The ancient peoples east of the Mississippi River were noted for their mound building. Cities, villages, ceremonial centers and burial mounds can be found all over the united states. Since moving to Atlanta a couple of months ago, I've visited a coupe of the sites in this state, but today, I'm heading to a couple of unique ones that are in the form of bird effigies, and could reasonably be called geoglyphs.
The first is known as Rock Eagle Effigy Mound and is protected by the University of Georgia. I arrived early enough to find the parking lot empty. The approach to the ancient monument has been paved with a cobblestone walkway, leading to a stone observation tower that was built in the 1930's to provide visitors with aerial view of the figure. The mound itself is made of quartzite stones piled up some ten feet or so above the ground to form the unmistakable shape of a bird in flight. The figure is protected by a tall fence surrounding and the cobblestone walkway surrounds the fence allowing visitors to walk all the way around the site. I take some time to climb up the tower, which has a wooden staircase and is four stories tall, but open to cold morning air. It does provide an outstanding view of the figure though.
The second effigy mound, Rock Hawk, is about fifteen miles away and sites near Lake Oconee. There seem to be a number of trails in and around this site which is owned by the Georgia Power company, but opens it up to the public. This site also has an observation tower to provide a bird's eye view of the effigy, but this one is open air and made in a much more modern style. Looking down on the Rock Hawk mounds, the similarity is obvious and archaeological research seems to indicate a common history. Unfortunately, this second site is in not in as good of condition as the first. While it is protected by a fence just like Rock Eagle, past visitors and perhaps time itself have not been as kind. The general shape is obviously that of a bird though.
After reading a bit further on these sites, it seems there were early reports in the mid-nineteenth century of two more mounds, one in the form of a third avian and another in the shape if a snake, but modern research has been unable to confirm the existence of these other two and they may have been destroyed as the lands that held them were settled and farmed. It's a shame to have lost such treasures, but I'm glad the remaining two will be protected going forward.
While it rained pretty heavily yesterday evening as a thunderstorm passed through, today is turning out to be a beautiful day in the greater Atlanta area. Time to get some trail miles in. As has started to be come a regular Sunday routine, I met up with one of the local hiking groups around noon at Harbins Park, which is only a few miles from my home.
The large group of about thirty hikers assembled, did a quick round of introductions and then hit the trails. I admit to never having heard of this part prior to seeing today's event posted, but I'm up for any trail miles I can get. Before advancing too far into the woods, we explore the perimeter of a nearly abandoned cemetery that the sign indicates is the final resting place of several freed slaves who settled and farmed this area immediately following the civil war. There are a number of little tidbits of history like this all around Georgia, as I'm learning.
The trail system here is relatively flat and easily spotted among the hibernating deciduous trees of central Georgia. Though, as we it twists and turns through the fallen leaves, I begin go question if it was made simply for the sake of building a trail. It seems that is a common element of many of the hikes I have done in and around my new home. I don't mean to imply that there is anything wrong with that, but I tend to enjoy trails more when they have a purpose. A path leading to a lake, the summit of a mountain, or to a hidden waterfall are all more to my liking. It may just be that I need to adjust my thinking about hiking a little bit to accommodate my new surroundings.
As the day proceeds, we find that a small regiment of our troop has finally well behind. The organizer calls one of them that he is very familiar with by telephone and we learn that one of the ladies towards the rear is struggling with the pace we have been keeping. We've been going roughly 3.5 miles per hour with an occasional stop. That is around the pace advertised in the event posting, but some new to hiking don't really know what they are and are not capable of until they get out here.
I and another gentlemen decide to head back to see if we can assist, but unfortunately, we are unable to find them after backtracking a half-mile or so. We return to where we left the main group only to find they have departed again and we are forced to guess at the route the took. We guessed wrong and end up adding a couple of miles to our tally. I'm okay with that. I want the miles, but after a couple of attempts to relocate the main group, we decide to head back to the trail head.
As we near the parking lot, we encounter the two experienced hikers that were caring for the lady that was struggling. It seems they took a completely different route and none of us know exactly where the main group has gone. We join up and head for the parking lot to wait for the main group. After only five minutes or so, the remaining members of our expedition, including the organizer, show up. It was an unfortunate turn of events, but I was still able to get in 8.3 miles at a good pace today. I'm going to have to look more closely at some of these hikes in the future though and ensure they are ones that I want to do. Still, any day that I can get some trail miles in is a good day.
Taking another hike with one of the local meetup groups, we visited and hiked around Lake Chapman. As I Iearned from talking to others in the group, the lake is man-made, as are all lakes in the state of Georgia. It's accessible from Sandy Creek Park, which is a popular summer destination just outside of Athens, GA for picnics and swimming.
About thirty of us met at noon at the designated starting point within the park and quickly hit the trail. This group seems to go at a good pace, which I really appreciate. It's also filled with a number of really friendly people that I've started to get to know a bit since moving to Georgia several weeks ago.
The trail itself follows very closely to the lakes shoreline and while there is nothing overly remarkable about the trail itself, it's always nice to get out and put some miles in. One interesting thing we do encounter about midway are the crumbling stone remains of a home. I laugh as I mention the dwelling to one of the ladies I was talking to and learn that she was so caught up in conversation that she completely missed the structure, though we passed within two feet of it. Ah well, some come out here for scenery, while others come out to socialize. To each their own.
As we round the northern end of the lake, the trail crosses over Sandy Creek and the surrounding soft areas on a wooden bridge and boardwalk. It's probably for the best, as much rain as we've had lately, I suspect we would loose someone to the mud if we were on the surface over this section.
As we return to the parking lot, I see that our hike was right at 6.9 miles. I would have liked a little bit more today, especially with the easy nature of the trail, but this will have to do. For now, I'm joining a couple of my new friends to try a Dominican eatery in town and then heading over to one of Athen's more well-known breweries before heading home.
A monadnoke is a small mountain jutting abruptly out of the landscape and often made of granite. The greater Atlanta area has three such granite islands, Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain, and the site of today's ranger-guided hike, Panola Mountain. While the other two were both quarried at points in the past and have a network of trails in and around them, Panola's granite is not of sufficient quality for construction use and so has remained mostly pristine. So much so, in fact, that the entire mountain and the area around it has been dedicated a preserve. Hike on the mountain itself is only allowed when accompanied by a park ranger. Learning of this, my curiosity was peaked and I registered for the tour.
I arrived at the park's nature center a few minutes before the scheduled start time. After checking in, I walked around the exhibits the museum had to offer, which includes a number of snakes in aquariums and a miniature model of the mountain and surrounding areas. As the start time approached, our guide collected the four of us tour and gave us a quick overview of what to expect, before we headed into the woods.
From her description, it sounds as though the woods surrounding Panola Mountain was once used as cotton fields and grazing lands for dairy cattle, but has, over the last century or so, been reclaimed by nature. Additionally, there are obvious signs that this area was home to moonshiners at various points in the past. Their stills and steel barrels are tangible reminders of the bootleg industry that ran rampant in the hills of Northern Georgia all the way to northern end of the Appalachians.
The trail bobs and weaves through the woods, heads past a man-made swimming pond, before we arrive at the foot of the mountain. From here, we make our way up the side of the mountain that would seem more appropriately placed in the Sierra Nevada than outside of Atlanta, but it is a beautiful site regardless. The ranger warns us to watch our step on the slick rocks. We've had significant rainfall the last couple of days and she further mentions that it is an ideal time to visit, as the mosses and lichens that cover the granite will be at their most colorful. She takes the time to warn us about stepping on the cryptobiotic surface, which is music to my ears as a Leave No Trace trainer.
The hikes is incredibly easy, even the inclines, but the views are quite stunning. From here we are able to see both Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain in the distance as well as getting a great look at Atlanta's skyline from a distance. The granite itself shows signs of age by the mucky pools carved out by the lichens and now inhabited by a myriad of lower levels of plant life. In time, these small ecosystems will grow into larger wooded areas, but it's quite interesting to see it in these early stages of development.
Returning a slightly different route than the way we came, we end up back at the nature center and we all thank the ranger and her assistance for their time and discussion. It really was a great experience and while the hike was only about 3.6 miles, it was well worth the visit.
Slightly further away, my third stop for the afternoon is DeSoto Falls, which is within the Chattahoochee National Forest. GPS leads me to a wonderful view of the falls from the highway and half-a-mile away with no obvious parking or route down the mountain. After turning around, I quickly find the trailhead and depart for my final waterfall of the day.
After walking through the campground, and crossing Frogtown Creek, the trail splits. To the right and 3/4 of a mile distant is the upper falls and to the left and only a 1/4 mile away, the lower falls. I intend to hike to both while I'm here, but I'll do the upper falls first. The trail is well maintained, but has some incline to it. After a short distance, I climb a wooden staircase to an observation deck overlooking the three tiers of Upper DeSoto Falls. While not quite as amazing as the previous two waterfalls I've visited today, this one is still pretty impressive.
I turn and head back the way I came and then at the fork, continue on to the lower waterfall. This part of the trail is short, but steep as it winds its way up the hillside to finally reveal a much smaller waterfall pouring over an ancient stone slab. Neither of these waterfalls on the on the creek proper, but simply empty in the creek below.
I think I'm done for the day. I return to the jeep after having put in an additional 2.3 miles on this trail. What a wonderful way to kickstart the new year.
Ignoring TLC's advice today, I'm chasing waterfalls. Just a few miles from Anna Ruby Falls is another one of Georgia's most impressive water shows. In my previous post, I commented about the sort of uniqueness of a set of waterfalls at the confluence of two creeks. However, Dukes Creek Falls is the exact same situation. Strange to be contradicted so immediately. The waterfall on Dukes Creek drops about 50 feet into the same pool as the water flowing from Davis Creek, though drop the later drops nearly 150 feet over several cascades. When I planned on hiking to some waterfalls today, I wasn't really expecting this grandeur, but I'm thankful for it. This is a gorgeous setting.
I make my way back up the wooden observation decks, stairs, and three switchbacks in the trail, having hiked just at 2.5 miles total on this second stop. I can only hope that my next stop will be as outstanding.
I always like starting the new year off with a hike. It seems to set the proper tone for the next twelve months. Today, I'm going to explore some of northern Georgia's best waterfalls, starting with Anna Ruby Falls, which is about 75 miles north of my new home and near the quaint little village of Helen, GA. I know this is a very popular area and so, I get an early start and arrive at the site a little before 9:00 AM. To get to Anna Ruby Falls, which has been protected as a National Forest Service Recreation Area, one must pass through Unicoi State Park, which is also quite popular. Luckily, I have both a State Park Pass as well as the National Park Service's America the Beautiful Pass, which save me from paying any additional fees.
The trail itself is paved all the way to the falls and follows the clear waters of Smith Creek as it tumbles down the mountain of a series of small rapids and falls. Anna Ruby Falls itself is quite an impressive site and somewhat unique in my experience. It actually consists of two waterfalls at the confluence of Smith and York Creeks. The Smith Creek Falls is two tiered and drops a total of about 154 feet, while the York Creek Falls is a single waterfall. The two combined waterfalls makes for an awe-inspiring vision as if water is rushing out of the entire mountainside. It's quite a beautiful site. After walking back to my jeep, I check my distance and find that I hiked about 1.2 miles, though I think of it as more of a stroll since it was on pavement.
