Rocktown Trail (Walker County, Georgia)

 

My final stop within the Pigeon Mountain Wilderness Management Area this morning takes me to Rocktown, an extremely popular bouldering area on the plateau of the mountain. A rough gravel roads leads to a medium-sized parking area, with only a couple of other cars at the moment. It's still early and fairly cold, but I'm sure things will get busier here as the sun rises further overhead and warms the ground below.

The trail leads off from the right side of the parking area and at first seems like any other trail in this part of the world, but soon, I begin to encounter the first of the massive sandstone boulders that give this area it's name and make it so popular for climbers. Side trails lead off to large areas of building-sized boulders and outcroppings. Many of these would be amazing for bouldering. A few would also make reasonable shelters with their large overhangs.

I follow the trail for a while, but quickly get distracted by the number and topographical diversity of the rock field. Soon, I'm scrambling over one rock face and then the next looking for more and more amazing formations. This is all sandstone, but unlike the brownish-red surfaces I'm used to in the southwest. This is more the color of granite. Perhaps age has something to do with that, as I'm sure these formations are much older than those of southern Utah. Strange erosion behavior carve strange cross-mesh patterns into the stone faces. It looks somewhat otherworldly, but really interesting.

As I make my way back to the trail, I find myself once again getting pulled off trail by the incredible formations. One is of particular note. Between large stone ridges, a large formation rises from the center. It's much larger on top than on the bottom, somewhat resembling a funnel of sorts. I would call it a balanced rock, but unlike many formations that take on that name, this one doesn't really have a separation between the 'rock' and the 'support'. It looks like a single structure that defies gravity. Very interesting and unique. 

The final part of the trail, which I find my way back to eventually, enters an area of stone corridors and rooms. This could almost be the interior of a building or plaza, and is likely the source of the name Rocktown. It's appropriate. I think I'm actually on the summit of Pigeon Mountain here, but it's difficult to tell as the mountaintop is a large plateau and with these giant boulders making up the landscape, it's difficult to know where the highest point is. Either way, it's a great spot.

On my way back to my jeep, I begin to wonder about some of those rock overhangs. I've seen many structures like this in other places of the world that are home to spectacular pictographs. The overhangs themselves provide protection to the rock art underneath. Though this is a very humid environment, it's possible the ancient Creek or Cherokee decorated these surfaces with their artwork. I detour to a couple of the more prominent overhangs on the return trip and scan the protected surfaces for any sign of pigments. Some have modern graffiti, but obviously, I'm looking for something older and deeper. As I note a couple of red spots, which could simply be mineral-based, I decide to pull out my trusty Dstretch app on my phone and scan with some filters. The various color filters do make the blotches pop, but I'm not able to see any definitive sign of the colors being applied by the hand of ancient men. Ah well, I'm certainly not an expert, but it would have been pretty amazing to find some obvious pictographs here. 

After having hiked and scrambled about 3.1 miles on this little adventure, I return to my jeep. On the way out, I encountered no less than thirty or so individuals with bouldering pads attached to their backs and making their way into the rock maze. The parking lot re-enforces this, as there isn't a spot to be found now, where many existed when I first arrived. As for me, it's time to make my way to Cloudland Canyon and begin my next adventure for the day.

Lost Wall at Dickson Creek Falls (Walker County, Georgia)

Just a short distance up the mountain from Pettyjohn Cave, I arrive at my next stop, The Lost Wall at Dickson Creek Falls. This is a popular rock climbing destination, though less so than many of the other sandstone surfaces in the region. Another short hike sees me at the base of the wall, over which, Dickson Creek plummets a good 60-80 feet in a spectacular waterfall.

The area behind the waterfall is carved out and I consider exploring back there, but as I will be camping out tonight in frigid temperatures I think better of it, preferring not to risk getting wet in this situation. I content myself by simply finding a good perch from which to take some nice pictures of the lonely waterfall. I suppose climbers work on the areas around the water or perhaps this fall dries up outside of the rainy season, which we are currently in. Either way, I'm glad to be here when it's flowing so well. 

Pettyjohn Cave (Walker County, Georgia)

I'm out exploring again today, while on my way to short overnight backpacking trip in Cloudland Canyon. My first stop is to the entrance to Pettyjohn Cave, which is within the boundaries of the Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The cave is said to be a popular destination for spelunkers and is generally rated easy to moderate experience. I don't have the appropriate gear with me and so, I won't be entering the cave, but only visiting the entrance.

After parking my jeep on this cold morning, I follow a well-worn trail just a few meters into the woods to a natural collection of boulders. At the center of this group, is a deep hole. Someone has spray-painted an "X" on one of the vertical surfaces to mark the spot. This would seem to be the entrance. I gaze down into the hole, but can only see a meter or two into the darkness. I suspect one simply ties off and lowers down through this entrance to the horizontal surfaces below. While I won't be doing that today, I wouldn't mind checking this out at some point in the future when I'm not alone and have proper gear along with me. For now, I'll end my exploration of the cave right here and move on to my next stop.

Arabia Mountain Starlight Hike (DeKalb County, Georgia)

 

For my final adventure this weekend and to add even more miles to my total, I'm joining REI for a starlight hike to the top of granite monadnock known as Arabia Mountain. I've inquired with the park rangers in the past about leading the meetup here for a similar evening hike, but the park closes at dusk and they were unwilling to give me special permission. REI has a long relationship with the park and is allowed some special privileges such as this. That's okay though, I'll take advantage. 

My main reason for wanting to hike up here at night is to confirm my suspicion that it will be one of, if not the best, place to stargaze near the city of Atlanta. The mountains of north Georgia are certainly an option, but there is a bit of a drive involved there, whereas Arabia Mountain is just a few minutes outside the perimeter.

Meeting up with our guide just before dark, we do a quick health screening (pandemic protocols) and some introductions before making our way down the long boardwalk to the base of the mountain. Arabia Mountain is not very mountain-like in general and only requires hiking up a shallow incline to reach the summit. It is, however, almost complete bare granite with only the occasional plant-life popping up around puddles. After reaching the top, we spend about thirty minutes taking in the night sky. Even though it was cloudy earlier today, the skies are crystal clear tonight and we are afforded a magnificent view of the heavens. Okay, having lived in Nevada for many years, I use the term "magnificent" generously here. These skies cannot compare to those above the vast barren spaces out west. Compared to what I have seen since moving to Georgia though, this is a great view.

We point out a few constellations (Ursa Major and Minor, Orion, etc.) and even catch a view of the International Space Station as it whizzes by overhead. It's not as cold up here as I thought it would be and it makes for a really nice overall experience. 

After a while, we begin to head back down the mountain, admiring the small frogs singing their song from the puddles and plant-life I mentioned earlier. Returning the way we can, we get in right at 3.5 miles total on this little stroll. While it was very easy, it was nice to experience this area at night and see the stars once again.

Bowmans Island to Laurel Ridge at Buford Dam (Forsyth and Gwinnett Counties)

 

Miles, miles, and more miles - that's what I need right now. With a couple of big backpacking trips coming up in the coming months, I'm doing everything I can to get in shape for them. That means lots and lots of running and hiking. I got a good hike in yesterday and I ran a virtual 5k this morning, but that's not enough. To add to the tally, I decided to hike with the meetup again today on a trip the organizer referred to as the Really Secret Trail at Lanier Lake. With all of the rain we had last night though, our plans were forced to change a bit and we ended up hiking a combination of the Bowmans Island and Laurel Ridge Trails, crossing over the Buford Dam, which holds back the large man-made lake from the lower Chattahoochee River to link them. I've hiked both of these trails before, but never connecting them this way. It should be fun.

Our large group met at the Lower Overlook within the Bowmans Island Unit of CRNRA. While there was some confusion on the actual parking lot to meet at we got it sorted out for the most part and after our customary quick round of introductions, we were off on our muddy adventure.

The sustained rains overnight have turned the trails here into a muddy, slippery mess. We persevere though and manage to make our way all the way to the southern end of the unit. Here, we divert slightly to walk around a fish hatchery, which is quite interesting. The large long tanks contain thousands of trout separated in sections by their relative age. As I understand it, the fish here are used to stock area lake and streams for fisherman. Walking around the back, we find a large mucky pond, complete with a large group of black vultures hanging around.

From here, we head back the way we came doing our best to not slip on the mud, but that proves to be near impossible and a couple of people slip and fall. Luckily, nothing is hurt beyond their respective pride. Returning to the parking area, some hikers decide to leave, but as many of us are wanting to get more mileage in, we had across the dam and up the steep staircase to arrive at the Laurel Ridge Trail. This trail offers some nice views of Lake Lanier. 

Here we knock out another three or four miles before deciding to turn back. When we re-arrive at the parking area, several members suggesting hitting a nearby brewery for some food and fun. I'm encouraged to go and while it really is tempting, I've got other plans this evening and I need to depart. I was able to get in almost exactly 10 miles on this hike, bringing me to a fairly respectable number for the weekend, but I'm not quite done yet.

Mud Creek Falls (Rabun County, Georgia)

On my way home from Rabun Bald, I decided to make a very quick detour to check out a waterfall one of the other hikers told me about. Even though there are some snowflakes falling, I understand that there isn't really any hiking to this waterfall and that it can be approached directly from the parking area. As I drive through Sky Valley, Georgia, I get turned around a couple of times, but eventually see the sign for Mud Creek Falls. The road twists around the mountain as I make my way steeply downhill, but in almost no time at all, I'm at the parking lot with the 100+ waterfall looming directly above me. This is a really nice one - on the same level as Amicalola and Anna Ruby Falls in my opinion. I had never heard of this one, but the majestic water-wheel formed about half-way up as the waters rush into a spoon-like formation and shoot upwards before again falling to the next tier of the waterfall makes me think of some of the falls along the Tuolomne River in my beloved Yosemite. It's just a quick stop, but well worth it. Now, I just need to get home before the weather really kicks into high gear.

Rabun Bald via Bartram Trail (Rabun County, Georgia)

I don't really consider myself a peak-bagger, but I do like climbing mountains. At 4,696', Rabun Bald is the second highest peak in Georgia, and until today one I have not yet climbed. Located in north-eastern Georgia, just south of the border with North Carolina, it seemed like a good trip to lead the Meetup group on. As we've had some cold weather lately, I warned those who signed up to join me to bring traction devices of some sort in case we encountered ice at the top. We'll see if they listen.

Arriving at the Hayes Ridge Trailhead along the Bartram Trail, I find an adequate place to park my jeep and begin scouting the area for the start of our trail as well as to identify other parking spots for those joining me. I always try to arrive a little early when I'm leading a hike, and today is no exception. Over the next several minutes, eight others who has registered for today's outing join me and I direct them to the various parking spots I found. At the designated start time, we gather in a wide circle and do a quick round of introductions. I remind the group of the description I gave on the event posting and re-emphasize the pace expectation. Everyone nods in agreement. And with that, we are off.

More weather is suppose to be moving in late this afternoon and I'm hopeful that we can reach the summit and return prior to the storm hitting. As we start the trip, we pass a little drip waterfall, which has a few icicles hanging from it. As we're about half-a-mile in, it seems like a good time to delayer while the group takes pictures. After a couple of minutes, I check that everyone is ready before pushing on. My goal is to hold us to about a 2.5 mph pace on this trip. 

The first two-thirds of the trail are relatively flat, meaning that the last third is going to be pretty steep. I warn the group of that as we push forward. After a few switchbacks, we start seeing the elevation gain kick in, though it never gets as bad as the elevation profile would lead one to believe. This is also where we start encountering the ice that I warned the group about. Natural spring run-off has flowed over the trail and created sheets of thick ice around two of the switchback turns. The ice covers the entire trail and spans for about twenty yards in both places. We pause for a minute, while I and a couple of ladies that followed my advice put on our Yaktrax or Microspikes. Meanwhile, those that didn't bring any traction devices do their best to skirt the trail and bushwhack past the icy sections - a dangerous proposition. 

Thankfully, everyone gets past the ice without incident, though the Yaktrax make it much, much easier. From here, it's only a short distance to the top. As we make the final turn, we pass a sign indicating that Warwoman Dell is another 15 miles to the south. I only mention this because I led another hike from Warwoman Dell north to the top of Pinnacle Knob a few weeks ago. The Bartram Trail is a long National Recreation trail and spans the distance between the two, as well as continuing much further in both directions. It might be a backpacking option at some point in the future.

High atop the mountain, a large observation deck has been built to offer visitors a spectacular view above the trees. We climb the steep set of steps leading to the top and the group gasps in awe of the breathtaking 360° were are privileged enough to see before us. The cold air up here may also have something to do with taking everyone's breath away. We spend a few minutes enjoying the view, before I mention that I'm heading back down the stairs to enjoy a quick snack out of the wind. Everyone follows me and we each pull out a bar or other snack to get some calories into our bodies.

After ten or so minutes at the top, I give a five minute warning and everyone begins to pack up and prepare for our decent back down the mountain. It doesn't take very long before we are on the trail once again, though going down is always much faster. We have similar struggles with the ice, but again make it without any falls. A couple of us hang back to remove our traction devices, causing the group to split in two separated by just a couple of minutes. Interestingly, both groups make the same wrong turn, but quickly correct our course. It only took us a few dozen feet in the wrong direction, but was caused by our actual trail climbing a small, but steep ridge that none of us remembered. No matter, we're again heading in the right direction.

As we near the end of the trail, we start seeing the occasional snowflake falling from the skies. We arrive back at our cars just in time to beat the snow. Everyone thanks me for leading the hike and comments how much they enjoyed it. I wait to ensure everyone is able to get their car out of their chosen spot before heading out myself. Looking at my tracking app, I see that we've hiked about 8.8 miles today. Not bad and the views definitely made it worthwhile.