Blankets Creek Full Moon Hike (Cherokee County, Georgia)

The opportunity for a night hike under the full moon is always tempting, especially when it's traversing trails that are new to me. One of the local hiking groups offered just such a hike along Blankets Creek, which feeds into Allatoona Creek. After meeting the group around 8:00 PM in the parking lot, we do a quick round of introductions, an overview of the plan, and then we hit the trail running . . . or almost running. This park is very popular among mountain bikers and the trails are maintained by one of the local mountain biking clubs. As such, we were warned to be on the lookout for night riders.

I always love a brisk hike and tonight, it looks like we're going to be doing just that. As I note on my GPS tracking app, we are hiking around 4.5 mph over the first couple of miles, which is fantastic. As the sun drops below the horizon and the darkness of night settles in, we do encounter a few mountain bikers, but only a handful. Turning on our headlamps, we see eyes in the trees around us glowing in the distance just before a pair of young deer run off.

The trails here are designed for mountain bike thrills, with lots of steep inclines and descents, and areas that I refer to as a "bike flume", for they are designed to allow the bikes quick downhills with exciting turns and twists. The ample amount of roots and cut off tree trunks in the trail must also add a bit of danger to these trails at high speed. Perhaps that is reason number 16,247 that I'm not a fan of mountain biking.

After recrossing Blankets Creek, which we only had fleeting views of in the darkness, we head back towards the parking lot and say our goodbyes. I think some of the group intend to tailgate a bit and I would love to join them, but it's well past my bedtime and with a decent drive back home, I need to hit the road. We covered 6.1 miles at a very brisk pace and it felt great to be out here in the night.

Congaree Boardwalk (Congaree National Park, South Carolina)

 After spending the last four days in and around Charleston, South Carolina, I now have a long drive home back to Atlanta to look forward to, but that doesn't mean I can't stop to stretch my legs a bit. Congaree National Park, which I learned of recently, seemed to offer a good midway point to do just that.

I finding parking in the large parking lot and head out on the boardwalk trail. I've been adventuring for the past several days and I'm not looking for anything more than just a little stretch and this 'trail' seemed the perfect fit. It was built to protect the swamp areas of this national park and the old growth forest, made up largely of cypress trees, some of which are more than 500 years old.

My legs have been cramped in the jeep for the last couple of hours and they seem to just want to move now. I'm still just walking, but I'm moving along the elevated boardwalk at a really fast walk pace, passing many slower individuals and excusing myself as I do so. I'm not trying to set any records here, but my legs seem to have a mind of their own. Perhaps, it was all that time being cramped in the cockpit of a kayak over the last few days.

The park itself is very much what I've come to expect of South Carolina, black water swamp, though the trees here are notably larger than most of the ones I've seen in other swamps over the last few days. My understanding is that the purpose of the park is to protect this ancient giants. 

As I continue on at my breakneck pace, I stop at a small creek cross where the boardwalk meanders over, to take a picture of a venomous water moccasin sunning himself on a log below. The diamond shaped head is a dead give away.

After just a short time more, I find myself back at the visitors center having hiked 2.4 miles in what seemed like thirty minutes or so. It was a nice very abbreviated visit to this park. Perhaps, I'll return when I finally have another kayak to explore the included waterways.

Coastal Carolina Sea Kayaking (Charleston and Berkeley County, South Carolina)

It's been over six months since I've taken any real vacation time. Originally, I was supposed to be backpacking the Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu around this time, but travel restrictions related to the pandemic forced the cancellation of that trip. In it's place, I opted to spend four days with REI Adventures kayaking and camping along the Carolina Coast. As the trip approached, the guide service, Coastal Expeditions, was fantastic about communication and during the last week when some severe thunderstorms and high winds were looking imminent during the third they re-organized the itinerary to ensure everyone's safety. Instead of spending the entire time along the coast, we would also be spending some time kayaking through the black water swamps of the lowlands near the coast. It was a little disappointing, but I truly appreciate the guide's consideration of everyone's safety.

Day 1 - Echaw Creek to Santee River

I drove down Wednesday night after work and slept at a hotel near our meeting point. When I awoke Thursday morning, I had to quickly get ready and drive just a couple of miles to Coastal Expeditions office, where I met our guides and the other participants. It seems one group cancelled last minute and there will only be our three guides and six participants on the trip. We spend a little bit filling out waivers and sorting our gear, but after just a short time, we hope into the company's van and we're transported to our first launch point at Pitch Landing on Echaw Creek.

After unloading our kayaks, two tandems for the two groups among us, two singles for myself and the other solo adventurer, and finally the solo boats for our three guides, we spend a little time fitting them and our life jackets and then covering some basic paddling techniques. It seems everyone here has at least a little experience, which should make this a much more enjoyable trip.

Soon, we're propelled into the water with a firm push from our guides and we drift slowly into the black abyss of these swampy lowlands. The water surface here is nearly black, but when you take a handful of it from the creek and examine it, the water appears to be nearly clear. Our guides explain that the bottom is littered with decaying organic matter and due to the slow flow of the water and the preservative properties of much of the vegetation, tannins leach out of the organic matter over long periods of time and stain the water, much like a tea. So that's it, we're paddling in tea.

It sounds like most of our day will be spent in the Francis Marion National Forest exploring the wildlife and waterways here. The creek is moving, but so slowly, it's difficult to tell. The waters and shorelines around us are teeming with life. Caterpillars are everyone and I even find one on my back at some point. Many of the tree limbs hang low over the water and many previously fallen trees and branches rise up from the shallow waters to create an obstacle course for us to maneuver through. It's actually quite fun, but the swampy nature and dark waters also make one a bit trepidatious about being here in the land of alligators and water moccasins, both of which we are keenly on the lookout for. The entire setting is very surreal and it's seems something almost out of a horror movie.

At one point, we stop at a structure owned by a friend of the guide service's owner for a quick restroom break and stretch. It's really nothing more than a shack out in the swamp, but it's nice to get out of the boat for a few minutes. From the shoreline, we do end up spotting a couple of very young gators and a snack, which we aren't able to identify positively due to its position on a floating log.

After returning to the creek, we paddle a short distance further before reaching the confluence with the Santee River, where the currant really picks up. Within no time, we reach our campsite for the evening at Pleasant Hill Landing, which is a nice clearing along the shoreline, though still deep in the forest. I check our traveled distance and it seems we paddled about 5.1 miles this first day.

One of our guides had driven the van around and has been busy setting up our camp, including a fire ring complete with chairs and a kitchen for the full dinner preparation. We spend a short time putting up our tents before regrouping near the fire. The guides have put out some nice appetizers for us, including various cheeses, hummus, vegetables, and crackers, while they work on the main course. Everything is quite tasty and it's nice to relax around the fire. 

As dusk begins to settle, we are served a terrific jambalaya (vegetarian version for me) and we all enjoy some interesting fireside chat. It seems our guides are well versed not only in kayaking, but also in herpetology and ornithology. We spend a fair amount of time discussing the inhabitants of the forest, including the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. It seems that several of the trees here have been marked with a double white band around them, indicating a nest or possible nest of one of these small rare woodpeckers. Our guides enjoy identifying the birds around us by site and even by song. It will be a theme of our long weekend.

Once everyone has finished their meal, we had down towards the water to enjoy a spectacular sunset over the Santee. While we take in the final warming rays of daylight, our guides bring out a tray with sliced strawberries and a selection of gourmet chocolates, including mint, maraschino cherry, and sea salt. Everything is delicious. 

With the darkness, temperatures begin to drop and everyone decides to turn in for the night, though we will be awakened several times, through the night by the loud calls of barred owls in the trees above us. As I lay in my tent under the warmth of my backpacking quilt, I reflect back on what a great first day this has been.

Day 2 - Bull Island and Boneyard Beach

Our first day on this trip was fantastic, but the second will turn out even better. It begins with a chilly wake up call around 6:00 AM. Temperatures never dropped below freezing over night, but they dipped pretty close to it and leaving the comfort of my tent just doesn't seem appealing at first. Finally, I brave the cold and begin breaking down camp. In the meantime, our guides have prepared coffee and tea for us, while they cook some scrambled eggs and sausage (again, vegetarian for me). The warmth of a hot cup of tea was just enough to get me going and breakfast is terrific. In just a very short time, we have finished eating, packed up our camp, are on our way to our next launch point.

After arriving at Garris Public Boat Landing, we put our boats back in the water and are soon navigating the salt-water estuaries of the coast. Today's itinerary is only  slightly adjust due to the incoming storms, which are expected tomorrow afternoon. Originally, we would have camped on a small island south of here and paddled up along the coast to Bull Island, but with our revised plan, we'll just paddle out through the maze of interconnecting salt-water creeks. Luckily, our guides know the way very well and lead us through the salt marshes.

Once again, the entire ecosystem is vibrant with life. The shorelines are covered with oyster beds and birds hover around feeding on them whenever they have a chance. Shortly after leaving the ramp, I spot the dorsal fin of a shark as it battles with something near the shoreline. The guides think it was a very young lemon shark, but we didn't get a very good look before the little guy disappeared under the waves. Luckily, it was a young one. After getting home I looked it up and full grown lemon sharks can reach around eleven feet in length. 

I ask one of the guides to critique my paddling technique, as I feel that I'm working too hard and not getting very much velocity out of the boat. He observes, but says my form is pretty solid and suggests that it may be just some of the currents we are pushing through. Later, I will realize that I actually have my personal flotation device on a bit too tight and it's not allowing me exercise my full lung capacity. For now though, I just push through as we make our way to Bull Island, the largest in the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. As we approach the dock, we meet another of our guides how has brought a large boat over to pick up and transport our kayaks. As we climb up onto the dock and raise our boats from the water, she points out a bottle nosed dolphin on the nearby creek shoreline. The cunning guy is driving fish towards the shore in order to trap them for his next meal. Ingenious creatures. Total kayak distance was right at 4.5 miles, but it felt like much longer battling the ocean currants.

From here, we make our way a short distance to a beautiful picnic area where our guides some delicious wraps and other snacks they prepared for our lunch. It's quite delicious and a good energy boost before the next item on today's itinerary. It seems from here, we are going to hike around the northern end of the island and through Boneyard Beach. 

The interior itself is much like I remember Cumberland Island being from a trip a couple of years ago. Again, teeming with life. The mix of salt water and trapped fresh water ponds/swamps makes for a very diverse ecosystem here, which includes alligators. Lots and lots of alligators. As we make our way along the trail, we spot a dozen or so small (2-3 feet long) gators on either side of us. The guides tell us of "Mama", who often nests here. Apparently, she is a small (only about 7 feet long), but relatively ancient brooding mother of nearly seventy years old. She prefers hatching her young in these small ponds for their safety, but often patrols nearby keeping watch on our young. We never get the honor of seeing here though. 

After a mile or so, we reach the beach with only the mighty Atlantic Ocean now separating us from the European and African coastlines. The sands are alive as wave after wave comes crashing in. As we walk, we find countless cannonball jellyfish washed ashore. It's amazing they aren't extinct with as many as are here. We also see a myriad of sea birds feeding on whatever the waters bring to them. 

As we make our way up the shoreline towards Boneyard Beach, which is an obvious site, a flock of twenty or so pelicans flies just overhead. I didn't realize they flew in a "V" formation much like Canadian geese, but apparently they do. 

Reaching the southern end of Boneyard Beach, our guides begin explaining what we are seeing. Before us and stretching for as far as we can currently see, a large number of large, decaying trees rise out of the sand. Some are still standing, while others have fallen over taking some of their root system with them. As we learn, Bull Island is moving. The ocean currants are taking sand from the northern end of the island and depositing it on the southern and on the islands south of here. These dead and dying trees are the result of the disappearing fresh water and the soils that come with it. They cannot survive in the salty ocean water and as their preferred habitat disappears, so do they. In time, they will all be washed away, much as the ones further north were washed away in eons past. It's all quite striking though. The trunks are bleached bone white, giving the beach its name, and make for an otherworldly landscape.

From here, we turn back inland and hike along man-made levees designed to preserve the fresh water pools as long as possible to protect the wildlife inhabiting them, including alligators. Lots and lots of BIG alligators. As we travel the mile or two across these levees, we see more than 50 of these guys, most of whom are eight or more feet long. Most of them are sunning themselves on the shore, but some are out patrolling the shallow waters for their next meal. As we near the end of the levee, we see the boss. While he's across the water from us (thankfully), we estimate this guy is probably twelve to thirteen feet long - big enough to make lunch of one of us. We keep our distance and he barely seems to acknowledge our presence, preferring instead to bath in the warm rays.

Now that we've reached the extreme norther end of the island, we continue down the beach again, passing by a buried ship. As we approach, I see the mast rising up and lopsided, which obviously doesn't look right. Our guide explains that it beached itself many years ago and since then has been completely covered with sand except for the visible mast a few other rails now sticking out from the sands. Apparently, the boat was abandoned at sea for some reason.

Being a much faster hiker than most of my comrades, I make my way quickly down the beach taking time to enjoy the company of a ghost crab along the way. One of my fellow participants had kept pace with me and gets into a show of aggression with the little crab as he tries to take a picture. As he moves left, the crab moves left to block him and then to the right similarly. He raises his little claws almost in a Cornholio gesture of "Are you threatening me?". It's quite a funny little dance.

Finally after hiking 5.8 miles around the northern end of the island, we find our third guide manning a large boat just off shore and informing us that she's unable to pull in completely due to the currant and that we'll need to wade out to the boat and jump on, which I'm happy to do. Once we're all aboard, we start making our way back to the boat dock, but not before we are noticed by a large pod of bottle nosed dolphins. We cut engines and engage with them for a few minutes as they play around the boat. One of my greatest hopes for the trip was to see wild dolphins, which would be a first for me. That wish was granted and I'm in awe of these sleek and friendly creatures as they dark in and around us. I take so many pictures, but of course only a few come out with any true content. After about ten minutes hanging out here with our intelligent friends, we finally get back to the dock.

We load up the boats and head towards tonight's campsite at Still Landing on Wambaw Creek, which is similar to last night's site, but a little more primitive. Once we arrive, we set up our tents while the guides prepare dinner. Tonight's menu includes similar appetizers and a low country boil for the main course. I've had this before and it includes potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage, the later two of which are easy for me to pick around to maintain my vegetarian diet. The lead guide brings out a bottle of Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon for us to enjoy and tells us there are more bottles if we make our way through that one. Being a wine lover on a guided camping/kayaking trip, how can I say no to that kind of hospitality. I have a few glasses with and after dinner. To cap the night off, the guides bring out all of the necessary ingredients for making campfire smores over our small campfire as we get into a group discussion about the best method for roasting marshmallows - slow and low OR let 'em burn. I'm not sure we ever reach a consensus, but we all enjoy the classic snack before turning in for the night.

Day 3 - Wambaw Creek and Hampton Plantation

Temperatures overnight were absolutely perfect for camping and I slept terrific. I'm sure the four or five glass of wine that I had last night helped a bit as well. I do note as I roll around to get comfortable in the early morning hours that I got some sunburn on my nose, forearms, and the backs of my lower legs.

I rise a bit earlier this morning and immediately begin breaking down camp and packing for today's adventure. As I walk the short distance from my campsite to the common area, I see that our guides are already hard at work getting some breakfast ready for us. I enjoy a cup of Earl Gray along with my eggs and some of the vegetarian sausages. While it takes most of the others a bit longer to break camp, we're all set to go by around 8:30 AM. Today, is an exercise in timing as we know the heavy storms are on there way and due to hit us around 2:00 PM. 

After final packing, we put the kayaks in Wambaw Creek and begin paddling through another black water swamp, though this one is more open than Echaw Creek. I failed to start my GPS track on the way down and only remembered when we started on our way back and so the distance should be doubled. As I paddle, I also feel a rumbling in my belly. I'm not sure if it was the wine or the breakfast sausage, but something isn't feeling quite right. As we return to the Still Landing, I ask the guides if it would be too much of a hassle if I skipped the second half of today's paddle and simple rode in the van to the next pickup point. The guides are most accommodating and I was still able to get in approximately 3 miles of paddling this morning.

So, as the others head the opposite direction up the creek, the remaining guide and myself finishing packing the van and then head for the pickup point at the Wambaw Creek Boat Ramp. Along the way, we encounter a charismatic corn snake in the middle of the road and get out for a better view. While corn snakes are not venomous, I don't want to agitate the little guy, though my companion has less concern about this and as he has some expertise in herpetology, I don't voice my concerns too loudly. He gets some great shots, but the our little slithery friend is quite angry and strikes at him and his phone several times. Eventually, with the help of a small branch, we coax the little guy off of the road and are able to continue on our path to meet the rest of the group.

While we wait, we note several interesting creatures around the bridge and boat ramp, including fiddler crabs raising their claws from the muddy banks and a broad headed skink hanging part way out of a hole in a tree trunk. 

Soon our companions arrive in their boats and we begin loading them up. For lunch, our plan is to stop at the nearby Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, assuming the rains hold off a bit longer. It's only a short drive to the site and once we walk to the main plantation house, the large awning and porch provide a safe and dry place for a quick meal - wraps again, but still delicious. The main house was expanded upon several times over the years, but provides a solid example of architecture during the period of slavery in the United States.

Just in front of the porch, rises a gigantic live oak, known as the Washington Tree. History Tells us that President George Washington while traveling through the south in 1791 visited this plantation and the owners at that time asked his opinion on removing a forty-or-so year old live oak just in front of the house. The President, in his wisdom, said the tree should be allowed to grow and thus saved it from being cut down. Since then, the now 270+ year old behemoth has been known as the Washington Tree. It's also worth noting that a bell has been hung in the tree and according to informational placards, this was use to summon the slaves to attention. A horrible reminder of the dark history of his area.

After lunch, we take a short stroll around the plantation grounds and nearing the van just in time, the rains finally begin. Originally, the plan was for us to camp tonight, but given the severity of the forecast storms, Coastal Expeditions has reserved rooms for us at a hotel in Mount Pleasant. While I love being outside and camping, a nice hot shower is never a bad thing. Arriving at the hotel well before dinner, which our guides arrange to have delivered to us, I decide to take a trip to a local brewery to taste their selections and I'm not disappointed. Getting back to the hotel a little before the expected food delivery, I kick back and relax on the comfortable bed. Soon with a knock on the door, my dinner has arrived, Greek this time. Yummy. Through the night the storm rages, but when I wake the skies seem mostly calm.

Day 4 - Quimby Creek, Cooper River, and Huger Creek

While today is the final one of our adventure, it doesn't mean it's going to be any less exciting. I get up early to repack all of my gear before leaving the hotel. When I arrive back at Coastal Expedition's office, they have prepared bagels, cream cheese, hard boiled eggs, and fruit for our breakfast. Very thoughtful! 

We quickly hop in the van and depart for the Ralph Hamer Sr. Boat Landing on Quimby Creek. This area is still something of a black water swamp, but even more wide open with very few obstacles and a wide waterway to paddle in. Our guides explain that his is what happens in this ecosystem once the Cypress trees have been taken down. This was done for purposes of growing rice, formerly South Carolina's cash crop. 

As we paddle down the river, I'm feeling great today and bust out in front of the group on several occasions. Our lead guide finds a small inlet she wants to take us up. Apparently, several of these were cut in the local creeks and rivers to allow primitive barges access to the rice fields for loading the harvest. It's interesting and somewhat exciting to paddle these extremely narrow little paths of water, with the flora quickly growing out of control to reclaim the route. We do see a couple of small alligators in and among the plant-life, one of them extremely close to our boats, but as soon as we approach, he takes off for safer grounds.

Returning to the main creek, it soon joins the Cooper River and we paddle further exploring a couple of more small inlets as we go. Our guides seem to almost make a game of identifying the avian species in, around, and above us. One of note, is a osprey and it's next high above the river in a tall tree.

Soon, we reach another confluence and head up Huger Creek, which will be the last of our waterways to be paddled. After a 6.5 mile kayak trip on these waterways, we come to the our final resting place and I paddle hard to accelerate and force my boat far up the ramp. After we load up, we head back to the office to pick up our cars and head out on our respective journeys home. I give our guides a little token of my appreciation for the wonderful weekend I've just experienced, tell them and my fellow participants goodbye, and then hop in my jeep and start the long drive home. What a great weekend. I feel exhausted, but refreshed and recharged. It was a great adventure.

Sope Creek and Cochran Shoals from Columns (Cobb County, Georgia)

Knowing that parking would bed atrocious for today's Meetup at the designated starting point, I chose to get in a few hikes before the start time and even arrive at the trailhead more than an hour early. I have every intention of getting in some pretty good miles today and as the Columns unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has access to a myriad of trail systems, I figured I would get in a few more miles before the rest of the group arrived.

To start, I head down the wide trail leading towards Cochran Shoals. This is really a parallel trail, with one part just next to the river and the other a short distance further inland. I hike south on the inland section and return on the river side, after having made my way all the way to the other trailhead, a total distance of about 3.6 miles. 

By the time I arrive back at the original trailhead, several members of the Meetup group, including the organizer, have started arriving. After our customary quick round of introductions, we head back down the way I had hike earlier. Today's trail was listed as Sope Creek, which is in the opposite direction and the reason I added the trails that I did, but it's really no matter. Taking a side trail once we near the southern end, we enter a wooded area and after a quick loop, return to the river side trail I had hiked back on earlier. 

From here, we begin to head more inland and towards Sope Creek. The trails are well maintained, but far to busy for my taste. Between mountain bikes and trail runners, we are constantly stopping to allow someone to pass. It can't be helped and it's the right thing to do, but just one more reason that I tend to prefer more remote and more challenging trails.

Our large group makes our way through the woods and eventually explore some beautiful less-traveled trails, including one to a small family cemetery deep in the woods. The large tombstone marks the burial plot of infant who died around the turn of the twentieth century. Strange to find a place like this so deep back in the woods, but I imagine this place was once tamed and may have even been a homestead.

Moving on we encounter a couple of deer on the trail. Once they notice us, they sprint to a safe distance. As the trail enters a residential community, we walk beside some tennis courts, which seem to be very popular on this gorgeous spring day, and then make our way along the road for a short distance before heading back into the woods. We make a brief stop at Sibley Pool, which is a small pond in the woods, before making our way back to the parking area. 

It was a nice hike and I always enjoy being out with this group of people, but the trails themselves were far too busy for my taste, especially with all of the mountain bikes. Including, the miles I walked before the group arrived, I managed to get in a total of 13.6 miles during this hike, bringing today's total to around 16.6 miles. While my legs are a little tired, I feel pretty good overall. For now though, it's time to cap off our hike with some pizza and beer at a local brewery.

Powers Island (Fulton County, Georgia)

For my next stop this morning, I decided to visit one of the few remaining units of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area that I haven't yet been to, Powers Island. The trails here are somewhat limited, but might as well check it out and knock it off the list.

The parking lot is about half full when I arrive and there are a number of trail runners passing to and fro. After leaving the jeep, I first wander across a small bridge and out onto Powers Island itself, which is nothing more than a strip of land separated from the shore by a offshoot flow of the river. The island has a nice kayak launching spot, which I note and may take advantage of in the new future. I walk the length of the island before heading back. The trail is slightly overgrown in areas, but it's pretty nice overall.

After returning to the parking lot, I next head north on the trail along the river. This part of the trail seems to be more traveled, but it's still very nice. I encounter a few runners and other hikers exploring this short path. After reaching a junction, I continue north and find a small bamboo forest right at the river level. While these stalks are not quite as large and old as the ones at East Palisades a couple of miles south of my current location, it's still a nice find.

Heading back to the junction, I start a steep uphill section - very steep, which diverts from the river and wanders around a small valley. It's a quick climb and it does get me breathing hard, but after only a short distance I'm at the top and then making my way back down to the river level.

From there, it's a straight shot back to the jeep. While there is nothing overly fantastic about the trails here at Powers Island, they are less used than those of some of the other units and I managed to get in an additional 2.5 miles. Now to join the Meetup group and get in a few more.

Cascade Springs (Fulton County, Georgia)

 

Today is going to be one of those days where I get a lot of trail miles in. I hiked ten yesterday and I'm expecting to get another fifteen or more in today. To start, I'm heading to Cascade Springs, just a bit southeast of downtown Atlanta. I had recently read of the area and was curious to check it out. 

I arrive just after 8:00 AM and quickly hit the trails, which start out on a long rotting boardwalk, before entering the woods. I'm almost immediately arrive at the moss-covered spring house, from which visitors once presumably drew water. It has very Celtic feel to it, but unfortunately, the entire facility is strewn with liter. 

From here, I note a sign indicating the direction of the waterfall and I decide to head that way. The trail is easy enough, but again, there is a lot of liter here. People don't seem to take very good care of this would-be beautiful preserve. The waterfall itself is only a short distance away and is formed by some rocks over which a roadway has been constructed. Someone has set up some candles and fruit in a circular formation on a flat rock below the waterfall in some sort of ceremonial arrangement. I'm not exactly sure of the intention and no one is around to ask, but it's interesting to be sure. Here again though, several pieces of liter are scattered all around.

With some disappointment at the way the park is treated, I decide to move on to my next destination. I had hoped to hike a couple of miles here, but I'll settle for the short 0.6 that I got and head to someplace not so disrespected by visitors.

Smith Creek Trail to Anna Ruby Falls (White County, Georgia)

 

Shortly after moving to Georgia, now well over a year ago, I walked up the paved trail to visit Anna Ruby Falls, which is one of the more spectacular waterfalls in the state. At the time, I noticed, but didn't have enough time to explore another trail near the falls, the Smith Creek Trail. Since I've started leading hikes for one of the local meetups, this seemed like a great destination for our next adventure.

Arriving at Unicoi State Park a few minutes before the scheduled start time, I'm greeted by some of the folks joining me today and then take a quick walk down to the campground restroom. When I return, more of our participants have arrived. At the designated time, I begin a round of introductions and notice a couple of late-comers pulling in and doing something in their cars. As we wrap our round robin, I yell back to the remaining folks that we're taking off and they can catch up with us. It's never my intention to be a jerk, but I do try to keep the group on time and I feel the introductions allow enough of a grace period.

While there is a chance for rain later today, it's fantastic hiking weather right now and we hit the trails hard. It's my intention to hold us to an average 2.5 mph pace, but after a couple of miles, I find that we've been moving significantly faster than that and while most of the group is able to keep up, I decide to slow us down a bit. The trail is very nice, with a few mile elevation gains nothing crazy. There are also a couple of muddy sections, but again, nothing the group can't handle.

Arriving at a small creek crossing, a couple of the hikers ask if the small trickle of a waterfall above the crossing is Anna Ruby Falls. Apparently, they have never been here before. I explain that Anna Ruby is much more grandiose than what they are seeing now. About this time, the last of the late-comers finally catches up with us. He introduces himself and I thank him for joining us.

A short distance later, we begin to hear the rumble of water and I mention that the first timers are in for a treat. As we make the final approach to the twin waterfalls formed by Curtis Creek and York Creek, I can see the look of awe in their faces. The waterfalls plummet 153' and 50' respectively before merging at the base to form Smith Creek, which we have just hiked the length of from Unicoi Lake. It's a truly impressive site and I tell the group that we'll take a 15-minute break here to enjoy the waterfall and get a snack.

As we begin to wrap up, everyone congregates near the end of Smith Creek Trail and after a ready-check, we begin making our return trip. Again, we get a very solid pace going and return to the trailhead without incident. Our total distance was almost exactly 10 miles with nearly 1,800' feet of elevation gain and loss, which we managed to do in just over four hours. I love it when a plan comes together. We say our goodbyes and everyone heads home. It was a relatively easy hike, but a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

McDaniel Farm (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

Just a couple of miles from my home, sits the McDaniel Farm. A former cotton farm originally established in the 1820 land lottery and remaining active, but relatively unchanged all the way into the 1990's, the land and facilities were donated to Gwinnett County to be used as a park. With many miles of trails, this seemed like a great place to take my mother for an evening walk.

There are two entrances to the park and having explored the western side a few weeks ago, this evening we decided to visit the eastern side, where most of the original farm structures sit. The parking lot was very full, as this seems to be a popular destination for evening strolls and exercise. The grounds are kept very well the entire facility is quite beautiful. We walked along the paved trails in and around the farm house, tenant house, barn, and gardens. While the styles of the buildings are clearly dated, they all appear to be well maintained. Our total distance for the hike was less than a mile, but it was a nice way to spend some time with my mother and help her get some much needed exercise.

Little Mulberry Park - Ravine Trail (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

 

With daylight savings time in full effect, it's time I start trying to get in the occasional evening hike after I finish up with work for the day. Obviously, I'm somewhat limited in my choice of trails in that I'll be dealing with traffic in many cases, but there are plenty of parks and trails that are only a short drive from my home. For the first one, I thought I would revisit Little Mulberry Park, which I hiked a few miles in a month or so ago and really enjoyed. I actually posted this as a Meetup event with very short notice, but with no one showing up, I'm perfectly fine hiking the trails myself. 

I thought I would tackle the Ravine, Woodland Loop, and Beech Tree trails this evening. I had planned to take this hike at a slower pace and make it more friendly for beginners to the group, but since its just me tonight, I should be able to knock those miles out pretty quickly. The trail starts out paved, and as before, the entire park is extremely well maintained. As the large parking lot was nearly full and the trails are packed with people, this is obviously a popular after-work fitness location for a lot of locals.

After taking the turn for the Ravine Trail, I follow the pavement for some time before coming to the junction with the Woodland Loop. I mistakenly continue following the pavement into a local neighbor hood and completely miss the well-worn dirt trail leading deeper into the woods. After realizing my mistake, I turn back and take the correct path only to find the first of the many deer I will encounter on the remainder of my hike. The young lady is cautious, but doesn't seem overly concerned as I pass near where she is grazing on some tasty greenery.

As I finish out the Woodland Loop, the trails starts to parallel a small stream. The water is flowing gently over some low-lying limestone slabs and providing a nice trickle sounds effect to my leisurely stroll. It's quite relaxing. 

My hike continues through the woods and along the Beech Tree Trail, along which a number of medium-sized beech trees have had their trunks horribly scarred by careless people carving their initials into the bark. While this is a fairly common thing, the wounds to the protective covering can provide an opening for microbes to penetrate the trees flesh and cause major damage and even death.

Re-joining the pavement, I hike the remainder of the trail back to my jeep alongside a number of runners, hikers, and bikers. I was able to get in about 4.1 miles on this quick little hike, which is a nice way to cap off a day of work. It's great for relieving the stress of one's job. Hopefully, weather and work will cooperate to allow me to do this more often in the coming months.

Panthertown Valley - Schoolhouse Falls Loop (Jackson County, North Carolina)

Heavy rains cancelled my hiking plans yesterday, but with the storm front passing, I'm going not going to forgo today's trail miles. For a change, I'm hiking with a different Meetup group today, one that is known for doing more extreme hikes. Today, we're heading up to the Panthertown Valley area in western North Carolina. The event details listed a four hour time window to cover 13 miles and about 2,600' of elevation gain/loss. That's a pretty good pace, but I know this group hikes fast.

I woke up early at 4:30 AM this morning, even before my alarm clock went off, which I had set for 5:00 AM. It's a nearly two-and-a-half hour drive to the trailhead at Cold Mountain Gap and I wanted to ensure I had some padding in case of traffic. When I arrived, a group of backpackers were just disembarking on their trip. While I wait, I wander a few yards into the woods to water a thirsty bush and when I return, the a couple of the other members of today's little adventure have arrived. I have only met and hiked with one of the individuals on today's trip before, but as they all arrive, I immediately welcomed into the group. Since they don't know me, they explain that they were curious if I would show up. I explain that I lead hikes for a different meetup and that I'm very diligent about adjusting my sign-ups to reflect my attendance.

After a very quick round of introductions, we enter the wet woods of North Carolina. Today's trip visits several waterfalls as we make a large loop in and around the north-eastern section of the valley. My rough estimate of our pace assumed that we would be hiking over good trail on relatively flat sections, but almost immediately, I recognize that is not the case for today's little adventure. With yesterday's rains, much of the trail is a muddy mess and some of the waterfall visits on our agenda require traversing "unofficial trails". A few weeks ago when I lead a hike up the Arkaquah Trail, we had to deal with a muddy section where the trail had washed out. It was quite challenging. I'd estimate that probably thirty percent of our hike today is traversing very similar conditions. It's going to be quite a challenge.

The first waterfall we reach is a two-side split cascade. We maneuver ourselves out onto some rocks for a better view. Most of the crew decide to walk through the rushing creek waters to climb up the side of the waterfall, but as I'm not quite ready to get my feet wet, I decide to just hang back. I know I'm going to have to do some knee-deep crossings today, but I just don't feel the need to get my socks and shoes soaked so early in the hike when it isn't necessary yet. 

We make our way back up the muddy steep bank and partway back the we came. The entire time, we're avoiding soup-pots of mud and debris and dodging hanging limbs and thorn bushes. I manage to crack my skull on several low hanging branches along the way. The footing is so precarious that in my effort to be attentive to where I'm stepping, I end up totally missing some branch in front of me. Luckily, I don't hit any of them too hard, though after doing it a dozen or so times throughout the day, my head is a little tender to the touch.

Next, we make our way onto a limestone cliff overlooking the valley. It's an incredible view and we decide to stop here for a short lunch break. I mention that I don't see any way we are going to finish this hike in the roughly four-hour window that was planned, given the terrain and our need to move so slowly through much of it.. The group admits that the posted duration was a mistake and that it will likely take six to eight hours instead of the listed four. She does mention though that given the muddy conditions, she thinks the planned hike may be a bit more ambitions than originally planned and we discuss options while reviewing the map. After some discussion, we agree to cut the trail short a bit in order to finish closer to the planned time.

Our next stop is the popular Schoolhouse Falls, which is a common type waterfall rushing over a drop off and plummeting twenty-five feet or so into a large pool. The water here has a copper-color to it, which I assume is from mineral content. The water has carved out a small cave behind the actual falls and some members of our group decide to go explore behind it. Again though, I decide to hang back. 

From here, we cross the creek and begin making our way out of the lush vegetation. Unfortunately, some of the trails we planned to take out have been overgrown and we find ourselves bushwhacking a bit through thorny vines and up steep muddy embankments above the creek. One section in particular requires some rather precarious acrobatic work, but we manage to get past it without incident. 

As we hit a fork in the road, some of the members want to explore another short loop, but as the time is getting late and I hadn't planned on being gone quite so long, I opt to head back to the parking lot from here. A couple of the others join me. The group wishes me well and invites me to join them again. The hike back to my jeep is only about half-a-mile from here and once back, I say my goodbyes and remove my muddy shoes and socks, only to replace them with flip-flops. I was able to get in about 8.1 miles today, but it was some of the roughest hiking I've done since moving to Georgia. Panthertown Valley itself is quite beautiful and I suspect it will be a destination I revisit in the future.