Nojoqui Falls (Santa Barbara County, California)

I'm driving up California's Highway 101 on my way to Paso Robles to meet some friends for a craft beer festival, but that doesn't mean I can't stop and enjoy some sites along the way. Nojoqui Falls is an 80-foot waterfall just north of Santa Barbara and only a short detour off of the highway. A small county park protects the waterfall and a well-worn gravel trail leads from the parking area to the falls.

After parking my rental car, I headed up the path noting the swarms of yellow jacket-like insects swarming and the massive amounts of poison oak on either side of the trail. Luckily, neither posed a threat as long as one watches where they are going. The trail follows a small creek all the way to the base of the waterfall. Nojoqui Falls itself is only a trickle at the moment, as it is dependent on rain water. Unlike most waterfalls that erode the cliff at the top, this one actually deposits minerals and sediment to build out from the cliff. This is similar to the way stalactites form in caves. It's pretty interesting. The walk back to my car is less than a half-a-mile and with another hour of driving to go, I should probably get moving. It was nice to stretch my legs a bit though.

Hamilton Indian Mounds (Marion County, Alabama)

After seeing the Dismalites last night and then getting a solid night's sleep, I'm headed home from a weekend in northwestern Alabama. Along the way though, I have one more stop and this is to see another Native American Site near Hamilton, AL. This is actually a series of three mounds along the Buttahatchee River, which are thought to have been built between 1250 and 1500 CE. 

Parking the car at the empty lot, I have to walk roughly a half-mile on a paved path towards the river. Eventually, I reach the first of the mounds, which is heavily overgrown. This largest of the three appears to be a terraced mound with a lower and upper section. It's difficult to tell though as there is a lot of trees and foliage taking it over. A short distance away, a second and then a third mound rise out of the ground just alongside the muddy river. These are smaller, but also heavily overgrown. After exploring the perimeter of the three mounds I return to my car and head for home.

Dismalites (Franklin County, Alabama)

*Note - Photo courtesy of Google

Returning for the evening guided tour, I'm back at Dismal Canyon after checking into my nearby hotel and getting some dinner. This should be the highlight of the weekend and is the reason I drove all this way. Much like the area around Anna Ruby Falls, close to my home, this area is home to a bioluminescent fly larvae that emits a faint bluish light to attract prey.

Once again checking in, our tour guide takes a count and gives us a short introduction as we wait for the daylight to fade away and the darkness to take hold of the canyon. This is when the small creatures will begin to put on their show. We carefully make our way along the dark path and as we reach the first of the rock passages, we begin to see dozens of bluish-white lights all over the surface of the rocks. I wish my camera was capable of capturing these brilliant creatures, but I'll have to settle for pictures taken by others.

We make our way across the bridge and back into the Witches Cavern as I suspected. Here, we shut off our lights, as the tour guide suggests we hold the hands of the person in front of and behind us as we carefully make our way through the tight passage in near total darkness. The only light is that provided by our tiny friends on on the moss rock face. This is one of just a couple of areas where this particular species thrives. It's quite a privilege to be able to take this all in. There are even more of them here than the area we started at, and far more than I've seen at Anna Ruby Falls in the past. I would estimate that there are twenty to thirty larva per square ten feet of rock surface. Truly amazing.

After having toured the planned area, we return the way we came with lights on this time to make it a little safer. The guide offers to answer any questions that remain and wishes us well on our journeys as he see us off and prepares for the next group. What a great experience.

Dismals Canyon Day Hike (Franklin County, Alabama)

 

Though I've stopped at a number of points of interest on my way, I've finally arrived at my primary destination for the weekend. Dismals Canyon is a National Natural Landmark that is privately owned and operated as a tourist destination. This sandstone gorge offers a hike through a very interesting landscape and is home to bioluminescent creatures known as Dismalites, which I will be returning tonight to see.

After paying the steep entry fee, I'm directed to the start of the self-guided tour and begin my walk along the fashioned path. It starts above Rainbow Falls and lead down crude steps to the canyon floor and along Dismals Creek. This entire canyon seems to be a collision of gigantic sandstone boulders tumbling from the walls and the creek pass through and shaping them over the eons.

It's been raining today and with the lush green foliage, the dark shadows and passages created by the boulders, and just the overall atmosphere, it's a little creepy walking through this area, but also incredibly interesting. My path continues through some areas named by the ownership to make them more interesting. Hand rails have been fashioned in some areas from fallen timber. Some areas require a little bit of rock scrambling to maneuver about and all the while the eerie grayish brown waters of the creek run right on by.

The trail map suggests a couple of creek crossings, but recent storms have washed away the stepping stones and as I'm not willing to submerge my feet in mud today, I cut my tour a little short and return part of the way I came. Just past another waterfall from a feeder creek, I walk across a wooden bridge to the far side and enter the Witches Cavern, which is a maze of the giant boulders I mentioned earlier. As I understand it, this area is home to the largest colony of Dismalites and I suspect I will be returning here later this evening.

The final stretch sees me walking across a small suspension bridge to return to where I started. This area is really interesting, though I'm a little disappointed in the upkeep of the trails given the entry fee. Ah well, I'm still grateful to have gotten a chance to visit.

Rosenbaum House (Lauderdale County, Alabama)

 Only a couple of miles from my last stop, sits the Rosenbaum House. An example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian house concept, it was built as a single family home in 1940 at a cost of $14,000 (twice the original budget). It is one of the only examples of Wright later designing an addition to the home, which the growing family requested and completed in 1948. 

I've always been a student of Wright's architecture and when I learned that this work was in such close proximity to my planned route for the weekend, I had to stop for the tour. After checking in, several of us were lead across the street and into the home. As we are informed the home was occupied by the family until 1999 when the last surviving member was relocated to a nursing home. By that time, the home was in very poor repair, suffering from water and termite damage. The city purchased and restored the home to its current state.

The tour takes us through the living room, study, original kitchen (which wasn't much larger than a modern shower), and bedrooms. As our guide informs, the addition added a much larger kitchen and an additional sleeping area for the family's sons. All throughout the home, Lloyd's trademarks can be seen. From the custom-designed furniture to the extensive use of natural lighting to the hidden storage areas, this work showcases his genius and I'm really glad to have had a chance to visit.

Florence Indian Mound (Lauderdale County, Alabama)

 

My next stop in northwestern Alabama takes me to see the Florence Indian Mound. This is a tall solitary mound build near the Tennessee River. This one rises about 42 feet above the surrounding area and covers and area of about an acre and a half at its base. It is believed to have been built around 500 CE in the Woodland period. There is a nice museum built alongside the Native American site, but as my time is limited and with the rain starting again, I limit myself to just taking a few photos of this ancient site. 

Oakville Indian Mounds (Lawrence County, Alabama)

 

I'm headed to northwestern Alabama to check out a few sites this weekend. A series of storms have and continue to pass through, but I think I will have just the right windows to see the places I'm planning to stop at. The first is the Oakville Indian Mound Complex. An 83-acre park surrounds what remains of the Native American site, and includes a museum. Of the original five mounds that were found here by settlers, only two remain. They are believed to have been constructed by people of the Copena culture between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago.

A gravel and dirt road leads into the park and a small pull-off by the largest of the two mounds offers me a chance to get out into the wet grass and explore a little bit. This mound is 27 feet high and at the base covers an area of 1.8 acres. This is the largest surviving ceremonial mound in Alabama. A set of stairs leads to the top, where a few stone have been arranged in the ground. This mound and the surrounding area are well maintained and it's nice to see a relic such as this cared for so well.

Further down the road, a second mound is enclosed by a fence. This is a burial mound and is significantly smaller. It has not been maintained as well and trees and ferns have grown up all around it. I take a few pictures and then decide to head on towards my next stop.

Zahnd Half-Loop (Walker County, Georgia)

Just a few miles south of Lula Lake Land Trust is the Zahnd Wilderness Management Area. I've seen great things about the trails here and have wanted to visit for some time. The distance from my house combined with the various hunting seasons that are popular here have deterred me in the past, but with my Lands Pass paid for and on my phone, I decided today would be a great day to check it out. 

There are only two other cars in the parking lot when I arrive. After getting my bearings, I head into the lush forest along the obvious trail. There are a few side trails though and it would be easy to become disoriented in here. This trail system meanders about a large group of gigantic house-sized boulders that are common near Lookout Mountain. Many of the boulder piles have been partially covered with earth over the eons, but others sit prominently on the ground. I take particular note of one such boulder that moderately sized tree has found a spot to grow through. It's almost as if the rock is giving the tree a hug. It will be interesting to see what this looks like in years to come as the tree outgrows the small nook it has grown through. 

Continuing on, I reach an area atop a large pile of boulders. Many of the cavities between rocks have been filled in with earth, but some allow a view into the abyss. The surface itself, where other free-standing boulders aren't blocking the way, has been covered with a mint green, cushy moss making for a surreal image. The trail through this area is a little challenging to find, but eventually, I do make way onward.

The next section takes me to a small waterfall, probably twenty or so feet tall. Unfortunately, the view is heavily obscured by the rich foliage. I'm also forced to make a small water crossing here just above the waterfall. The other side offers no better view of the waterfall thought and I continue along the trail.

After another quarter-mile or so, I reach a muddy area where the creek has spread out to form something of a bog with no clear path for the water or the trail. I spend a few minutes scanning the area to figure out where the trail continues, but I'm at something of a loss. I'm sure I could find it, but doing so would require me to wade through knee deep water and muck. I decide against this. Even though I would like to complete the loop, I'm really not looking to go swamping today. And so, I return the way I came settling for a half-loop.

Route-finding my way back to my car is a bit easier, since I know what I'm looking for this time and I eventually get back to the parking area. It's hot and I'm sweating, but I'm glad I made the stop to check this area out. It really is a great hike. The odd terrain created by the boulders makes it very interesting and appealing to explorers. I wish I could have completed the full loop hike, but I settle for the 1.8 miles I was able to get.

Lula Lake Land Trust - Hike, Bike, Brew (Walker County, Georgia)

Every once in a while there are events that act as a confluence of my interests. Lula Lake Land Trust's annual Hike Bike Brew is one such event. I've attended a couple of times in past years, but it's normally a good time. The event acts as one of the bigger fund raisers for the land trust and is responsible for helping protect the lands around Lula Lake and its waterfalls. 

I arrived a few minutes before the event officially started and was able to get a perfect parking spot. After checking in and getting my silicon cup, I started the short hike, which includes several beer stops along the way. The trail itself is mostly a gravel road, especially this lower part and is well-shaded. 

In addition to the gorgeous scenery this hike offers, I'm also able to sample several beer Chattanooga-area breweries, which donate to the event. The first stop offers a dunkelweizen, which is pretty good. The second, which is on the other side of the trail is featuring a "mystery melon sour". It turns out the brewery didn't provide any label on their keg and so the volunteer pouring it had to guess. She's right though, it does taste of cantaloupe with a very mild sour note 

This hike brings out a lot of folks and it's interesting to see how they prepare. Many have hydration packs and hiking poles, which seems a bit unnecessary to me for this short hike, but to each their own. After crossing the bridge over Rock Creek, I stop at the second beer tent and also drop down the fashioned stone stairs to enjoy a view of Lula Lake itself, which is formed by the smaller of the two waterfalls along the way. Normally, I would have headed up to the bluff from here, but we've had a lot of rain in the past few days and the organizers are cautioning folks not to go this way due to slippery rocks. I heed their advise. 

Continuing on the lower path, I finally get a view of the larger of the two waterfalls, while drinking my next beer, a decent blonde ale. The tent serving this one blocks the path and so, I assume they don't want us hiking down to the base of the falls today. I've done so before and it can be a little treacherous. They probably don't want a bunch of drunks tumbling down the hill during this event. I can't say I blame them.

From here, I head up the bluff trail, which is a single track through the woods and leads to a long ridge overlook atop the southern section of Lookout Mountain. I enjoy another beer and a cooling breeze while I take in the view. The vast plain stretches out to the east before me, rich with farmland. This being the last stop, I'm return the way I came and make my way meadow where I parked. The food is ready now and I enjoy a chicken salad sandwich while sitting in the shade at a picnic table. The event will continue for another couple of hours, but with 3.3 miles hiked and all of the beer sampled, I'm going to take my leave and get in another nearby hike.

Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel (Whitfield County, Georgia)

 

I'm on my way to Lula Lake Land Trust this morning, but I'm going to make a stop to explore something I've tried a couple of times in the past. Unfortunately, the Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel and it's museum have been closed every other time I've come this way. This railroad tunnel was completed in 1850 as part of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. It was necessary to bore through Chetoogeta Mountain to keep the grade of the rail appropriate. 

After being greeted by one of the museum's caretakers, I wandered through the small facility looking over numerous Civil War artifacts related to the tunnel and the nearby events of that era. It's interesting to see such artifacts, but the real reason I'm hear is to walk through the tunnel. A short quarter-mile drive sees me to the parking area and a paved walkway leads me the rest of the way into the side of the mountain. A large iron gate with the letters W & A has been unlocked to allow visitors to enter. Amazingly straight and level, the rails have been replaced by a paved path that leads to the bright light at the other end of the tunnel, some 1,447 feet away. As I pass motion sensitive lights, my path is illuminated (at least most of them are working). It's truly amazing to see these marvels of human ingenuity. The work that went into the creation of the tunnel must have been tremendous. 

Completing the walk to the other end and seeing daylight once again, I return the way I came and encounter some large multi-seat golf carts carrying a group through the tunnel. I wave and one gentleman makes a joke about how life-like the animatronics are. It was a great little stop, but for now, I must be on my way.

Harbins Park Bushwhack (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

It's been a rainy weekend and I haven't gotten outside at all. After taking my mother to breakfast, and with a short break in the expected forecast, I decided to join the Meetup group for a hike at nearby Harbins Park. While I've been to this park a few times in the past, the description of today's hike indicated that we would be exploring a different part of it starting at the Baseball Complex. I was intrigued and it gave a chance to stretch my legs a bit.

With today being Mother's Day and with all of the weather, we had a group of only seven hikers today, including myself. We met at the far end of the parking area and walked a short distance on the paved trail before taking a left into the woods. At first, we were following what appeared to be old dirt roads (wagon roads perhaps), but soon they disappeared into the forest and we were bushwhacking. 

It's actually very pretty out here, but a little eerie too, as we didn't see a single squirrel, hear a single bird, or any other sign of animal life for the vast majority of the hike. Considering we were a lush, green forest with Cedar Creek passing through it, this was quite surprising. As we progressed, we had to cross the creek a couple of times, which led to wet shoes, but as our shoes were already wet on the outside from all of the moisture on the foliage, this wasn't really a problem. 

We did find a few oddities as we made our way through the woods. This included a small, cleaned carnivore skull (probably a fox) with a small bullet hole in it, a large hollowed out tree trunk still standing (my fellow hikers had pictures taken of themselves standing in it), and a couple of well shacks. I approached the door of the first well shack we found and opened the door to look in. I startled some kind of brownish-grey animal that was using it as a home. Upon opening the door it hid next to or inside a old 5-gallon bucket and I never got a good look. Based on the animals size, I think it was either a racoon or a fox.

After another creek crossing, we made our way back to the parking area and decided to call it a day. It was a bit different than our normal Sunday hikes as there was very little trail and a lot more bushwhacking than normal, but we still managed to get in right at 5.0 miles and with more rain coming, I'll have to settle for that.

Appalachian Trail - Unicoi Gap to Chattahoochee Gap/Jacks Knob (Towns County, Georgia)

 This morning I'm back at it, working on my quest to complete the Georgia sections of the Appalachian Trail. I didn't post this one as a Meetup event, but a friend did ask to join me and met me at the Unicoi Gap Trailhead. Today, we'll be hiking from this trailhead to Chattahoochee Gap and the junction with the Jacks Knob Trail. Originally, this was going to be part of a roughly 18-mile section, but I found that I could hike the section we're doing today, and then at a later point hike from the Jacks Gap trailhead (which is not part of the AT) to the Low Gap Shelter (which is on the AT). This adds about 2.6 miles overall, but allows me to break the 18-mile section into a two more reasonable out-and-backs of (9 and 14 miles respectively).

After tossing on our packs, we hit the trail, which starts across the highway from where we parked our cars. The first mile or so is pretty steep, but we made good progress as we discussed a variety of things. It rained quite a bit yesterday and overnight, which has left the foliage a bright green this morning. So lush with life. Finally reaching the ridge above, the trail leveled out from here and should just include some soft undulating hills until we return to this part on our way back.

At the approximate halfway point between Unicoi and Chattahoochee Gaps, we encounter the sturdy Blue Mountain Shelter. This structure is one of many built along the AT to provide hikers some basic shelter from storms. Briefly speaking with a hiker we passed going the opposite direction, it sounds like the shelter was pretty packed with people last night. We take a minute to explore the shelter before getting back to the trail.

The next mile or so is extremely rock and it slows our progress significantly, as we want to be careful not to slip or roll ankle. Approaching our planned turn around, we hike above the mountain springs that from the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River as they head south out of the mountains. It's not really much to see here, but it's interesting to know that this is where it all begins.

Reaching a sign that indicates Chattahoochee Gap, we recognize our turnaround point and stop for a quick water break. To the north, the climb up Jacks Knob lays before us. When I return to knock out the next section south, I'll climb over this peak to reach this point and then continue south towards the Low Gap Shelter.

The return trip is no different than our way in, other than encountering a few millipedes on the trail. The lingering puddles of rainwater in combination with the rising temperatures have probably drawn them out. We make pretty good time and eventually get back to our cars at the parking lot.

As we drop our packs and poles into our respective transports, a gentleman walks over to us from a circle of folding chairs near the edge of the parking lot and offers us some refreshment. He's performing what AT Thru-hikers call 'trail magic', which is to say that he has brought food and drink to an area is handing it out at no cost to those walking the trail. I truly appreciate what folks that offer this service do for the people on the trail, which I tell him as I decline. We tell him that we're headed to nearby Helen, GA for a German-style beer, but thank him nonetheless. Total distance for today was around 8.9 miles, and compared to other sections I've hiked recently this one was pretty easy.