Sweetwater Creek - Fall Colors (Douglas County, Georgia)

While I had originally planned to hike a section of the Benton-MacKaye Trail in northern Georgia today, a bleak weather forecast encouraged me to not drive two hours only to get rained out. Instead, I decided to join the Meetup's normal Sunday hike. Today, they're hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park, which is one of my favorite of the state manage facilities. This being the first of November, the fall colors should be on full display.

After dealing with my normal chores, I left the house just a little later than intended and arrived at the parking area with only a couple of minutes to spare before the group departed. We first followed the red trail towards the old Manchester Ruins, which is always a welcomed addition to any hike there. The water is quite low in the broad creek, allowing numerous large rocky sections to rise out of the water. I wouldn't want to paddle this section of the creek right now and I would even wager that one could find a rock-hopping path to cross the creek somewhere along here, though I'll leave that for someone else.

We spend a few minutes overlooking the ruins and creek and then continue on the white trail, the longest in the park. It follows alongside the creek for a long ways and requires some rock scrambling in many places. While I do enjoy this type of hike, it does make our progress slower than normal and will probably affect our final distance. I don't mind though. The contrast of the dark rocks protruding from the shallow waters of the creek against the bright yellows and oranges of the fall plumage is fantastic.

Reaching some signage about a mile in, we realize a section of the elevated boardwalk is damaged and are forced to bushwhack into the woods a bit. Some of this is pretty steep, but I'm loving it. I've been working out pretty hard for the past few weeks including running a few days a week along the hills of my neighborhood. I'm enjoying this.

A short time later, we rejoin the main trail and follow it through a wooded section of the park once again. We hike a section that I'm unsure of being on before, but it's a great hike. It does drizzle on just a little bit, but nothing significant. When we reach an open section, we stop for a quick snack before continuing back into the woods for more bushwhacking. All along the way, we share some great conversations.

Finally, reaching the main trail to the parking area, we say our goodbyes and people head their separate ways. I always enjoy hiking with these folks. We only hiked about 5.6 miles today, but it was a very enjoyable afternoon and I'm glad I was able at least get some exercise in.

Ocmulgee Mounds Day Hike (Bibb County, Georgia)

Today, I've decided to drive a couple of hours south towards Macon, GA to join the Georgia Conservancy and the staff of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) for a day hike and interpretive tour of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Site. While I've visited the site before, the chance to tour it with a member a of the Muskogee Creek Nation, who's ancestors built the great earthen works seemed just to great an opportunity to pass up.

Meeting with the group just outside the visitor's center, we did some introductions and were soon joined by Tracie Revis, CEO of ONPPI and a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation. We were treated to a tour of the museum, housed within the visitors center, as Tracie shared her vast knowledge and perspective on the history of the site and of her ancestors. She spoke from a place of authority and didn't hold back on painting what she believes to be an accurate picture of the atrocities of the past, but also sharing marvelous examples of the greatness of her nation's accomplishments both before and after their removal from these ancestral lands. It was an enlightening experience.

After the tour, her colleague, Matt Chalfa, continued leading the tour around the park facilities and sharing information about the geography, topography, and ecology of the region and how all of that relates to the capital city that once surrounded these great mounds. During the hike, we climbed up the Great Temple Mound, the largest on the site. Atop the mound and with a dramatic view of the landscape in all directions, we had lunch and chatted. 

Once everyone had finished their snack, we headed back down the steps of the mound and walked into the woods along some well maintained trails. While these trails normally pass through wetlands, a recent dry spell and a lack of release by the upstream dam has caused these marshes alongside the Ocmulgee River to dry out to a large degree. It's still a very nice hike though and we discuss many features of the land around us both past and present. 

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We only hiked about 2.2 miles, but it was well worth it for the perspective on this ancient city. I'm thankful for the opportunity. Now, the long drive home.

Yellow River (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

I was originally planning to hike elsewhere today, but after the long drive home from Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina yesterday, I decided to join my friends in the meetup for a quick hike at the nearby Yellow River Park. This is not one of my favorites, but it is close to home and will allow me to get some decent mileage in today.

After meeting up with the group at the parking area, we do our traditional round of introductions and then head into the woods. These trails are really meant for mountain bikers, but my friend that owns this Meetup, really enjoys those kinds of trails. As we make our way down a steep embankment (which bikers probably love jumping over), a first-timer that I had been talking with trips and skins her hand up pretty badly. We pull out a first aid kit and get her wound cleaned up and dressed. She seems tough and thanks us for the help.

A bit later in the day, I hear a distress whistle in the distance. With my Wilderness First Responder training, I always take this kind of thing seriously and since I'm in really good shape right now, I sprint in the direction of the whistle. When I arrive, I find that some of my other friends on the outing had fallen behind just a little due to another hiker falling. No harm no foul and we quickly get the whole group back together. 

I stated earlier that this is not a great area for hiking, but I do really enjoy the company of friends as we make our way through the woods. I even made a couple of new friends today as we walked 8.5 miles through the woods. Back at the parking area now though, it's time to call it a day. I've had a pretty good weekend on the trail and now it's time to head home.

Tory's Den and Falls (Stokes County, North Carolina)

My final detour before heading back home takes me to a two part hike to see Tory's Den and Falls. That said though, my lack of paying attention to the sign actually turns this into a three part hike, but luckily of very little distance. When I pulled into the parking area, I noticed the trail departing the left side and saw mention of Tory's Falls on it, but failed to notice an arrow pointing to the other side of the parking area. Luckily, I though better of my route based on what I was seeing after only about a quarter-mile and turned back, quickly seeing my error. 

The real trail to leads from the right side of the parking lot down a little hill and then out onto an exposed cliff with a dribble of a waterfall on the far side of the narrow canyon. When I get there, I step onto the rocks only to find a couple of ladies enjoying a picnic. We chat for a couple of minutes, while I try to find a good spot for a picture, but never really get a great one, as there is very little water flowing. 

Cutting back the way I came, I follow the other side of a fork I passed on the way in, which leads me down and around to Tory's Den, which is a small cave in the natural rock formations here. Apparently, a group of about 100 British sympathizers (Tories) took refuge in this cave in 1778 after they had raided the house of a Whig (colonists) Colonel. There were captured a short time later by that same Colonel. I really can't imagine 100 people in this cave though. While it does have a wide mouth, there isn't much to it beyond that that would bring comfort to anywhere near that many people.

With the extra mileage at the beginning, I managed to get in almost exactly 1 mile a this site. While the waterfall was a disappointment, the collision of history and nature at the cave made it well worth the stop. 

Lower Cascade Falls (Stokes County, North Carolina)

After completing the Reach the Peaks Challenge here at Hanging Rock State Park, I'm still ready for more and since I've never actually been to this area before, I wanted to take full advantage. To that end, I have another couple of short hikes to do before departing. The first is to Lower Cascade Falls, which I'm told is the premier waterfall in the park. It's only a short 0.8 miles round trip, but when I reach the canyon cut by the waterfall, I'm glad I chose this one.

At the head of the canyon, a small creek flows in from a near 90° angle before pouring over the stepped rocks and forming a cascading waterfall of probably about forty feet. From there, the canyon opens up into a wide pool, which is probably great for swimming in the summer, though today is a little cool for it. The water then flows down and out of the canyon. It's a really easy hike, but the view of this waterfall is magnificent and worth anyone's time that might happen to be in the area.

Hanging Rock - Reach the Peaks Challenge (Stokes County, North Carolina)

A little over a year ago, a friend mentioned that she had traveled to North Carolina near the Virginia border to take part in a hiking event with another friend of hers. The event was called the Reach the Peaks challenge and it took place at Hanging Rock State Park. While the event is advertised as a grueling 11+ mile hike with several summits involved, she said it really wasn't that challenging at all. It peaked my interest though and when registration became available for this year's event, I decided to check it out for myself. 

I drove up to Charlotte last night after work and spend the night at a hotel and then finished the drive first thing this morning under a misty forecast and hoping it would clear up before I reached the park. As luck would have it, the precipitation came to an end just a few minutes before I arrived at the check-in area. All hikers were supposed to be on the trail by 9:15 and having pulled into the parking lot about 5 minutes before 9:00, I knew I had to get sorted pretty quickly. After collecting my backpack and a few odds and ends, I walked over to the picnic area and after providing my name, was given a race bib (much like those given for racers). I pinned it to my the leg of my shorts, as I often do with race bibs and after finding and using a restroom, started the trail. 

The first section of the trail is wide and well maintained and the passing storm clouds certainly gave sort of an ominous feeling to the whole day, as if a storm was about to hit at any moment, though it never did. It seems a lot of hikers started at the last minute just like I did, but given my naturally fast pace, I passed many of them on my way to the first of five summits I would be climbing to today. 

Hanging Rock, for which the park is named, is a stony outcropping atop a 2,000 foot peak. To reach it, the trail heads northwest before cutting back a sharp switchback almost 180° and the finally reaching the top. When I arrive, I find a lot of hikers admiring the views, which are magnificent in just about every direction. I climb out onto the outcroppings just a bit to snap a few pictures, but wanting to keep my strong pace, I only stay a few minutes before heading back down and making my way to the next peak.

To reach Wolf Rock, the trail drops back down the way we came before heading up a slow incline toward the top of a long ridge, on which the next three peaks are positioned. The uphill feels really good and I'm feeling super strong. Though, I haven't been doing a lot of hiking in the last couple of weeks, I have been running and working out very regularly. I feel good today. Very good. The so called Wolf Den is just another outcropping of bare rocks atop this spiny ridge, but it again offers some nice views.

A mile or so beyond, I reach the third peak, House Rock. Similar to the previous two, this one is an exposed outcropping offering great views to the south and north. All along the way, the trail has been really well marked. Since we have to backtrack some sections, I'm impressed with how well the marker arrows are hidden on the backside of trees and other objects, to ensure they can be clearly seen by traffic of the intended direction, but not so easily by hikers going the other way. It was obviously very well thought out. 

The fourth peak and last one along this ridge is Cook's Wall, which I seem to have all to myself. I've passed a large number of hikers along the way and while I'm sure, there are several people further along the route than I am, none of them are here and I have this summit all to myself for the brief time I will be here. In addition to the somewhat gloomy skies overhead, a cool, autumn breeze adds some character to this whole experience. This is the kind of weather I really enjoy hiking in - cool and windy. Cook's Wall itself is as described, a tall outcrop, which doesn't allow for much of a view without doing some climbing. I settle for what I can get without too much scrambling.

From this fourth peak, the trail backpacks a couple of miles and drops back down toward the starting area and Hanging Rock Park Lake before starting what is by far the steepest climb of the day towards Moore's Knob. Dropping down into the low section before starting the big climb, we have to do a rock hop over a little stream and as I do, I see and hear a tall rotten tree fall just a short distance from the trail. These winds are pretty strong now. The uphill section of trail, while again well maintained, is full of unnecessary steps. Some are made of railroad ties, while others are carved into the stone (or more likely just placed to act as steps). While this is steep, it's not steep enough along most of this ascent to warrant these steps. I would much rather just have a smooth incline going up. Steps are so hard on the knees. As I pass several hikers, we all lament about this same thing, which seems to be a common complaint. 

Finally reaching the top of Moore's Knob, I stop for a minute to take in the views from the outcropping and then climb up the fire watch tower for an even better view in all directions. In the bottom of the tower is an abandoned living space, which was likely used by the lookout at some point in the past. Several people are at the top enjoying the view and we greet each other as we look around. 

Heading back now along the last section, I pass another few folks as I quickly make my way down the steps (avoid them whenever possible). I pass an older gentleman and one point that I must have seen somewhere on the trail earlier. I guess because I'm now so far ahead of him (he's just starting to make the climb, while I'm almost at the finish line), he thinks I took some kind of shortcut. I assure him that I've followed the marked trail and will have the complete distance when I finish.

When I reach the parking area, I ask one of the organizers if I need to do anything else. He simply finds my name and checks me off the list. He asks it took me to hike the 11.6 miles and I tell him it was almost exactly four hours. He seems a little surprised, but congratulates me on completing the event. I do agree with my friend who told me about this event that it really isn't all that challenging for a seasoned hiker, but I'm really glad I did it. The views and the experience were well worth the drive. Though, I do now have a five-ish hour drive to get home. Time to hit the road.

Stone Moutain - Autumnal Equinox (DeKalb County, Georgia)

Though the actual autumnal equinox is not until Tuesday, I decided to schedule an event to watch the sunset from the top of Stone Mountain two days early. I have plans Tuesday and figured a day or two wouldn't make that much difference (it's actually 3 minutes to be exact). Though I had already lead a hike on the Sutalee Trace Trail today, my legs are feeling great and a walk up the steep summit trail should be a nice workout. 

Meeting up with the participants near the restrooms, I'm a little disappointed to see there will only be three of us. A storm system is supposed to start moving through very soon and I suspect this scared a lot of people off. Either way, it will be a nice hike for us. Though I've hiked with both gentlemen before, we do a quick round of introductions and then begin climbing up the steep monadnock towards the summit. Along the way, I point out some of the intricate carvings made in the granite in decades past. Some of these date back to just after the Civil War. I always love the history. 

As we near the summit, I see that the storm is going to be a thing and warn the others that if we see any lightning in the distance that I'll be heading down. Being on top of a treeless granite dome during a lightning storm is a very stupid idea. They agree. With that said, we find a spot on the summit to watch the descending sun to the west and the approaching dark clouds from the north. We even spot a rainbow in those dark clouds. 

The sunset is quite beautiful as it passes behind the skyscrapers of downtown Atlanta. Unfortunately, we begin to feel some raindrops just five minutes or so before the actual sunset. I don't mind getting wet, but there are sections of this granite that get incredibly slick and dangerous when wet. The others suggest and I agree that we should head back. We quickly make our way down the mountain, though the rain never does more than a few drops. Still, better safe than sorry. Total distance of this evening hike was only about 2.1 miles, but the elevation change of Stone Mountain always makes it a nice workout.