Cloudland Canyon - Backcountry Trail Overnight (Dade County, Georgia)

I camped in Cloudland Canyon on the West Room Loop last spring and really enjoyed the area. Since moving to Georgia, I've only been backpacking once and that was a quick night trek to Blood Mountain. When I saw that REI was offering a quick backpacking trip in Cloudland Canyon, it seemed like a good opportunity to revisit one of my favorite Georgia state parks as well as pick up some tips and tricks for backpacking in this part of the world. I've done a lot of backpacking out west in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Utah, but there are always specific things to be aware of in each different ecosystem. As I want to do many more trips in this region, it seemed to make sense to learn all that I can from those that have lived and adventured here for a long time.

After arriving at the park from my earlier adventures on Pigeon Mountain, I meet up with the crew. This will be a slightly unusual trip in that there will be three REI Guides and only two participants, myself and another person. It seems there were several last minute cancellations and two of the three guides are in training.

We spend a few minutes describing our background, experience, and what we are looking to get out of the trip, before getting into gear. While I have all of my own gear, I figured this was a good chance to test out some new items without having to purchase them. Of my personal gear, I only brought my sleeping pad, folding chair, and a couple of solar lanterns. I'll rely on the provided gear for my other essentials.

This class is intended as an introduction to backpacking and while my co-participant has no experience, I'm on the other end of the spectrum and only looking for tips and tricks to enhance my own skills. We spend time talking about how to fit and pack our backpacks, how to plan for the cold night we have ahead of us, and the basic agenda before hitting the trail.

We begin by following the overlook trail, which offers some fantastic views of the canyon below us and a spectacular seasonal waterfall coming off of the west rim. Far below, we can hear the rapids of Bear Creek. After entering the woods, we break off onto the Bear Creek Trail, which leads us to a small pond. Nothing noteworthy, but we stop here to rest for a couple of minutes. 

At another fork, we turn left to head east on the Backcountry Trail, which is a small loop and where we will find our campsite. Our guides, have already picked one out and shuttled up some supplies. The trail itself is a bit muddy and slick in a few areas, but nothing too treacherous. 

As we reach our campsite, I note the pit toilet, picnic table, and the cart and firewood that have already been brought up. I comment about this not exactly being backcountry camping, to which the group agrees and laughs. After we rest for a few minutes and just chat around the picnic table, we begin to set up our tents. The one I chose is a common cross-pole half dome tent and sets up very similarly to one of my own tents. I have it up in a few minutes and then begin setting up my sleep system, which will include a sleeping bag liner tonight. This is a new item that I have never used before, but figured I would give it a try, as it is likely to dip down into the low twenties overnight.

Returning to the center of our camp, we start to get a fire going. One of the guides-in-training, gets everything set up to start a campfire with a flint and after some effort, we see flames. For the next little while, we feed the fire until we have something big enough to keep us all warm. We then begin preparing dinner, which consists mostly of dehydrated meals and snacks. I chose Backpacker Pantry's Kathmandu Curry. After adding boiling water and letting it set for a few minutes, it's actually pretty tasty, even more so with the Sriracha that another guide offered me.

With the sun now down, it's getting cold pretty quickly and I return to my tent to put on my thermal underwear before returning to the warmth of the fire. It's always cold for the short time you are undressed, but it's worth it in the long run. After a while of chatting and sharing stories around the campfire, we all decide to turn in. It's going to be a cold night and we had might as well get it started.

I end up sleeping pretty well, though my feet do get a little cold through the night. The sleeping bag liner does make things slightly warmer, but it is a bit of a pain being in a second bag. I'm not sure I would use one of these again. As the sun rises, it gets lighter and lighter outside as seen from the walls of my tent, but I know it's very cold outside of this sleeping bag and I'm reluctant to leave it until I finally start hearing others making their way out. Finally, I bite the bullet and decide to leave the warmth and comfort for the bitter cold that awaits me outside.

Everyone seems to have slept pretty well, but is anxious to get some water boiling and the coffee going - tea for myself. We make quick work of breakfast and leisurely begin to break down camp. We're not in any particular hurry. Once we've packed up, we do a once-over around camp to ensure we didn't leave anything behind or litter on the ground. Then, it's time to head out, returning on the other half of the Backcountry Loop Trail that we came in on. 

It's a short hike back to our cars and we spend a few minutes doing a debrief and separating gear. We hiked a total of almost exactly 5 miles over the two day excursion. Not really the miles I had hoped to get in, but it was still a fun adventure. Our guides were terrific and I expect I may meet them again at some biking and kayaking adventures I have scheduled in the near future. As for me, I'm going to add a few more miles in before leaving the park.