to my house. Today, I saw a Blue Heron (missed the picture again), a beaver swimming in the river, a deer, and the usual geese and deer.

Overall, a great way to end a difficult week!

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street

I was riding on the Big Creek Greenway today, dodging the many other people on various conveyances also using it. I started thinking about the variety of ways people use that trail. I have seen bikes, bicycles built for 2, bikes with kiddy cars, skaters, dog walkers, regular walkers, joggers, kids on bikes with training wheels, kids on big wheels, and joggers with strollers containing either babies or dogs. As I thought about it, I realized that there was one thing I had not seen - unicycles.

I completed the bulk of my ride, and had lunch as usual. I got back on the trail, and within 5 minutes, I had encountered a father with his son and daughter, all riding.....you guessed it! Unicycles, and riding them quite proficently I should say.

I can die happy since I have now seen everything!

Conquering Sawnee Mountain

I closed the office early today in preparation for July 4th, and decided to take advantage of being so far North and having extra time. A friend has recommended the hiking trails at Sawnee Mountain in Cumming, so I decided to give it a try.

Since I had a good bit of time, I decided to start the day with a visit to the Amicalola River Trail, just outside of Dawsonville. The trail runs along the river for some time, and then climbs a high ridge. This section of the river is known for its rapids, popular with kayakers. In fact, as I arrived, a group with a guide just finishing their visit. As a result of the distraction, I went the wrong way along the river, resulting in a short, pleasant walk along a rocky section of the river.

The actual trail runs on a boardwalk for close to half a mile, bringing back some unpleasant memories or last week’s bike crash. Fortunately, the boardwalk was dry this time, and I was on foot. The guide says to expect the first half mile to be crowded with swimmers, boaters, and people fishing, and I found this to be the case. Once the trail turned away from the river, I did not see a soul.

After finishing this trail, I drove back toward Cumming and Sawnee Mountain. Sawnee is an unusually large mountain in a city that is otherwise flat, causing it to stand out like a sore thumb, visible all over the city. The various communication towers on top make it more so. I began on the Indian Seat trail, which took me right to the top, which has a wonderful view from the edge of the large rocks lining the area.

I descended the trail to the intersection of the Laurel Ridge trail, which runs to a very attractive visitor center. Along the way, I came across a structure referred to as the tree house. It is actually at grade level, but extends out over a ravine.

The visitor center has a second tree house, this one with a suspension bridge high up in the trees. It was not clear how one would get up there. I suspect that is only possible when the visitor center is staffed.

After a brief pause for some trail mix to fix my blood sugar, I headed back along the Laurel Ridge trail to the South parking lot.
As the weather has gotten warmer, I have done more biking and less hiking, often biking in the same area week after week. I discovered today that I do miss doing more hiking, which I look forward to resuming when the weather cools. I also miss the adventure of going to a new place, which I was able to more than satisfy today.

Adventures in Road Biking

It has been a week! Each day, I got home from work, did a bit in the yard to restore my sanity, ate a snack (nothing you could really call dinner this week) with my laptop in my lap, went to the gym, home to more work, and bed. By the time Friday night arrived, I was running on fumes. I got a late start Saturday morning. I could not decide exactly what I wanted to do, especially with the rain threat. I started to go to the Suwanee Greenway, but at the last minute I decided that it was unnecessary to drive 30 minutes one way in the car just to ride my bike. I have been doing a good number of shorter road bike rides during the week, and have been feeling more comfortable riding next to cars going at 55 MPH. As such, I decided to ride from home to Alpharetta, do one trip down the Big Creek Greenway, have lunch at my favorite high-carb place, and come home.

While I would probably make the same decision again, I began to doubt my decision early on as I was reminded that Atlanta is almost as hilly as San Francisco. I took me just over an hour to get to Alpharetta, at which point I took a brief but well deserved rest. After dealing with a leaky hydration pack, I rode the full length of the Greenway. Fortunately, the rain moved out before I left, so I was dry – for a while.

I checked the radar just before lunch, and everything looked clear. As I ate lunch however, I could see serious clouds to the west. As I left the restaurant, I heard a bit of thunder, and I was getting wet before I left the parking lot. It was very light until the last 3 miles, but I was pretty wet when I got home. I was also reminded of basic physics – wet streets have more friction, reducing MPG (miles per galloon) for cars and MPM (miles per muffin) for bikers.

During my ride, God re-enforced the clear message he had given me through an event Friday – Psalms 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God…” (slightly out of context).

I have been working very hard to get the eNable business going, but it has been a frustrating process, because there just has not been enough of me to go around. Were it not for my partner and brother Phil, I would not have made it at all. We have been seeing some very good results, for which I am greatful.

Tuesday, we got a call about a phone system from someone who had received a brochure on a phone system we mailed starting Saturday. I made an appointment for Friday, the first opening I had. The caller was Indian from his accent, so I really did not pay much attention when he closed the call with “God Bless” (I confess my prejudice here).

I arrived for the appointment, and was greeted warmly. He proceeded to show me where he wanted the system and the extensions, as if the purchase was a foregone conclusion. While I have not done much sales, I knew it could not be that easy. When we sat down to work out the arrangements, he identified himself as a believer, and a part-time bible teacher. He said he had prayed about our company and the system purchase, as he does with all major decisions and felt God’s leading to use us. We prayed together before I left. It is hard to go wrong with sales in God is your principal salesman! It also served as a poignant reminder that it is God’s job to deliver, and mine just to be obedient.

Nearly Wordless Friday

It has been said that on the way to Heaven, one will have a two hour delay due to construction in Atlanta. It is interesting to note that even the Silver Comet is not immune!

I Went to Alabama with a Sweat Towel on my Knee

Today’s plan was to complete the final section of the Silver Comet Trail via bicycle. In preparation for a hot day, I put extra water in my hydration pack the night before, and refrigerated it (good plan). I also began an hour earlier than usual to beat as much of the heat as possible.

I began at the depot at Cedartown, just past the 5 mile trail detour due to construction, and rode west toward the Alabama line. This is by far the most desolate section of the trail. Once the trail leaves Cedartown, it crosses only an occasional country road and passes an occasional house. I did see my fill of wildlife, including a Wild Turkey who crossed the trial right in front of me, more rabbits than I could count, and birds including Goldfinches and Eastern Bluebirds.

Not long after I started, I had a funny and somewhat convicting experience. As I approached a road crossing west of Cedartown, I could see an older cyclist stopped on the other side, headed east. When I crossed, he stopped me and told me about an encounter with a mean bulldog that almost bit him. Apparently, other cyclists had warned him about it before he got to the area. He gave me a rough idea of where he had encountered the dog, and we both went on our way.

I am a dog lover, but one of my fears is mean dogs, going back to when I was a kid. I gave serious thought to turning around, but after a quick prayer, I proceeded. The other biker had told me that the dog was in the vicinity of the second road crossing ahead of me. When I got to the crossing, I stopped to look at my map. I realized that the road paralleled the trail for a mile, so rather than trusting that God would answer my prayer, I decided to solve the problem myself (the story of my life). I left the trail and headed down the short cross street to the main road. There was a house on the diagonal corner, and I was headed right at it. Before I got too far, I could see a black dog tear out of the yard headed straight for me. He did not look particularly happy. I immediately turned around, and set the 30 second world speed record for cycling. Fortunately, I was fast enough that the dog quickly lost interest, and returned to his watch for other victims (in the spirit of one of my favorite movies – Secondhand Lions). How often I ask God for help, and then try to fix the problem myself! In this case, the dog never would have seen me had I stayed with the trail.

I was looking forward to arriving at Gateway Park, marking the border between Georgia and Alabama, as I was already pretty hot and tired. The guide book indicated that it had a lightning shelter, picnic area, and restrooms. Based on that, I had formed a mental image of a significant park. Not! The lightning shelter was the size of an outdoor umbrella, picnic area was a single table, and no restroom was to be found. I rested anyway.

I proceeded into Alabama, covering six miles of the Chief Ladiga trail. I only thought the Georgia section was the most desolate I had seen. There was absolutely nothing along this section of the trail. I hit mile marker 6, and turned around.

After returning to the Georgia side, the heat and my hunger were getting to me, and I needed a restroom stop. My guide book indicated that a convenience store existed two blocks from the trail. I turned off to check it out. I found a general store, but it was not operating. Across the street was the local post office, in the form of a trailer. I went in to ask if they had a restroom, but they did not. The kind postal worker told me to turn left, go to the first driveway, and look for the convenience store - behind a house! It was not much, but it met my needs. I headed back for the trail, covering the balance of the 33 miles in 3:13. I was pleased to have been able to handle the heat, especially given that this section of the trail is almost entirely in full sun.

Pine Mountain Trail

With the holiday weekend and a late call at church tomorrow, I decided I could handle a longer trip today, so I headed back down to Pine Mountain to do another section of the Pine Mountain Trail. Since I have already done all of the loops, this would be an in and out hike. Because of the popularity of this area, I almost changed my mind at the last minute over concerns that it would be too busy.

I decided to start at a parking lot at mile marker 18, and head South to the Boot Top Trail at mile marker 14, and take that trail back to the intersection with the PMT. On my way through the park, I noticed that none of the parking lots had any cars. So much for being too busy! When I got to my lot, there was one car. As it turns out, in 4 ½ hours of hiking, I would encounter only one family. That was surprising to me given that when I visited for my snow hike, it was quite busy.

I soon found out why business was so light. It was a warm day, and with rain yesterday afternoon, it was very muggy and unpleasant. Hiking in warmer weather is quite a paradigm shift. Gone are the days of half-full water containers, jeans to protect me from the poison ivy, and long hikes with no breaks. These will have to be replaced by shorts, full water containers, and shorter hikes. I am already looking forward to Fall!

I got to mile 14 and had a bit more energy, so I elected to continue for a bit. I would later regret this decision. I got as far as mile 12, and after standing briefly on Sunset Rock, I headed back. My water would run out before the trip was complete, as my energy almost did on a few occasions.

I finally hit the parking lot again some 11 miles and 4.5 hours later, having dropped at least 5 lbs in water weight. I headed straight for the Purple Cow, where I got a light lunch, a less light cup of ice cream (Moo Tracks and Chocolate-covered Cherry), and all the tea I could drink (which was a around a gallon). It was a nice if exhausting day.

Tallulah Gorge

Finally!! The first Saturday in 7 weeks without a chance of rain (not that I am complaining about the rain, Lord). I decided to take full advantage, although with everything going on Friday (one of the worst in recent memory), I did not know where I was going until 20 minutes before departure. I selected Tullulah Gorge. I remember driving by it when I was younger, and I have passed it a few times on business in that area, but this was my first chance to visit as a hiker.

I had intended to do the Rim Loop, which starts along the North rim, goes down 300 steps to the gorge, crosses a neat suspension bridge, and climbs 200 more steps. I was then planning to do section of the Bartram Trail (one of the many long trails in Georgia). At the last minute, I changed the agenda. After riding my bike for 20 miles last night, I did not think my knees could handle the stairs. As such, I switched to the Stoneplace Trail, a 10 mile round trip down to Lake Tugalo, the other shore of which is in South Carolina.

I did not realize on the trip in that I was going downhill the entire way, which led me to a surprise coming back – much climbing. That being said, it seems that my biking is good conditioning for hiking, as I had no trouble with it, doing the entire hike without a rest break.

The trail is wide because it supports hiking and biking. I did not encounter a single hiker (they all headed toward the gorge), but I did see a few bikers. There was a small wilderness camping area at the lake which was in use by a scout troop. I could only see a portion of the lake, but it was quite beautiful. On the return trip, I took the High Bluff Loop off of the main trial, which as you can guess runs along a high bluff. This trail is loaded with mountain laurel, much of which was in bloom.

I apparently made a wrong turn onto an unmarked trail at the end, as I serendipitously found myself at the best overlook along the North rim. Since they were doing a water release for kayakers, it was quite a show.

I really needed my combined 32 miles this weekend because of a bad week particularly Friday. For the first time in my life, I had someone accuse me of being a crook. By God’s grace, I have always been considered above reproach as to legal and ethical matters, so this was quite a trauma. Even through the person apologized quickly, the damage was done.

As I arrived at the lake, I was badly in need of a restroom break, and not looking forward to the shovel and hole method, if you know what I mean. I glanced off to the side, and discovered an “inviting” privy which was not on the map (I recognize the difficulty finding spiritual significance in finding a privy, but stay with me).

I got to thinking about what a good God we have to do something so simple for me as to place a privy in the right place. This caused me to recall a movie I had seen the night before – Facing the Giants (Covington and Covington rate it one thumb up, one thumb down). Actually the other Covington is more correct than me, as the acting is amateurish, and the plot a bit weak. The message is unmistakable and unambiguous however – when facing life’s giants, remember that we serve a big God. A God that puts a privy in the right place can certainly take care of the big stuff!

Silver Comet - Coot's Lake

I am a bit behind on my blogging, but not due to lack of adventures. I am finding that with the warmer weather and the uncooperative nature of my digestive system of late (I will leave you to fill in the blanks here), that longer bike rides and shorter hikes are working well. Today was my second long ride on the Silver Comet Trail. I began the ride at Coot’s Lake, a private lake and beach just East of Rockmart.

I began the ride eastbound back to mile marker 30, which is where I ended last time. There is no trailhead nearby, so the only way to cover that section was to backtrack. This was a pleasant section where large hills had been cut away to make room for the train tracks. This exposed a number of interesting rock formations. Just under a mile from Coot’s Lake is the Bushy Mountain tunnel, a 700 ft lighted tunnel under – you guessed it – Bushy Mountain. I made it to mile marker 30, and turned around.

The section between Coot’s Lake and Rockmart is similar in terrain to the East section The part of Rockmart that I could see from the trail was not very interesting, but the trail passes through a floodplain area, along an old cemetery, and through a sports park, making it an entertaining ride.

The nice thing about riding Silver Comet is the fact that it is built on an old rail bed. Since trains do not handle steep hills well, the resulting path has only gradual ascents and descents. The section after the sports part leaves the rail bed, and switches to trail specifically built for the Silver Comet. It was designed for the average cyclist, assuming you consider Lance Armstrong average! This is by far the hardest section of the trail. My knees hurt so bad at one point that I had to get off and walk. The first part of this section runs along US 278, and is loud and polluted. The trail suddenly makes an abrupt turn away from the highway, and runs through the prettiest section of the trail. It passes through some great ranches and pastures, and then through a nature preserve with a camping area. I got as far as an old church at mile marker 45, and turned around.

The return trip was uphill most of the way, so my knees were about to fall off by the time I got back to my car. That being said, I managed 32 miles without much trouble. I have now completed 45 miles of the 60 mile trail. One more ride to go.

Big Canoe Hikefest

I have a friend with a “spare” house in Big Canoe, a wonderful mountain development near Jasper, GA. I have a standing invitation to use it, but it is really hard to break away and do so. This past weekend, the opportunity presented itself for myself and my brother’s family. My sister-in-law Jennifer was anticipating the hiking opportunity as much as I was. With one minor blip on Saturday morning, the weather was ideal.

Big Canoe has extensive hiking trails, and although we introduced ourselves to a number of them, we did not scratch the surface (can you say return visit?). There are a number of streams, waterfalls, and lakes along the trails, making for very attractive hiking.

We began the hike-fest on Friday after our arrival with the relatively short Waterford Lakes Trail. This hike took us in a figure 8 pattern around two small lakes. The kids had a blast throwing rocks into the lakes, and looking at the various insects and birds in the area.

The next morning, my hiking buddy C. (age 11) and I set off on a more challenging hike. We intended to finish the Lower Falls trail, which we started on a prior Thanksgiving trip. I credit this hike with getting me interested in hiking. The hike began by a swimming area that included a rock slide. The kids want to go back in warm weather and try this. We retraced our steps from the last hike, and continued on to the lower falls. The waterfall was quite nice, but not nearly as nice as the time with my nephew, who is an excellent conversationalist. The Lower Falls trail is 1.7 miles one way, so when we arrived, I asked C. if he wanted to continue to the Upper Falls, which he did.

We headed on, beginning the hike with a fairly steep climb, but completed the .7 miles fairly quickly. The Upper Fall is less impressive than the Lower Fall, but the water flows through a narrow crevasse that is part of a large rock outcropping, so it is quite interesting.

There is a Jeep Trail that crosses and parallels the Falls trail. Since C. was getting tired at this point, I decided it would be quicker and easier to take that back. We hit the parking lot just over 2.5 hours after we began.

That evening, we decided to do the Covered Bridge trail as a family, despite the fact that darkness was setting in. This trail runs under a reproduction covered bridge that is part of the main road into the development. It was surprisingly difficult in places, especially for Jennifer who had K. (almost 2) in a back carrier (I took a turn at this Saturday and believe me, it ain’t for cowards). We managed to finish right before dark.

On Sunday morning, I left early to do the Nancy Womac Falls trail, which is beyond the Upper Falls. I did this alone because it was suppose to be fairly difficult, which it was. The entire .8 miles there is quite steep, and involves numerous stream crossings, most without the means to cross without getting wet. This was the most beautiful of the three falls, but because of the slope, there was no way to get close to it.

Upon my return, we decided to do a family hike/picnic, and having seen picnic tables near the Upper Falls, I suggested that we hike a short distance to there down the Jeep trail. I made the mistake of taking my GPS to get us there, so it took close to 25 minutes. We could have done it in 10 without the technology (or perhaps it is ESO – Equipment Smarter than Operator). We finally arrived and did the short hike, followed by a very good lunch assembled by Jennifer. We then hiked a short distance to the Upper Falls. Not withstanding some consternation with the kids getting wet and being less than careful, we had a good time.

We could not resist leaving to return to Atlanta without one more outdoor adventure, so we decided to do the Lake Petit trail. This trail runs besides a number of rock heaps, thought to have been built by Indians for an unknown purpose, and dead-ends into the large Lake Petit. Jennifer, ever the teacher, had arranged a scavenger hunt for the kids, asking them to pickup a number of items (leaves, rocks, etc), and had given them paper bags for that purpose. They had a blast.

After cleaning up and packing up, we headed back to the mundanity of the city, tired but exhilarated by our experience.

The Other Side of the Mountain

The rain necessitated a late start this morning. Having done 14 miles on my bike yesterday, I intended to do a shorter hike than usual (which did not work out as expected). I decided to do the section of Kennesaw National Battlefield that I missed on the last visit. It is a long and narrow park, the entire trail loop being 16.7 miles.

I drove through considerable rain getting there, but I had timed the trip just right based on the radar, because the rain stopped just a bit before my arrival. I started at Burnt Hickory Road, just south of the mountain. The first section was a repeat from last time.

One of the reasons for the popularity of this battlefield is the fact at 11 miles of the original Confederate earthworks still exist today. They were the trenches dug by the Confederate soldiers to allow them to defend the mountain against Federal troops.

The trail took me past various sites of historical significance, including the Illinois Memorial, and the grave of the Unknown Soldier.

I completed the west loop in just under two hours. Having skipped dinner last night, I was getting really hungry. As I was getting ready to break out the trail mix, I came to Powder Springs Road. I walked up to the street and looked both directions, and found a shopping center a short distance away. I decided to hike there for lunch, and Subway got my business.

After lunch, I headed back to the park to catch the east loop. I had some trouble at this point. I followed the trail for a short distance, but the path became very confusing, and lacked any signage. I followed what I thought was the correct trail, but quickly came to a sign indicating that the trail was closed. As such, I turned around and backtracked along the west trail.

Having done over 26 miles during the weekend, I began thinking about how unlike the younger me that is. It is interesting that once we conclude who we are, we stick by that image almost dogmatically, even if the original conclusion was wrong. I guess it was in my case, as I seem to have all of the drive and determination of an athlete, with a body that manages to keep up despite 52 years of wear. As few as three years ago, I told people I did not have an athletic bone in my body. I feel blessed that I discovered this aspect of myself before I got any older. I wonder what I will discover next year.

I made good time on the return trip, making it in just over 2 hours, despite the dead end. I had to be careful where I stepped, as I was not too far behind a pair of horses. Kennesaw is a great and diverse park, which I look forward to visiting again in the future.

The High-Tech Biker???

I have a nice bike which I have not ridden significantly in 2 years, but is has been calling to me lately, especially with all of the multi-use trails that now exist. I slaved over a hot PC playing marketing manager all morning, and decided I needed a break. I came home early, dusted, pumped and lubericated the bile, loaded it in the car, and headed to the Big Creek Greenway. With an ice cream stop, I completed the round trip in just over two hours, and had a good time doing it.

I had one embarassing moment. I had grabbed a chain lock while I was in Lowe's, in case I wanted to park. When I decided to walk for ice cream, I discovered that the keys were cable-tied to the chain. I saw a grandmother who had just loaded up her granddaughter, so I went to ask her if she had anything sharp. She whipped out her car key, and broke the tie with brute force. Boy, did I feel stupid and unmasculine!

Lessons learned today:

1. I need a pocket knife.
2. Hiking and biking may both involve the legs, but they obviously use different muscles.
3. I have a bit less padding in certain strategic areas than I used to.
4. Fourteen miles is a bit much when you haven't ridden for 2 years.

It was a great way to spend the afternoon, none the less.

Chickamauga Creek Loop

I went into the weekend with the prospect of rain for the third Saturday in a row. As such, and with the cooperation of my family, I decided to switch this week to Sunday. I left right after church, and headed north. Since I am a good 30 minutes closer to the northwest part of the state when I leave from church, I decided to visit a trail in the Chickamauga National Forest, southwest of Dalton. This is a lightly-used trail I found in the book 50 Hikes in the North Georgia Mountains, kindly given as a Christmas gift by my family.

The start of this trail is approximately 2 miles beyond the boonies. I exited I-75 at Highway 136, a winding road that heads toward Alabama and Cloudland Canyon. After 18 miles, I turned off onto a single-lane paved road, which turned into a kidney-killer of a dirt road. I arrived at a very rustic gravel parking lot. There was one other car in the parking lot, but I never saw anyone during the entire 6.3 mile hike.

The distinguishing feature of this trail is that it has no distinguishing feature. It is a trail for people who like to hike, not those who demand scenery. Perfect for me.

The loop began with a good climb up to a ridge, affording some views to the East, if a bit blocked by trees. The trail continued along the ridge, switching back and forth from a single trail to an old roadbed. I was surprised by how dry the trail was given the 2 inches of rain in the past two days. Little did I realize that I was on the dry side of the ridge.

After following the ridge for some time, I came across the one remotely interesting feature of this trail – Preaching Rock. It is a natural rock formation that sticks up in the air, like a platform for preaching. The trail continued along the ridge for a bit longer, and then began a descent. The terrain suddenly changed from dry forest to lush vegetation, and I knew I had arrived at the wet side of the ridge. The trail crossed one of a few streams and tributaries more than 10 times in this area. There were also numerous puddles and wet areas, leaving my shoes as wet as they have ever been on a hike.

I got back to the car after approximately 2.5 hours, and headed to a nearby country convenience store to refuel my car and myself. Since I had a bit more time, I decided to get a taste of the Pinhoti Trail. This trail, running over 100 miles in Georgia, connects the Pinhoti trail in Alabama to the Benton MacKaye Trail in Northeast Georgia. I started at the Snake Creek Gap on Highway 136, and went north for approximately 2 miles before turning around. This is a multi-use trail for hikers, bikers, and horses. Within the first few minutes, I came across two riders on horses coming south. It has been a long time since I have ridden a horse, but I look forward to doing some trail riding in the future when (if ever) I have more time to spare.

The Pinhoti trail is distinguished by its metal blazes with the imprint of a wild turkey footprint. I understood this, having encountered two wild turkies on the earlier part of the hike.

After doing just enough of the Pinhoti trail to wet my appetite, I headed for the car, and the trip back to Atlanta a bit wiser, having added two items to my list of hiking rules:

5) No hair, no hat, sunny day – sunburned head!
6) If there is a stepping stone in the middle of the creek, assume it is loose!

The One That Got Away

Another Saturday with unsettled weather. I wish God would schedule rainy days for Mondays, since they are usually a washout anyway. I had been planning to go to Rabun County, but with the threat of rain, I did not want to waste a lot of driving. As such, I decided to revisit one of my favorite Chattahoochee parks – East Palisades. There are four things in particular I like about this park:

1) The best distant view of the Chattahoochee that one can find.
2) The giant bamboo forest.
3) The chance to walk out into the middle of the Chattahoochee on rocks.
4) The excellent rock climbing opportunity at the North end.

On my first visit, I startled one of the Great Blue Herons that frequent this area as I approached the observation deck. I was hoping on this occasion to get a picture of one. Not long into the hike, as I was walking along a stream the feeds the Chattahoochee, I looked toward the stream, and discovered I was standing not 15 feet from a Heron. Sadly, before I could get my camera out and focused, the bird flew off. Maybe next time. I hope I never get a picture of one in my backyard eating my Koi.

When I got to the North end and started to climb the rocks, I worked up the courage to pass the point that stopped me before, a very narrow ledge right before a cave (drawing inspiration from my nephews C, age 11, and A, age 3, who would have run across without even a thought). I went quite a distance beyond that point, climbed to the top of the hill, and worked my way back along the ridge.

Just to be different, I finished by taking a steep connector trail up to Riverview Road, and followed and Northside Drive back to the parking lot via the main entrance. This was a very surreal experience, given all of the amazing houses, each one larger and a quarter of a Million dollars more than the last.

As I looked at each house, I did not find myself at all envious of the people who live in them. That sort of wealth has too many strings attached. As Luke 12:34 says:

34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I can honestly say that my heart is in serving my Savior, and loving my family. How could I possibly be wealthier?

Cloudland Canyon

I had to be in Dalton for a sales presentation, so this not only presented the opportunity for a rare mid-week hike, but also to a location that would otherwise be a long drive. After finishing the presentation and having a quick lunch, I set out for Chickamauga Creek Trail, west of Dalton. As is not unusual for me however, I never got there. As I passed the turn-off, I changed my mind, and drove on to Cloudland Canyon, near the AL state line.

If there is a more beautiful spot in all of Georgia, I would sure like to see it. The park is developed around an 1,800 foot deep canyon carved out over the years by a stream. The result is beautiful views and multiple waterfalls.

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I began the hike with a trip to into the canyon to visit both waterfalls, which are not visible from the top. There are well constructed stairs leading to each one, but they are hard on the legs. When I got back to the top, I sat on a bench under a huge rock to catch my breath, feeling a bit old about how much the steps took out of me. Shortly thereafter, a teenager walked up and sat down, more tired than I was. That made me feel better.

After a very brief rest, I started off on the West Rim trail, a 4.8 mile trail that winds back down to the canyon floor, across the stream, and back up to the west rim. Much of the trail is routed right along the rim, affording numerous beautiful views. The trail itself is interesting and challenging, with multiple opportunities for rock climbing. At other points, the trail has been eroded, leaving exposed roots which must be navigated. There are also multiple “wet foot crossings, one of which was a “wet ankle” crossing on this particular day.

As on prior hikes my thoughts turned to the difficult time I am having at work, and how much fear I have experienced over the past few weeks. At the same time, I was again struck by the irony that I could walk to the edge of the canyon, where a slight stumble would take me over to my death, with no fear whatsoever. It became clear that my fear is limited to what can happen to me in this life, and not what is beyond that. The generalities of a scripture verse came to mind which I looked up upon my return:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

I finished up mi hike after 3 hours, and was afforded one final view of the canyon when returning to my car. It was a truly wonderful afternoon, and a great place to visit.

PS A shout out to my syster-in-law for telling me about Photobucket!