Since I've got a long list of hike ideas compiled and it's been a few months since I've lead a hike for the Meetup group I most often hike with, I decided to organize one for this morning. I think the reason I haven't organized in a while is simply due to the fact that I don't like hiking in the hot and humid Georgia summers very much. I've been hiking over the past several months, but mostly away from home. It's well into fall now and the temperatures are dropping quickly. So, today I will lead a group to the summit of Pine Mountain from Coopers Furnace, knocking out a couple of different loops as part of the ordeal. I did have to specify in the event description that this is the "other Pine Mountain" and not to be confused with the one in west-central Georgia. Today, we'll be a bit northwest of Atlanta on the northern shores of the Etowah River and Allatoona Lake.
I arrive at the trailhead early, as I normally do when I'm leading. I just like to get a feel for where the trail starts and any other concerns that may be worth noting. I also like to set a good example. It's cold this morning; In the mid-30's, I think. After I walk around a bit to get my bearings and figure out where the trail actually starts, I take a seat on a picnic table beside the river and wait for others to show up. It doesn't take long before they start coming in. By our start time of 9:00 AM, eight of us have managed to brave the brisk morning air to get some exercise in. After our traditional round of introductions, we quickly hit the trail.
The trail passes by the immense Coopers Furnace. Built in the 1830's to smelt Iron, it is all that remains of the pre-Civil War town of Etowah, which was mostly destroyed during Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. It now serves as a reminder of the ancient industry of decades past. A clipped pyramid rising some 40 or so feet from the grass, it's an imposing site.
Continuing past the furnace, we get a solid pace going as we make the straight-away towards Pine Mountain. We first take the northern section of the eastern loop. It's well maintained though a little steep. After a few switchbacks, we reach the side trail to the summit. While I try to set an expectation of a fast pace in my event description, sometimes the group just can't keep up. Today's gang is gung-ho though and though some of them are struggling a little bit with the 3.3ish mph pace I'm leading at, they urge me to keep it up when I ask about slowing down. Apparently, they want to push themselves. Awesome!
At the spur, we walk out a hundred yards or so to the overlook, which is giving rest to a few fellow hikers that came up for the view. A number of large boulders provide manageable seats and I tell the group we'll take a ten minute break here for water and snacks. The view is pretty nice, though the small trees partially block the view of the lake, even this late into autumn.
With last warning, we pack up and head back the way we came. From here, we head over to the northern section of the western loop, which is short, but much more rugged than it's counterpart. Completing the loop, we head back towards the summit and then back down the southern section of the eastern loop, which returns us to the straight section and finally our cars.
Along the way, I had been monitoring the distance and elevation gain/loss. It seems the Alltrails.com track is a bit off and I later learn, it's because the listed track does the western loop twice essentially. That means we only got in 7.4 miles instead of the planned 8.9 miles, but it was still a great hike and everyone seems to have enjoyed it. I congratulate some of those that were struggling a bit for doing such a great job. After our goodbyes, we all head our separate ways, but we'll have a fond memory of this pleasant trail.
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