Blood Mountain Sunset and Moonrise Hike via Byron Reese Trail (Union County, Georgia)

 

There are essentially four trailheads available to reach the summit of Blood Mountain, which is the tallest point along the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail. I've hiked from three of those four to the summit since moving to this region two years ago. When I saw that one of the local hiking groups had posted an event to hike from the fourth, the Byron Reese Trail, I just had to take advantage of the opportunity. To make it even more interesting, the event was scheduled on an evening where the moon would rise in the east mere moments after the sun had set in the west, and both would be visible along with some vibrant colors from the summit of the mountain.

I wanted to get an early start and so I left work a bit early and arrived at the trail head just before 4:30 PM, with the hike scheduled to start at 5:00 PM. Over the next few minutes, others started to arrive and with a quick "Are you here with AOC?" (AOC stands for Atlanta Outdoor Club), we easily identified each other. The event organizer and his wife arrived ten minutes or so before the scheduled start time. At the appointed time, we did a quick circle up and round of introductions, before quickly hitting the trail. We are on something of a timer as we want to ensure we reach the summit with plenty of time to spare before the sunset.

The skies are a clear blue with just the occasional wisp of cloud and the mountain foliage has just started to turn to it's fall palate. Color will definitely be the theme of tonight's hike. This trail is considerably shorter than the others that I have used to reach the summit. That said, it makes up for the shorter distance by having a steep incline and a very rocky path to the top. We will gain approximately 1,440 feet over a distance of only about 2.2 miles as we make our way to the top. Not the steepest trail I've ever hiked, but it should still be a good workout.

The group maintains a really good pace on the way up and manages to stick pretty closely together. Even as we navigate our way up stone steps and through a couple of rocky pinch points, we keep moving up the mountain. The trail uses as set of switchbacks to make the elevation gain a bit more manageable and eventually, we reach the stone shelter on the summit, often used by through hikers as an overnight lodge.

From there, we climb up to the top of the rocky outcropping that offers a spectacular view of the setting sun. The southern peaks of the Appalachians are laid out before us and with the sleepy sun preparing for it's nightly rest, a haze over the green and orange mountaintops adds some ambiance to the rolling hills before us. Everyone takes a few pictures and enjoys whatever snack or dinner they brought with them. After just a few minutes, the sun has retreated behind the horizon and a rich red lingers in the distant clouds. With each passing minute, it becomes a deeper shade of red. While I've been told that Blood Mountain was so named because of battles fought between the Cherokee and other neighboring tribes in the distant past, I can't help but wonder if it also might have been inspired by this rich color scheme I am now witness to.

Climbing back down the rock outcropping, hiking back past the shelter, and stopping on another flat rocky section just a couple of hundred feet back the way we came, we can now see the bright orange full moon rising over the mountains to the east. It appears gigantic as it makes its first appearance of the night and over the next few minutes resumes it's normal yellowish-white color, but as it has just awoken, that bright orange takes a little bit of time to fade.

Though it is now night time technically, the full moon offers some degree of light as we begin our trip back down the mountain. Everyone has brought headlamps or other light sources along and we are able to return to the parking lot without issue. I do notice a few black newts or salamanders as we make our way down the steep trail, and warn those walking behind me to be careful not to step on the little nocturnal guys. 

Finally returning to the cars at the trailhead, we thank the organizer and wish each other safe journeys home. My tracking app shows that this hike was only about 4.7 miles total, but the marvelous colors made it all worth while.