Hikefest 2009

With the family in Nashville, I decided to take full advantage of the day off. I knew I was heading North to the mountains, but I did not decide until I got to Dahlonega/Helen fork where I was headed. I picked the Helen route, and ended up first at the Smithgall Woods Conservation Area. This is one of the largest state parks in Georgia, centered around the remnants of a major mining operation from the 1800's (the first US gold rush). I hiked 2 miles on the main road to reach the trailhead for the Martin's Mine trail, which features the remnants of an actual gold mine.

I started back on the main road, and turned off for the Ash Creek trail, which climbs a couple of ridges, leading to a wet ankle crossing of Ash Creek, not terribly pleasant given the cold temperature.

As I neared the end, I was really getting hungry, having had nothing but a snack bar since 6 AM. I soon discovered that the trail dead ended into Dukes Creek, a wide and rapid creek approximately 3 feet deep. On the other side, the short end of the trail and the main road beckoned. Had it been warmer, I would have taken my shoes off and crossed it, but today, I had no option but to backtrack the entire 1.5 miles, and another wet ankle (or wet sock in this case)crossing.

After a quick lunch at Unicoi State Park, I decided to take the 9 mile drive to Unicoi Gap, and do a section of the AT. I arrived at the parking lot, and after a moment of indecision about which direction to go, I headed North. This may not have been the best choice, as it turned out to be one of the most difficult AT sections I have done. It climbs 1,100 feet in 1.2 miles with no mercifully flat sections, all while enduring 25 MPH sustained winds.


All the climbing was worthwhile however, because at the top, I was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the mountains to the South. And, the good news continued - the return trip was all downhill!

I was also rewarded with some enlightening thoughts about how God uses seemingly small events to do great things. For example, the dental hygienist I knew in passing from Miami, who moved to Atlanta and has been taking care of my teeth for 27 years. Last year, she asked if she could give my contact info to a young patent she just started treating that was just diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. We exchanged a few emails, which ultimately led to me serving with her at Act Together Ministries.

I wonder what God will start tomorrow?

The Blind Leading the Blind?

I usually ride my bike instead of hiking on very hot days, but thanks to an accident involving my car carrier coming off, and a family medical crisis, my bike was not in working order. As such, I braved the heat and revisited Pine Mountain in Cartersville. it is a relatively short trail with a great view. Unfortunately, I forgot that it has more ups and downs in a short distance that most sections of the AT. Not my first choice on a 97 degree day.

I started with the ascent to the crest of Pine Mountain, which involves a 600+ foot climb in half a mile. The view of Lake Allatoona (which happily is full) is worth the trip however, and thinks to the Boy Scouts there is now a bench on top when you can sit and take in the view.

The trail system consists of two loops with another trail connecting them. This makes it exceedingly difficult to get lost. That being said, and despite this being only my second visit, I would end up helping an individual and a family find their way down. I had encountered a family with small kids a few times, and when I got to the high portion of the east loop, they were stopped. They flagged me down, and asked for help. Not long after I got them on their way, a running stopped me and wanted to know how to get back to the main parking lot. I never saw either again, but I assume they made it down.

I guess the only thing you need to be a guide is more knowledge than the person you are guiding. Not a bad way to look at my Christian witness as well.

Harbins Park

I managed to beat the weather today and get in a hike. Today's destination was Harbins Park, a new, and now the largest, park in the Gwinnett County system at over 1,700 acres. Even though they have only developed the initial phases, the trails and facilities are extensive. The price you pay is that it is truely in the boonies of the county - in Dacula.

I initially turned into the wrong entrance, and found myself in a partking lot dedicated to the equestrian trails. After a quick look at the map, I go to the right place.

This park has over 4 miles of general purpose paved trails, 7 miles of equestrian, 7 miles of mountain bike, and a 4.35 mile hiking trail (we hikers always get the short end). I started out on the 1 mile paved loop, which took me quickly to the start of the hiking trail.

The trail is well laid out, but traction can be difficult on the compacted clay/sand surface when wet (and it rained overnight). I slid down more than one water diversion hill. Before long, I came to the first bridge, crossing a small screen. I have come to expect the bridges in Gwinnett parks to be overkill, and I was not disappointed. I hadn's seen anything yet.

The trail continued winding up, down, and around for some time, on occasion crossing the equestrian or mountain bike trails. Aound 3.5 miles in, I turned the corner to find the granddaddy of all bridges. There was a large outcropping (which I suspect is part of Stone Mountain). Rather than just letting hikers just walk across the rock (which I did anyway), they built an elaborate, winding bridge over it. While I admired the construction of the bridge, I wished that my tax dollers were spent more wisely.

I finally came to the end of the hiking trail. Since I was not yet fully engulfed in sweat from the high humidity, I hiked a portion of one of the equistrian trails. This trail had a bravel base, and was much easier to navigate.

Since I have just scratched the surface on this park, I look forward to returning and visiting my tax money!

The Blue Herons, They Do Taunt Me!

For those of you who have followed this blog, you know that I have been on a quest to get a good photo of a blue heron, if for no other reason that the personal satisfaction (I guess some of my Father's drive as a professional photographer rubbed off on me after all).

At the last minute, I decided to play hookie from the gym, and hike the trails along the Chattahoochee near my house. Since it was an impromptu hike, I was without gadgets. Not long after I left the park and headed into the woods, I happened upon a fisherman climbing back to the trail from the river, and behind him, a blue heron perched on a branch in a wonderfully picturesque pose. He seemed completely oblivious to the fisherman (who was just a few feet from him), and me (not much further away). Naturally, no camera. If I had one, he would have been long gone before I got that close, just for sport. In desperation, I grabbed my aging cell phone and attempted a picture, only to have it die on me. Of well, Heron 3, Robert 0.

As I was walking through Jones Bridge Park, I came across a sign about the history of the park and the bridge which I had not paid attention to before. It discussed the fact that prior to the bridge being built in 1904, a ferry was operated in that location by the property owner. I imagined the operator living in a house near the river, with a bell on the outside. Given the nature of the business, I imagined him having to respond to the bell, night or day.

As my brother will confirm, starting BIZTech in our day is somewhat similar. We need every customer we can get, which means we are often on a short leash to the ones we have.

One of the nice things about hiking is that you see new things, even on trails you have done before. My normal route takes me behind fiserv (aka Checkfree, aka SSI, aka Stockholder Systems). I discovered that I could get across a stream on the far side of the property, where the trail continued along the river. I ran out of daylight before I ran out of trail.

Looking forward to next time, WITH camera.

A Walk Along the Shore

Well, a bit of an exaggeration, but read on.

It has been some time since my last post. With a new business starting (shameless plug - see www.biztechstore.com), bad weather, and repeat hikes, I have not really taken the time. Today, with good weather forecast (which sadly did not materialize until I was just about done), and a new trail to try, I was off.

The trail I selected was the Vineyard Mountain Trail, and Eagle Scout-maintained trail on the South side of the Etowah river outside of Cartersville. The trail began with a moderate climb. Although I was alone in the middle of the woods, I was close enough to I-75 to hear significant traffic noise. Civilization would continue to encroach for the balance of the hike.

Not long after I started, I detoured to the red-blazed trail. I discovered in the process that scouts have a strange sense of humor. On this trail, they did not bother with switchbacks or other conveniences. It just went straight up the mountain. I had finally gotten away from the traffic noise, but when I hit the top, I discovered a large cell phone tower instead of a view.

I resumed the yellow trail, but went off the trail as I approached the river to discover a great view of the Allatoona Dam. I had been driving over Lake Allatoona for years, but never even had an idea where the dam was. The trail eventually led to a disused road which I followed toward the dam. It seems that this dam was open to the public years ago, because the road ended at a very old concrete parking lot. I was able to hike around it to get a better view of the dam. As I approached the dam, I caught a glimpse of the Blue Heron that has alluded me during many a hike. I was able to get a shot of him using the maximum zoom on my camera, but as I moved quietly closer, he heard me and flew off. He would continue to haunt me for the balance of the hike.

I backtracked, and followed the road the opposite direction. I short detour took my to a rocky beach along the lake. It was not much different than being at the beach. The water was lapping the short, and there were numerous shells among the rocks (I assume from fresh water muscles).

The trail continued to parallel the shoreline of the lake, going up and down numerous ridges until my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I passed through one area with million dollar houses being built up on the ridge.

The trail ended at an alternate parking lot at the entrance to Red Top Mountain State Park. I took a break and walked out onto a point in the middle of the lake, and then began the long trip back.

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!