Len Foote Hike Inn Loop (Dawson County, Georgia)

Continuing another tradition that I seem to have started, some months ago I decided to spend the first weekend of the new year at the Len Foote Hike Inn. Again this year, I posted it in the Meetup and one friend decided to join me, though others signed up and failed to book rooms. Unfortunately, my wife has been ill over the last few days and I felt very badly leaving her. I messaged the other friend that was going to see if he would mind leading (at the time, I didn't know the other participants hadn't booked rooms). Just after sending him the message though, I saw comment that he was going to leave early and hike up to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the AT (Appalachian Trail), and would just meet me at the Inn. With no other option and believing I had new hikers may not know the way, I reluctantly drove to the trailhead. My wife assured me she would be okay during my short trip.

After checking by phone from the Amicalola Falls State Park visitors center, I headed up to the trailhead and waited for the others to arrive. They never did though and as I would later find out after asking the Innkeeper to check reservations, they hadn't even booked rooms for the trail. Ah well. I departed the trailhead alone and made my way along the Hike Inn Trail towards the forest lodge, which is a very popular northern Georgia attraction. 

The trail is well marked by green blazes, while the AT Approach Trail uses blue blazes. We will take the blue blazed trail when we head back tomorrow. This trail passes a number of small water crossings, all with well-constructed bridges over them. Rhododendrons are everywhere in the low-lying areas between ridges. It is a bit of a workout, but after about 4.8 miles, I wander into the lobby of the Inn and get my room key.

One thing I love about this place is that it has hot showers. While not a luxury hotel by any stretch of the imagination, the Len Foote Hike Inn offers a comfortable get away deep in the woods of Appalachia. The rooms are quite Spartan, with a set of bunkbeds and plywood for wallpaper. It gets the job done though and offers a quiet retreat for the hustle and bustle of city life. After getting into my room, I remove my boots and rest for just a few minutes. Dinner isn't until 6:00 pm in the dining hall two buildings over. 

After a few minutes, I gather my fresh cloths and head next door to the bath house, where I enjoy a wonderful, but short shower. The Inn is run very sustainably and guests are encouraged to limit their hot water usage. Knowing the reputation this place has and supporting it's mission of sustainability, I do my best to comply. The hot shower is great though.

With sweat pants and slippers on, I head down to the sun room, the last connected room of the facility. There are a couple of families here playing games. I find a book about Benton McKaye and begin reading. Before long, my friend pops his head in and we catch up a bit while waiting for the dinner bell, which sounds promptly at 6:00 pm as advertised. 

Heading to the dining hall, we find seating with a family of four (grandfather, father, and two sons). We enjoy conversation over roast turkey, green beans, salad, mashed potatoes, and a wonderful apple-olive oil cake. I meant to get the recipe for the cake, but forgot about it. At one point, one of the volunteer Innkeepers mentions that tonight is a super moon and several people had out to the Sun Room to catch a peak. I follow suit and get an okay picture. 

Once back in the dining hall and with dinner now complete, our host offers a short lecture chronicling the life and times of Grandma Gatewood, who was the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. She did this just a few years after it's completion and well after she had reached mid-life. Carrying nothing more than a shower curtain for shelter and a homemade denim bag draped across her shoulder with supplies, she hiked the approximately 2,200 miles of the trail. She was a tough woman and makes all of us look like pansies. With the lecture complete, everyone heads back to their respective rooms. Though, it's still a bit early, I crawl into bed and do a couple of things on my phone before passing into dreamland.

I had set my alarm for 6:00 am and awoke when it sounded off near my head. My plan was to get up and get packed before breakfast, this would allow me to get back home at a reasonable time. After packing, I headed down to the dining hall to make a cup of tea and then to walk out by the Sun Room and see the rise of the morning sun with many of the other guests. 

Returning to the dining hall, everything worked to plan and after a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and grits, we hit the trail bright and early. The walk back to the park was uneventful and we made pretty good time. As I had hoped, we were back at our cars just after 10:00 am. My total distance for the two-day affair was 9.9 miles. I really do enjoy staying at the Hike Inn; I just wish my wife hadn't been sick and the others that had signed up had shown up.