Diamorpha at Arabia Mountain (DeKalb County)

 

It been raining all night and most of the morning as expected. I had cancelled my planned trip to Grandfather Mountain this weekend and was content with the short hike I got in yesterday at Fort Yargo. My plans for were to just do some things around the house given the wetness of everything outside. Last minute though, someone from the Atlanta Outdoor Club (AOC) posted a hike to see the colorful Diamorpha smallii on Arabia Mountain. Having hiked Arabia Mountain a number of times over my years in Atlanta, I thought this would be a somewhat unique experience to visit this endangered species just after a rain when it is at its perkiest. 

After about a forty-five minute drive to the parking area of the Nature Center, I quickly found the small group from AOC and after a quick round of introductions, we hit the bike trail. Soon, crossing the road we started walking along the long (and in my opinion, completely unnecessary) board walk to the southern end of the primary granite outcropping that is Arabia Mountain. 

Six of us in total, it seems most of us have hiked here before. After passing through the southern parking area, we're soon on the granite, where solution pools of dissolved and dissolving granite provide a plethora of minerally goodness for the flora. These pools are where the Diamorpha thrive. We can already see a number of examples of the vibrant red plant life in these lower elevation pools.

We quickly make our way to the highest point and locate the USGS cap. Calling this place a mountain has always been a little erroneous in my opinion, as it is much more of a small hill. The nearly barren landscape though does remind me of places in the Sierra Nevada. The group kind of meanders around taking in the amazing colors of the Diamorpha and other plant life growing on this 'desert in the rainforest'. The reds will fade in the coming days and not be seen again until next year, at least not with this level of richness.

Exploring around the formerly quarried areas, we eventually turn back south and begin making our way back to the southern end of the boardwalk. The rain has made few sections very slippery and we proceed cautiously. Luckily, everyone makes it safe and we follow the boardwalk back to our cars. Total distance as just over 5.2 miles, but seeing the palate of the flora made the trip worth it. I think the leader for organizing and we all say our goodbyes. A short trip, but I'm glad I did it.

Fort Yargo Lake Loop (Barrow County, Georgia)

I had planned to hike Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina this weekend, but the weather forecast was calling for storms and given the rugged and treacherous nature of that trail, it didn't seem like a good idea to be up on the ladders and ridges during a storm or even after one. I still wanted to get some miles in though and decided to head over to nearby Fort Yargo State Park, which is only about twenty minutes from my home. I've hiked in this park with one of the Meetup groups a couple of times in the past and found it satisfying enough for another visit. As long as I get my miles in early, I should be well head of the storm.

After parking near the visitors center and getting my bearings a bit, I decided to hike the loop around the lake. At least right now, the weather is just about perfect, with sunny skies, moderate temperatures, and nice breeze blowing. I can already see a number of kayakers out on the lake. The hike starts just behind the visitors center with a little patio offering a view of the actual fort, for which the park and lake are named. Fort Yargo was built in 1793 as a defense against the Cherokee and Creek. On past visits, I have explored the area in around the fort itself and opt to just see it from a distance today.

Next, the trail follows a well-constructed and long walking bridge across one of the fingers of the lake. It's wide and allows for both foot traffic and bikes. The trail then leads into the wood with a couple of options. I decided to take the Rock Garden path, which follows the shoreline of the lake much more closely and includes some very basic rock scrambling. I think the other path runs parallel, but avoids the rocks. The two paths rejoin after only about a tenth of a mile.

From here, the trail follows fairly closely to the lake shore, darting in and out of the woods. The trail itself is maintained really, really well. I even encounter a young man with a leaf blower clearing the fallen leaves and pine needles from the soil. The one thing I do note though is an abundance of poison ivy lining the sides of the trail. It appears to be kept under control and off the actual pathway, but should you wander off the trail, be prepared for an itchy good time. 

Hitting the southern end of the lake, I cross another wooden bridge just past the boat ramp where a couple of kayakers are getting ready to launch. I think to myself that this would be a great place to put my kayak in on my next visit. After this bridge, the trail goes through a camping and yurt area of the park, where a number of visitors appear to be going about their daily routines. 

The trail then leaves the shoreline and heads a little deeper into the woods. It's still very easy and I pass a few other hikers and mountain bikers as I finish the last part of the loop. Arriving back a the visitors center, I check my app and see that my distance is almost exactly 6 miles. Not a bad day and with the beautiful weather, this was a great alternative to the long drive to North Carolina.

Partial Solar Eclipse over Atlanta (Gwinnett, Georgia)

Solar eclipses don't come around very often and in eons past, scare the living daylight out of people (literally and figuratively). I had originally planned on flying up to Niagara Falls for today's eclipse and enjoying totality, but schedules didn't work out and I ended up staying home and just watching from my back yard using the proper eye ware. 

As our maximum of ~82% approached at 3:04 PM, my mother, my wife, and I gleefully stared up at the astronomical wonder and tried our best to cover our phone camera lenses with filters and snap a few shots. We got a couple that were okay. I've seen total solar eclipses before and it's somewhat eerie, even with a full understanding of the mechanics of the alignment. It's still quite the spectacular thing to experience though.