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!