Stone Mountain Park is a tourist attraction just east of downtown Atlanta and built around the giant monadnock of the same name. I've hiked here many times, but when I recently saw that the annual park passes were being sold at a substantial discount, I decided to get one for the upcoming year. With the pass in hand and a desire to get some trail miles in, I decided to head over to the park this morning and hike the Cherokee Trail, which circumnavigates the mountain.
As I entered the park, I showed my electronic pass to the attendant on my phone and was handed a sticker pass to affix to my windshield. I'll take care of that later; for now, I just want to get my feet moving. I quickly locate a parking spot and head towards the Walk-up trail beginning. I'm kind of amazed by how many people are hear today, but perhaps I shouldn't be. It's the weekend after Christmas and the weather is very warm, even bordering on hot for this time of year. I think we're expecting a high of around 76° today - great hiking weather.
Instead of continuing up the steep Walk-up Trail, I take a quick left and begin the Cherokee Trail. This one does not climb the mountain, but offers some great views and is mostly flat. I'm focused more on distance training rather than elevation right now. The brown pine needles cover the ground, but the trail is still easy to pick out even as it passes over sections of granite slabs. With the mountain to my right, I can see the steep incline from this angle. The only safe way to climb it is the previously mentioned Walk-up Trail, as most other approaches are far too steep.
Soon, I pass by the open section where concerts and other events are held in the summer. This clear section is also home to the confederate general carving on the side of the mountain, which includes representations of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. With the dew running off of the mountain top, it's actually slightly difficult to make out the images, but after staring for a minute, they become more clear. There has been a movement in the past few years to remove this carving as it represents a shameful past. I'm kind of torn on the matter. I certainly don't want to celebration the Confederacy or what it stood for, but I also recognize it as a piece of American history. For now, I will just admire the carving and move on.
The trail continues on around the big rock and soon, I am a greeted by the train whistle of the passing tourist train that takes visitors around the mountain. It appears to be mostly empty today. The next item of note is the old Grist Mill, which sits the edge of small creek and harness the water's movement to spin a giant wheel as the water dumps into Stone Mountain Lake. This is a popular spot and there are a number people on the nearby benches and picnic tables. I also get a little turned around here and loose the trail for a minute, rejoining it soon after walking the paved road a very short distance.
From there and for most of the remainder of the trail, I will be cutting the gap between the mountain and the lake, which offers some nice views and allows the trail to head into the woods once more. I'm pushing my pace a little bit today, as I really am training for distance and some large upcoming hikes later in the spring.
The final section of the trail leads up the side of the granite behemoth itself. It does not seek the top, but does travel across the uneven surface across the granite to return to the starting point. White blazes both on trees on on the granite surface itself mark the way. Between the slant of the surface and a few wet sections, I'm forced to be very cautious here. A slip, while not fatal, would still me rolling down the side of the mountain for a couple of dozen yards - a fate I would rather avoid.
Reaching the junction with the Walk-up Trail, I begin heading down and against the flow of traffic, which includes many, many people making their way to the summit. I'll do that another day. Back at the starting point, I see that I got in just about 5.3 miles today and in really good time. I hate that the natural state of the mountain has been deformed, but even in it's molested state, this is a nice place to get in a few miles and with an annual pass, I suspect I will be here a few more times this year.
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