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.