East Palisades to the Bamboo Forest (Fulton County, Georgia)

I haven't been able to hike as much these past couple of weeks just due to family obligations, but this morning, I'm going to get a chance to put in a few miles. I decided to revisit the East Palisades section of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It's a great section of the river and has a couple of especially interesting points, specifically the bamboo forest. More on that later. 

It's a brisk morning as I leave the car, but in true hiker fashion, I proceed with the "be bold, start cold" motto and leave my coat in the car. The trail crosses a bridge over Long Island Creek and then almost immediately splits. I take the left branch and will be returning on the other side at the end of this hike. Almost immediately, I'm hiking alongside the Chattahoochee River. The rock-laden shoals provide places to stand for a number of Canadian Geese, who are out sunning themselves. The trail network here is well-marked and nearly every junction has a map placard.

Before too long, I decide to head inland and one of the junctions. I'm hoping that being further from the water and forcing myself to tackle some of the hills will warm me up a bit. It works and now only about twenty minutes into the hike, I'm thankful for my decision to hike with only a fleece over my torso. The puffy jacket I left in the car would have been far too much.

Reaching the summit of the hill, the trail follows the ridge for a while and then starts back down towards an observation deck, high above the river. There are a few teenagers here, but they politely move aside when I ask if might get in for a picture. From here, one can see the river far below and some high-rise buildings in the distance and on the opposite side of the river. After all, we're basically in Atlanta-proper.

Continuing on, I hit the northern end of the loop and then continue north toward the bamboo forest. I'll be returning to this point on the way back. This section takes me right beside the river once again and another hiker has decided to rock hop the across the shoals to get out into the middle of the shallow river. Must be cold out there. In the summer, I might consider doing the same, but for now, I'm more interested in the bamboo forest.

Another three-quarters of a mile, and I see the first bamboo stalks rising up for the shore. Most of these rise forty or more feet towards the blue skies and have a diameter of 6-10 inches. Truly monster bamboo. They are packed in densely and this 'forest' continues north for a maybe a hundred yards. I take some time to walk around and take a few pictures. I especially like shooting straight up and allowing the leafy stalks to converge towards the center of the picture. 

As I start my walk back, I hear the sound of bamboos talks 'clanking' against each other. Some of the stalks are mostly hollow and it makes for disconcerting creaking and knocking sounds. Leaving the forest area, I see a few others entering. This is a popular novelty for hikers to visit. Soon, I'm back at the junction and headed back towards the car. This eastern part of the loop stays much lower than the western side I hiked in on. It also follows the small trickle of a creek and requires me to traverse some steep sections covered in tree roots.

Crossing another couple of bridges, I get back to the car and check my distance. I was able to hike about 4.2 miles this morning. Given that I have other plans this afternoon, I think this was a pretty ideal situation and it's always great to visit this little section of wilderness in the city. I would say this is probably one of my favorite hikes close to the city.

Cochran Mill (Fulton County, Georgia)

 

I haven't done a lot of the Hiking League Meetup's Sunday hikes this year, but when I saw that my friend posted one for Cochran Mill, it seemed like a great chance to reconnect with friends and revisit one of my favorite areas in the region. Cochran Mill was actually one of the first hikes I did with this group when I moved to Atlanta just over five years ago. With all of the water features It was a nice change from all of the desert hiking I had done over the previous two-or-so decades. It quickly became a favorite and I haven't returned in a couple of years. I'll fix that today.

I arrived at the parking area a few minutes before the scheduled start and began rounding up hikers. We used the kiosk to pay the $5 parking fee and soon thereafter, the organizer arrived with a carload of friends. We embraced and spend the next little bit catching up on our respective adventures. Always great to see these folks.

With the standard round of introductions, we hit the trails. First we crossed the road and the foot bridge over Bear Creek to give everyone a chance to take pictures of Cochran Mill Falls and the remains of the mill that once stood here. Now, all that's left are a couple of portions of stone walls. It's actually a very picturesque spot.

Once everyone got their shots, we dropped down to walk north beside the creek, stopping periodically to take in the marvelous scenery. All the while, I was chatting with friends, both new and old, about various adventures from our respective pasts. Time seemed to slow down as we meandered through the autumn woods, though we were moving at a good pace. The leaves have nearly all fallen off the trees by this time of year and we're offered great views of the creek and surrounding hillsides. 

Stopping by another small waterfall that in the past we have actually jumped across, we take a short break for lunch. I enjoy some jerky and cashews, while others eat whatever they brought with them. Quickly, we're moving again and end up doubling back on a section as the organizer changes his mind slightly on the route he wants to take. No matter.

Soon, we're back near the cars and while some hikers choose to road walk back to the parking area, I and several others make a second pass by Cochran Mill Falls before returning. All in all, we hiked about 8.3 miles and it was pretty glorious. After the hike, many of us met up at a nearby Mexican restaurant and enjoyed some dinner and/or drinks. It's always great to reconnect with these good folks.