Mammoth March Alabama - Oak Mountain (Shelby County, Alabama)

 

A couple of years ago, I learned of a annual hiking event held in multiple states called Mammoth March. The idea is to hike twenty miles in a single day. I've accomplished that feat many times over the years, but as I'm training for some big hikes later this year, I thought I would check out one of these events. 

Driving over the Birmingham, AL area last night after work, I spent the night at a hotel and got up early this morning to get to Oak Mountain State Park before my scheduled start time of 8:00 am. There are a lot of people here and I encounter several of them already on the trail, which crosses the entrance road, on my way in. I guess there were some very early start times. After finding parking, I headed to the check-in area. I was surprised at all of the hype around this. It is very similar to a big race, complete with the large inflatable starting arch. I was a little disappointed at having to wait in line to start the hike, but it's not that big of a deal. It did delay my start until about 8:20 am though. 

Once I was moving though, I was really moving. I maintained a pace of nearly 4 miles per hour for the first 8 miles of the hike. During this section, I passed countless hikers with a courteous "passing on your left". Everyone was encouraging each other, which was really nice. The mostly level trail itself was well maintained and followed the contours of Double Oak Lake for the first portion. At one point, I noticed a lady in front of my that I was quickly approaching raising her hands in the air. I asked if her fingers were swelling, which she said they were. I suggested that she should swing her arms more, which would help force the circulation. She said she would try that and thanked me for the tip. It reminded me just how much hiking I've done over the years and how much I've learned.

The next several miles had a slight elevation gain as we climbed towards the southeastern ridgeline. Along the way, we were treated to couple of aid stations fully stocked with snacks and water. I grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at one of them and quickly scarfed to down. Through this section, I continued to pass a number of other hikers and maintained a solid pace. 

Reaching the long ridge, we entered a yellow forest, which reminded me of the line from Robert Frost's most famous poem. The trail through this section parallels the ridge and offers the occasional lookout. I took advantage a couple of times and enjoyed the expansive view of the plains to the southeast. My pace slowed a bit through this section as I was getting a little tired, but I was still moving at nearly 3 miles per hour.

The long ridge came to an end at Peavine Falls, which I took a short detour to check out. Even climbing down some rocks though, only the very top of the waterfall was visible, which is kind of unfortunate. Just a short bit after the waterfall, I hit the last aid station and decided to rest for a few minutes. I ate another sandwich and banana, while drinking mandarin orange-flavored energy-hydration drink and chatting with several other participants. 

For the last stretch, I returned to my earlier pace and once again began pacing a lot of other participants. All of them were very nice and gracefully moved to the right to allow me to pass on the left. One lady had a black flag hanging from her backpack. It took me a minute to read what it said as it was flapping with her movement, but eventually, I made out the words "Live a great story!". That is such great advice and something I think about often and try my very best to embody every day. I'm really privileged to have been able to experience all that I have in my years on this planet. 

Nearing the finish line, I could hear a woman over the loud speaker congratulating hikers as they passed the mark. With a quick right turn, I joined them. I think the 19-mile marker was quite a ways off, because that last mile seemed very short and the one before it seemed extremely long. Either way though, the finisher's medal was placed around my neck and I crossed the finish line. My GPS track indicated that I had completed 20.7 miles in about 7:21 hours, which included roughly 30 minutes of break time along the way. I headed back to my car and put on some flip flops and a fresh shirt. Now I have a long drive home. While I'm glad I completed this event, it was a lot more hype than substance for me. The park itself is nice, but not unlike hundreds of other places I've visited in the past. To that those that completed their hike though, congratulations on a job well done.

Currahee Mountain Sunset (Stephens County, Georgia)

 It has been quite a day, but I'm not quite ready to call it quits. I was originally planning to get in about 18 miles on the trail today, but with my knee acting up, I had to change those plans a bit. I'm still shooting for about 15 total, but with much less elevation gain. For my final hike, I decided to join the Atlanta Outdoor Club for a sunset hike to the top of Currahee Mountain, made famous by the 'Band of Brothers' miniseries and the training mantra "three miles up, three miles down".

As I was in the area and had already stopped for some dinner, I got to the trailhead about thirty minutes early. I simply listened to music and relaxed while I waited. I've already hiked 9 or so miles today and my legs didn't complain about the rest. Soon though, the other hikers began arriving and after super-quick round of introductions we were on our way. I did mention to the organizer that I didn't remember there being an unobstructed wester vista from the top, which would make for a nice sunset. She hadn't even thought about that, but I'm mostly here for the miles anyway. The views to the east though are really good.

Though with a listed expected pace of about 3-miles per hour, we were pushing hard and doing nearly 4-miles per hour for the first part of the hike. The entire trail follows a gravel road, which is probably used by the caretakers of the radio towers that sit atop the mountain. Even though my legs were a little tired from the hikes I had completed earlier, I was mostly able to keep up with the group and only started falling a little behind when the steep uphill started near the summit. Without too much trouble though, we all reached the radio towers and began looking for a clear view of the descending sun. We didn't find much though. 

After a little exploration of the top, we started back down maintaining a similar pace. I was feeling good by now though. I and one other nice lady that I was chatting with opened a considerable lead on the others as nigh descended around us. I pulled out my headlamp, but didn't even use it. The half-moon overhead provided more than enough light for us to arrive safely back at our cars. I said my goodbyes and headed home for well-deserved night of sleep. After all, I hiked 5.6 miles on this trail, bringing my grand total to nearly 15 for the day.

Travelers Rest and the Tugaloo Stone (Stephens County, Georgia)

 

I'm out in northeastern Georgia today getting a few hikes in, but with a little bit of downtime before my last one, which is a sunset hike, I decided to visit the nearby Travelers Rest State Historic Site. The main house was built between 1816 and 1825, as one of four facilities to lodge weary stagecoach travelers as they made their way between South Carolina and Tennessee along the newly constructed Unicoi Turnpike. The house was later expanded upon and additionally used as a base of operations for the new owner's various business interests, including a large cotton plantation.

Entering the large house, I'm struck by its size, measuring some 90 feet long with several bedrooms, studies, and a full dining area. After some chatting, the caretaker starts a short ten-minute educational film for me, which covers much of the history. The facility is about 85% original and has only been restored to its original condition to maintain it. It must have been quite a wonderful experience after a long travel day to arrive at such a fine establishment for dinner and rest.

While the house itself and its history are worth learning about, the real draw for me was a petroglyph stone that was supposedly found in 1796 by works constructing a chimney for the owner of the house that previously stood here. They claim to have found it along the nearby Tugaloo River and brought it to the house, where it now rests under a small wooden canopy just outside the large Travelers Rest house.

The stone is a large and volcanic in nature, with deep petroglyphs carved on all visible faces, including the narrow top and sides. Unfortunately, the images have been eroded down to the point of almost disappearing, though I did use the G-stretch app in an attempt to enhance the carved images. As you can see here, the results are somewhat disappointing. The app works much better on pictographs than on petroglyphs.

There seems to be some controversy about the origin of the stone. The informational placard suggests that it may be related to a piece treaty between the Cherokee and the Yuchis, but the exact age and original creators are something of a mystery. I have read one article, which provides some convincing evidence of the stone being of Viking origin. This hypothesis is largely based on detailed studies of the drawings and require the stone to be flipped 180° to allow the images to strongly resemble Viking long boats. We may never know. Whatever the history, this was a great way to spend a little time between hikes.

Tallulah Gorge - Persistent Trillium Hike (Habersham County, Georgia)

 Tallulah Gorge State Park is just a few minutes north of the Panther Creek Falls Trailhead, and I had noticed they were doing another of their Persistent Trillium hikes today, the timing of which worked well with my previous hike. So, I decided to join the rangers for a guide hike to see some rare endemic flowers.

After meeting the group at the visitors center and having a discussion about the appropriate amount of water to bring on this short hike, we headed out. We first hit a couple of view points of the gorge itself overlooking Tempesta Falls, which is currently raging. Earlier today, water was released from the dam and the kayakers were having a marvelous time navigating the river. 

From there, we walked across the highway bridge and to the South Rim Trail. Along the way, the rangers (who are actually the Manager and Assistant Manager of the park) pointed out several plant species. They also mentioned that this area had been a touristy garden in Victorian times and that much of the imported flora remains in one form or another.

Soon though, we reach a side trail that they lead us onto and here we are able to see a few examples of the persistent trillium. This specific species of the small ground flower only grows with a five miles radius of the park. From what we learn from the rangers, it gets its name because the leaves remain throughout the year, while many of its cousins shed theirs. The small flower itself starts white, but soon turns to a lavender color before degrading. We're only able to see a few examples of the flower, but it's nice to experience. 

After seeing the flowers, we head back the way we came. Along the way, the Park Manager has to correct a couple of children dangerously climbing on hand rails. I appreciate the tact with which she does it, but that must be the worst part of the job. Returning to the visitors center, I see we've gotten in about 1.9 miles during this short hike. It's not much, but it adds to the days total, and I still have a couple of stops remaining.

Panther Creek Falls (Habersham County, Georgia)

 

Originally, I was planning on knocking out the northernmost section of the AT today, but my right knee has been giving me some issues and I didn't think 18 miles and nearly 6,000 feet of elevation change would be a good idea (at least the elevation part) and so, I started looking for other options. I noticed that a friend posted a hike to Panther Creek Falls on the Meetup for which we both often hike with. This seemed like a great option, with a combination of reasonable miles, low elevation changes, and a great payoff destination.

Arriving early, I was surprised to see the trailhead parking area gated off with a sign indicating storm damage. I'm not exactly sure how a storm damages a parking lot, but I was able to park alongside the road without issue. This popular trail has been closed by the Forest Service off and on over the past several years, as the bridges have been washed out time and time again. The trail itself is supposed to be open right now though. Anyway, the other hikers joined me a short time later and soon, we hit the trail.

The first section is a pretty standard Georgia hike, as our path takes alongside Panther Creek. It's already getting pretty warm though. Soon, we hit a rocky outcrop section that requires a little maneuvering, but nothing too terrible. I do worry though that some of the trail in this section is not going to last much longer and ten or twenty good storms from now will be washed down the hillside into the creek below.

Soon, we approach the first and widest of the expected water crossings. We are surprised to see a new, sturdy bridge constructed across the creek here. Though, it's been a couple of years since I've hiked here, others in our group have been here as recently as late last year and even they were not expecting this welcome new addition. This is a fairly large and elaborate bridge and it's obvious by the track marks and fashioned road that heavy equipment was brought in for its construction. We wait for everyone to catch up and then proceed across.

We end up following the road made by the heavy equipment for a bit and crossing a couple of other smaller new bridges, before noticing a trail leading off to the left with a plywood sign on the ground with 'water' painted onto it. From past experience, we're confident that this is the right path to the waterfall and begin to head that way. There are some stragglers though and we are concerned that they may not make the turn. To raise confidence, I grab a couple of sticks and fashion an arrow to lay on the ground. We also move the sign to a more visible spot and lay a small log across the road. Honestly, if they can't figure it out from everything we've done there, they probably shouldn't have left their house.

From here, the trail gets a bit more treacherous, with muddy climbs and washed out sections. Steel cables help in some areas, but in others they concrete poles they are attached to have been washed out of the ground. We manage to make it though without incident. From this part of the trail, it's always possible to take in some great views of the raging creek. 

Soon, we are at the mighty waterfall, which I've always thought to be one of the best in the state. After climbing down the natural stone steps, we all find a spot on the sandy bank to stop and rest. Several members of the group strip down to bathing suits and wade out into the waters and even climb up on the cascading waterfall. They say the water is pretty cold, but refreshing. I have other plans after this and didn't really want to go swimming, and so, I just take it all in. There are a few others here in addition to our group and everyone seems to be having a great time.

After thirty minutes or so, we begin to rally the group and start heading back to the cars. The way back is equally challenging with slippery sections, but again, we make it without too much issue. With everyone back at the cars, I say my goodbyes and head for my next destination for the day. This hike was 7.2 miles with only about 650 feet of elevation change - a good start for the day, but I'm going to get more miles in.