Red Top Mountain - Homestead Trail (Bartow County, Georgia)

Not content with the mileage I just hiked at nearby Pine Mountain, I decided to stop by Red Top Mountain for a few more miles on my own. On the previous hike, I was leading a group and so, had to go a bit slower and stop occasionally for participants to catch up. While I don't mind doing that at all, I really want to stretch my legs a bit and since I'm by myself for this hike, I intend to do just that. 

Parking my car at the visitor's center, I start up the Sweetgum Trail, which leads to the Homestead Trail, which is the primary one I plan to hike. This trial follows the contours of the peninsula and teases views of the bluish-green waters of Lake Allatoona, which was created by damming the Etowah River. The trails here are incredibly well maintained and I'm a little surprised by how little underbrush grows in these pine forests. It's nice though. 

I'm pushing myself to a walk at a 3.75ish mph pace as I wander along this beautiful trail. Along the way, I pass a number of other hikers and I hear a couple of them comment about how fast I'm moving. I just yell back that I'm training, which is actually true. I chew the landscape though at this pace and before long, I'm back at my car. Total distance for this short addition to my hiking day is about 3.7 miles. Not bad - I would have liked more, but I need to get home for dinner with my family.

Pine Mountain via Coopers Furnace (Bartow County, Georgia)

After leaving the Etowah Mounds site, I drove the short distance to where I plan to start the hike I'm leading today for the Meetup, Coopers Furnace Recreational Area. I discovered this trail a few years ago and have hiked it several times since then. The owner of the Meetup that I often lead for has been asking me to post this one for a few months as one of the standard Sunday hikes, he normally leads. I tried to do this a couple of months ago, but ended up canceling due to heavy rains. Rescheduling to today, lets see how the others enjoy this hike to the summit of Pine Mountain and beyond.

When I arrive there are already a dozen or so hikers assembling and they wave as I park my car. After circling everyone up, we do our customary round of introductions and I explain the hike a little bit. This is possibly one notch above the normal Sunday hikes in terms of difficult as there is more elevation gain than is normal, but everyone seems to understand and feel up to the challenge. With that, we pass by the actual Coopers Furnace and begin making our way up the gravel road towards the side trail that will take us to the summit.

This trail is a essentially a long straight way leading to a figure-eight system, with the summit of Pine Mountain being near the center of the eight and only requiring a short spur trail to reach. As this is a Sunday hike, I try to keep my pace a little slower, though my legs and feet seem to want to move. We stop and wait for everyone to catch up at each intersection and soon, we're making our way up to the summit. 

It's not terribly hot today, but is really, really humid and most of us look like we've been in the swimming pool with our cloths by the time we reach the top. Last time I was up here we were attacked by yellow-jackets, but as there is no sign of the stinging little bastards today, we decide to take a quick lunch break and enjoy the view. Only a couple of years ago, much of the brush was cleared out up here and it allows a much better panoramic view of the area. In the distance, we can see Kennesaw Mountain and nearby Vineyard Mountain and Lake Allatoona.

After a few minutes, we head back to the trail and make our way down the much rockier western loop. I stop a few times as people fall behind. This side is definitely more challenging than the eastern side, but it's necessary to hike it to get the full experience and mileage. Back at the top by the spur trail, we start making our way down completing the final arc of the figure eight and then the straightaway back to the parking area.

As we complete the hike, most of the participants speak of how much they really enjoyed this trail and I think it will likely be added to the normal rotation the Sunday leader usually follows. Our total distance was about 7.4 miles. Some of the folks are going to dinner together, but I want to get a few more miles in before driving home. We say our goodbyes and drive off to our respective destinations.

Etowah Mounds (Bartow County, Georgia)

I'm leading a hike for the Meetup today near Cartersville and decided to drive up a little early and revisit the Etowah Mounds site, which I visited very shortly after moving to Georgia. I really enjoy studying and experience Native American culture and as this site is only a few miles from today's hiking location, it seemed a great stop. 

This earthen mound complex consists of at least six constructed mounds, which are believed to have been built by the Mississippian Culture here near the Etowah River starting around 1000 CE. This is in line with the much larger site of Cahokia, near where I grew up. The Etowah site includes three large mounds and three smaller mounds, along with a central plaza, a defensive ditch, a fishing weir, and other related structures. 

As I walk around the site among the larger mounds, I can't help but think of life here a thousand years ago. What were these people like. What were their dreams and aspirations. Perhaps most importantly, what happened to them? It is believed they abandoned the site when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and others began encroaching on the area. 

I take a few minutes to walk to the top of the largest of the mounds up the provided (modern) staircase. From the top, there is a wonderful view of the complex and the nearby river. It is thought this was where the chief lived, which is probably a reasonable assumption. How much I would like to time-travel and see this community at it's peak all those centuries ago. For now, I'm left with only what my imagination can invent.

Volkswanderung - Helen to Unicoi (White County, Georgia)

Last spring, I stumbled across this little event on Facebook and had a great time with the short hike and German festival afterwards. I mean how could I go wrong with hiking and beer involved. Anyway, I decided to post it as an event on the Meetup this year and four other hikers showed up to join me. We met at the restaurant in Helen known as Bodensee and after checking in, we stepped outside of the noisy building to do a quick round of introductions and so that I could explain the agenda for the day.

Before long, we were making our way through the streets of the quaint little Bavarian-themed town of Helen on our way to the trailhead, which was only a quarter-mile or so from the restaurant. Soon, we were in the woods hiking along Smith Creek, a tributary to the Chattahoochee. Everyone seemed in good spirits and we kept a solid pace as we made our way up towards the Unicoi Lodge, which is the turn around point. I've hiked this little trail a few times over the years, and while not very challenging, it is a very pleasant walk. It's especially nice this time of year with the green hues of spring in full effect.

Once we hit the lodge, we checked in with the event organizers and took a few minutes to rest and refresh ourselves on the patio. Temperatures are great today, but it is a little humid, as we're expecting storms later this afternoon. I had been watching the weather very closely the last 24-hours or so and I'm pretty confident that we can finish our hike before the downpour begins.

Now refreshed and rehydrated, we began making our way back the way we came. The event's hike offers two options - a 5k and a 10k. Of course, we chose the 10k, which simply goes from the restaurant to the lodge and back. Not long after hitting the trail, I spot a small black creature on the trail ahead of me and leaning down to examine it, I find a rarely-seen in daylight ring-neck snake. This little critter is only about six or seven inches long and smaller than the barrel of a pencil with regards to girth. He's startled, but hangs out long enough for me to snap a picture before he slithers under some nearby leaves. 

Just a little further down the trail, we spot a blackish mother duck crossing the trail with her ducklings waddling quickly behind. They make for the waters of the creek as we approach. We check around to ensure none were left behind, but soon they all disappear in the waterway. Cute little things, they are. 

With the bulk of the hike complete, we return to the streets of Helen and drop our packs off at our respective cars before returning to the restaurant. Once there, we each enjoy a couple of German beers and brats or garlic wurst straight off the grill, complete with all the fixins. We sit around for a little while just enjoying each other's company and the festival. Unfortunately, I have another event to get to and wish my friends well before heading towards my car. The total distance for the hike was only about 6.8 miles, but it was a great time and I hope others will continue the tradition next year.

Pine Mountain Trail (Harris County, Georgia)

In my continuing endeavor to get in tip top shape for my upcoming Camino, I planned out a few training hikes and posted them as Meetup events. The next one on the list is the longest of the batch. The Pine Mountain Trail follows a long Ridge from an old country store to the tall WJSP-TV tower, most of it traveling through FD Roosevelt State Park in west central Georgia. I have hiked this trail or at least large portions of it in the past, but today's plan is to hike the entire 23 miles point to point. I admit I had thoughts of cancelling the hike due to injuries I sustained while out running in my neighborhood two nights ago. I tripped on an upturned piece of pavement and took a nasty fall, which resulted in several scrapes, a few bruises, and a two-inch gash above my right eye that required stitches. That said, I feel pretty good for being so banged up right now and decided to go forward with the hike.

Originally, I had five or so hikers signed up, but as the day approached that dwindled to only a single hiker. This being a shuttle hike, it required each of us to drive our cars. We met at the radio tower, where my friend left his car. We then drove my car to our starting point and got our gear ready to start the hike. Once we reach his car at the other end, he'll drive me back to this end to collect my car. 

The first section through the woods was mildly downhill as it follows the contours of the ridge. A few patches of poison ivy grow here, but I'm always extremely observant and cautious of this nasty plant, as I've found myself to be quite allergic. We are both strong hikers and I note we are traveling at an very nearly 4-mile per hour pace for the first couple of miles. Soon we reach the spur trail that leads to the park visitors center and quickly discuss whether or not to stop. We agree to just take a quick water break and continue on.

At one point, we enter an area where the Civilian Conservation Corp had constructed several ponds. The woods has grown up around them and the ponds are now dry (at least today), but in and around this area, we spot the ruins of an old structure of some kind. It's nothing terribly interesting, but I always find things like this add to the character of a trail.

Along the entire length of this trail, we will spot a large number of named and somewhat developed campsites, most of which include a fire ring and a picnic table. A lot of people do this hike as a multi-day backpacking trip and as we encounter some of these people throughout the day, they will be slightly surprised that we're hiking the entire length of it in just this one day. That said, this would be a pretty nice backpacking trip for anyone getting started in the activity. 

We remain in the lower elevation section for a little while and even encounter a box turtle alongside the trail. My friend and I take turns leading, but we both set a strong pace. The weather is going to be pretty nice today. It's going to be warm with highs in the mid 80°s, but with much lower humidity than Georgia is typically known for. 

Around the 11-mile mark, we cross state highway 190. We have been looking for a good spot to stop for lunch and as we hadn't yet found anything, the two rocks on the other side of the road seem like an ideal spot. It's shady and offers a great place to sit and rest for a brief break. My friend being from England, mentions that he originally was planning to make a salmon and cucumber sandwich, but ran out of time before he left his house and so, settled for some left over chicken salad. I brought a few pre-packaged snacks and pull a Clif bar and Fatty sausage out to give myself some calories. After a few minutes, we're back on our feet and again moving at our swift pace. The energy boost is apparent.

I am getting a little concerned about my water supply. I brought two liter Nalgene bottles plus a 16-oz bottle, which is in the main compartment of my pack. If I remember correctly from the last time I hiked here, the overlook ahead where FDR used to barbeque has a water fountain where we can refill. Hopefully, it won't be necessary and hopefully, the refill will be possible, but I begin to conserve a little bit just in case.

After another 3.5 miles or so, we reach the FDR overlook area atop Dowdell Knob. It's worth a stop to check out the magnificent views here and to see if my memory is correct of the water fountain. We walk around the cleared area a bit, taking in the view and noting the bronze statue of our 32nd President, complete with leg braces. Unfortunately, I was mistaken and there is no water refill here. I will have to be extremely careful with my water supply from this point onward. On one of my previous hikes along this trail, which was planned as the full length of it, I had to bail due to mild dehydration. I don't want that to happen this time.

Leaving Dowdell Knob, we enter a rocky section with some very mile rock scrambling. It makes the hike interesting, but given my already beat up condition from my recent fall, I have to take these sections very slowly and delay our breakneck race to the end. My friend is understanding of this situation, as I don't think he wants to see me injury myself further.

For the next couple of miles, we'll be following an undulating grade. While this is the case with most of the trial, this section is particularly well described that way. At one point, I note a long, black something on the left side of the trail and as we approach a hognose snake begins 'hooding and hissy' at us as we approach. These guys are not venomous to humans, but do put on quite a defensive show reminiscent of the king cobra. We do our best to not disturb the little guy, but as he's right along the trail on a steep hillside, we are not left much choice. We do our best to get past him without causing too much dismay. He seems to settle down as we get past.

With just a few more miles to go now, we enter the lowlands section of the trail, which includes a number of small waterfalls. It's a beautiful wetlands area with fields of green fern and other water-loving plants lining the trail. I'll be honest, I'm not really sore or anything, but I am getting to the point where I just want to be done with the trail. We've been hiking for seven or so hours by this point and I'm ready to be done. I'm also getting very low on drinking water. My friend is as well.

After passing a couple of the waterfalls, we realize we're getting very close to the end and a second (or perhaps fourteenth) wind strengthens our resolve and our pace once again picks up. We're close now and out of drinking water, though my friend says he has some in his car. Soon, we see the sign indicating 0.1 miles to the tower and just afterwards, we see cars in the parking area. 

Once reach his car, he pulls a gallon jug from the trunk and I pour some into my water bottle and begin rehydrating myself. It's not very cold, but it's still wet and easily gets the job done. Our mileage total was 23.2 miles with just over 3,100 feet of elevation gain. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. I'm tired and ready to sit, but I don't feel overexerted or anything. I'm glad we did this. Now for the ride back to my car and the drive home.

Fort Massac (Massac County, Illinois)

Fort Massac is the remains of the reconstructed structures of a French colonial and later early National-era fort along the Ohio River near Metropolis Illinois. And since it was on my route home as I drove between St. Louis and Atlanta, I had to stop and check it out. Though there may have been a Spanish fort nearby as early as 1540, the actual Fort Massac was built by the French in 1757, during the French and Indian War. Apparently, it was destroyed by the Chickasaw sometime after 1763 and rebuilt by the early American Troops in 1794. Today, the site is recognized as an Illinois state park.

Parking my car near the visitors center, I make the short walk out the the reconstructed structures of the 1794 site. Several wooden buildings stand here today as their counterparts must have over two centuries ago. As I walk out towards the Ohio River, I notice the raised ground and mote-like fortification of the actual fort aspect. This includes the very common and highly defensible corners where cannons could get a wide sweep of the land surrounding the fort. I walk around this area a little bit before heading back to my car and continuing my journey home. While not much remains of this historic site, it's always interesting to visit what does.

Stonefort Trail (Jackson County, Illinois)

I'm always on the lookout for interesting historical, geological, and archaeological sites in my travels. As I was planning a trip back to my hometown, near St. Louis, I stumbled across information on the Stonefort Trail. This is remnant of an ancient rock wall atop a bluff in the Giant City State Park of Southern Illinois. Archaeologists are unsure of the exact purpose, but they do not believe it was defensive in nature. Regardless, it seems just the kind of interesting site that I want to check out.

After parking my car, I start the short hike up the bluff along a cascading stream. The trail is well marked and once I reach the top, I'm struck by the wall, which was obviously a human construct. While much of it has been destroyed over time, long sections still remain and seem to create a defensible barrier facing the forest, while the tall bluff we're atop provides a very likely unclimbable barrier to any attacking from that direction. For whatever the evidence that the experts have relied on to move away from the defensive structure theory, I'm not convinced. This is one of the best fortified areas, I've ever visited.

While I would love to stay and explore more, I still have several hours of driving and one further stop to hit before I make it home. This was only a short hike of 0.4 miles, but a very interesting one nonetheless.

Snake Road (Union County, Illinois)

My next stop along this long drive home to Atlanta from St. Louis takes me to the infamous Snake Road. I don't recall where I first learned of this place, but since it was only a few miles out of my way, I decided to pay it a visit and see if it lived up to it's reputation. This gravel road sits in the flood plane between the Big Muddy River and the continuation of the bluff system that continues north. From my reading, many snake species can be found crossing the road here during April and October as they move between the wetlands of the flood plain and the higher ground of the bluffs. 

The road is closed to cars during these periods of high snake traffic, but a small parking area is offered at the northern end and the signage indicates that foot traffic is welcome. I leave my car and begin my trek, with eyes scanning everywhere for any dangerous species, which will likely include water moccasins and potentially copperheads and timber rattlers. I'm sure there are many more non-venomous species in the area as well, but I'm less concerned with them.

In the distance, I see a couple walking the road ahead of me and take note of where they stop along the way. While I don't see any snakes right away, I am enthralled by the beauty of the area. It's just a nice forested gravel road, which seems to be pretty well maintained. I'm sure it's a popular spot for people to hike given it's reputation. 

As I continue scanning either side of the road, some areas of which are stagnant ponds of river overflow (very "snaky"), I fail to see any of the slithering residents. I eventually catch up to the couple and we chat briefly. Apparently, they had seen a large water moccasin on a log in one of these areas, but after taking a couple of pictures, he swam off into the brackish water. I wish them well and continue south.

I climb over a couple of small inclines, but eventually decide that I need to head back and hike back the way I came, still on alert for any legless visitors. Once I reach my car, I'm thankful to have arrived safe, but somewhat disappointed at the lack of sightings. Perhaps, it was just an off day. Total distance hiked (or rather walked) was only about 2.7 miles.

Piney Creek Ravine Rock Art (Randolph County, Illinois)

Over my years living out west, I have sought out and explore many areas with ancient Native American rock art. I know that there are also some examples near where I grew up in Southern Illinois, and since I'm traveling through on my way home from St. Louis, I decided to detour and visit one of them.

The Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area sits in and among some mildly rugged rock formations, with the ravine carved out by the creek the area is named for. I really didn't know what to expect, but was anxious to see what the site had to offer. From the small gravel parking area, the trail follows an old dirt road along a couple of pastures before taking a quick right and beginning a slow decent into the ravine. 

I'm actually pretty impressed by the topography and geology here. There are some waterfalls and the creek bed is a single sheet of limestone, at least in some areas. Once I get to the main area, where the creek forks, I'm forced to do a rock-hop to cross one of the branches. I saw a sign along a bluff on the far side and I assumed that might be where the rock art could be found. After making my way back up the hill, I found my assumption to be correct. Scattered along the walls of this bluff there is a combination of ancient pictographs and petroglyphs, along with an overwhelming amount of more modern (but still historical) graffiti. The more modern carvings are generally names and dates, which appear to be mostly from the late 19th and early 20th century. Unfortunately, they have hidden much of their more ancient counterparts.

As I walk along the bluff though, I do find a few examples that are still visible. The more noteworthy examples include a petroglyph of two humanoid figures standing side by side and a series of pictograph ungulates (probably deer) in a row painted with a red stain. I spend a few minutes exploring all around the area and see many more areas that might contain more rock art, but with what appears to be a storm approaching, I don't want to linger too long. 

Back at my car, I see I've hiked only about 1.6 miles, which isn't much, but I still have more stops planned along this trip home. This is an interesting site though and when I have more time, may be worthy of a more detailed exploration.

Confluence Point Trail (St. Charles County, Missouri)

After yesterday's busy day in downtown St. Louis, which included a half-marathon, a ride to the top of the Gateway Arch, and seeing my Cardinals take a loss from the Red Sox, I'm headed north to my actual home town of Alton, Illinois this morning. It's only about twenty miles from downtown and I'll be spending today and tonight there visiting family and friends before driving home to Atlanta tomorrow. 

On the way over though, I decided to check out a small park built at the confluence of two largest rivers in the nation, the Mississippi and the Missouri. The drive is a few miles out of the way on gravel roads, but I'm not in any big hurry. As I pass through this area though, I'm reminded of the great floods this area often sees. Back in 1993, which is the biggest one recorded, I even helped sandbag several of the businesses in Alton's downtown area in a futile attempt to persuade the muddy waters away. It didn't work. I imagine this lowland area between the great rivers takes a beating during floods, which is probably why they haven't paved the roads are done any extensive development. 

The park includes a small parking area and a couple of trails. I'm most interested in the Confluence Point Trail, which leads out to the actual confluence. It's a short 0.6 mile hike on gravel and some small sections of pavement to reach the area. Out there, some markers indicate which river is which and offer some historical tidbits, including a panel describing the many Native American Nations that once used these waterways. While visually, the confluence is nothing impressive, the importance of it in social, economic, and even patriotic terms cannot be overstated. This is where nearly half of the rain that falls across the entire contiguous United States finds its path to the Gulf of Mexico. It's truly a grand junction.

Gateway Arch (St. Louis County, Missouri)

When I planned my trip to St. Louis, I had to check back in the history of this blog. I was sure I had written about the Gateway Arch before, but as it turns out, I was incorrect. That said, I figured it wouldn't hurt to make a return to trip to symbol of my hometown. I've visited many times over the years, but it's always a great stop.

The Gateway Arch, built as a monument to the westward expansion of our great nation, stands 630 feet tall above the Mighty Mississippi River and welcomes travelers to the vast stretches of the west beyond. It was built between 1963 and 1965 and includes an underground museum. My memories of this place include walking through the museum as a child on a field trip and later of dancing with my senior prom date under the starlight and stainless steel behemoth after dinner and on our way to the actual dance, which was held on one of the riverboats below. It's also worth noting that the term 'arch' is a little misleading, as the shape of the structure is actually an upside down catenary, at least in mathematical terms. If you were to hold a string between your hands and let it go from taut to loose, the shape formed would be a catenary. Now flip it upside down and that's the Gateway Arch.

Oddly for having grown up so close, I didn't actually ride the tiny elevator cars to the top of the structure until after I had moved away to Reno and returned to St. Louis on a business trip. That said, I figured I would do it again today. I bought a ticket in advance and as the time approached, I made the short half-mile walk from my hometown to the park grounds. 

Entering, I quickly found where I needed to be after passing through an airport-like security check. I suppose the park service can't be too careful with a structure like this. They line us all up in a room and show a little video on the walls of the waiting area, which details what was going on in the world in the 1960's when the monument was built. Even for an old guy like me, this was just a little before my time, but I'm very familiar with the culture of that era.

Once the video is complete, we load into the eight tiny cars that are a combination of elevator and escalator. If you think about that, it make sense given how the cars must travel to the top. It starts out my vertical, but as we approach the top becomes much more horizontal. It's a tight fit, as I remember, in this car, but I'm with a nice family and we chat a little bit during the four-minute ride to the top.

At the top, we climb a few stairs and then head into the observation deck. Here, sixteen windows per side offer spectacular views of the city. Since the shape of the arch is actually a triangle, the windows are fashioned with a carpeted area to lean out onto and take in everything to be seen from this amazing vantage point. I take a few minutes to lean over several windows and see the city and river below me before heading back towards the elevators. 

After about ten minutes, we are asked to prepare to re-board the elevator cars and they call our groups one by one. The ride down is just slightly faster thanks to the gravity assist, but we arrive back at the base in one piece. I think the young man who's family I shared the car with was impressed by the entire experience. I wish them well and once we reach the bottom, I head towards my next destination for the day.

Greater St. Louis Half-Marathon (St. Louis County, Missouri)

Some months ago, I decided to get myself back in shape. Since the new year, I've been eating very healthily and running regularly. One of my goals was to get back to running half-marathons in non-embarrassing times and the first one I signed up for was the Greater St. Louis Half-Marathon. I grew up on the Illinois side of the river about twenty miles north of downtown, but when I asked, I just claim St. Louis as my home town. That being said, this will sort of be a homecoming. 

On Thursday night, I drove up north of Nashville after work and then finished the drive on Friday morning. I did stop to visit some family as I passed through Kentucky, which I don't do often enough. After arriving in St. Louis on Friday afternoon, I picked up my bib and checked into my hotel, which is just across the street from Busch Stadium, where I'll be joining an old friend to see the Cardinals play the Red Sox tomorrow night. I grabbed some dinner and relaxed in my room, anticipating the early wake up for the race.

I woke up feeling fantastic and ready to run. I had picked up a new red running shirt and cap, along with some red sox for the race, all in honor of my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. From the hotel, I had to walk about half-a-mile towards Union Station for the races start, but I arrived in plenty of time and quickly found corral K, where I had been assigned. From what the announcer said, the race has more than 10,000 runners, though that is a combination of marathoners, half-marathoners, 10k and 5k participants. Still, that's a pretty good turn-out. 

As the starting time hits, the corrals begin running east on Market Street one by one. Being back in corral K, it takes a few minutes for me to get started, but it's a grand view. The sun rises just a little to the left of the skyline and we appear to be running directly towards the Gateway Arch, which has a dark silhouette across the orange-pink morning sky. The air is a bit chilly, but once we get started it should be perfect running weather.

Finally, my group reaches the starting line and we begin our journey winding through the streets of downtown St. Louis. I start out pretty fast and pass a large number of runners. I really am feeling great this morning. We take a couple of turns and then right right past the my hotel and the hall of famer's statues outside of the ballpark, which was nice planning for the route. From there, it's a few more twists and turns before we hike down to wharf street right along the Mississippi River and running directly below the Arch. What a grand image it is to run here.

Heading towards Laclede's Landing, we face a couple of minor up hill sections, but I'm still feeling good and run every step. Turning left, we run across the river on the Eads Bridge and then do a quick 180° and return to the Missouri side of the river. From there, it's back into the Arch grounds, as we run close enough to touch one of the giant stainless steel legs of the monument.

The next section of the race takes us into Soulard, where large groups of supporters line the streets with signs and cheers to encourage us to continue. I'm still feeling pretty good, but I definitely feel a couple of hot spots on my feet. Wearing new socks was probably a mistake, but they were red! As we reach the southern part of the course, we pass by the original Anheuser-Busch Brewery and the smell of hops gives me a little extra encouragement to keep moving. 

Now approaching mile nine, I'm starting to feel a bit taxed and my pace slows a little bit, but I force myself to keep running. The music pounding in my head phones definitely helps. I really want to do well at this race and as long as I'm not ready to pass out, I promise myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We head back towards downtown and then turn west to do a lap around Lafayette Park. Here, more supports cheer us on and I start to get my second (or maybe seventh) wind. I'm going to finish this race strong. Returning to downtown, I make the final left turn at Memorial Plaza and in the distance the finish line comes into view. I focus what little energy I have left and cruise to the end.

My feet are hurting a little bit and I probably have a couple of blisters, but otherwise, I'm feeling great. My official time was 2:11:17, which is not my personal record for a half, but only about 12 minutes off and much, much better than my last several races. In fact, this is the fastest half-marathon I've run in nearly seven years and my fifth fastest ever. I was hoping to come in around 2:20:00 and so, this is an achievement to be proud of. All of the hard work has paid off. Now to just keep at it.

After enjoying some post race snacks in the form of a banana, a roll, and some cold water, I rest a few minutes in the park and bask in the glory of the event. Soon, it will be time to walk back to my hotel and shower. I have a lot of other things to do today, but this was certainly the right way to start things off. Now, to look forward to my next race and see if I can get under that two-hour mark once again.

Moore's Bridge (Carroll County, Georgia)

My friend Charlie, the owner of the Meetup group I often hike with or lead hikes for, has been trying to get me to a park called Moore's Bridge a ways west of Atlanta for a while now. For one reason or another, I just haven't been able to make the past outings to this area, but even with the rain pounding down on us, I decided to give it a go today. I've been watching the weather forecast closely and it appears the rain will pass just about the time we start hiking. 

I've done a little research on this park and I believe the remnants of the old bridge are still here just downstream a bit from the western-most trail in the park. Charlie has explained that he has gone to the river and checked, but was unable to see anything. I'm a bit bull-headed and really want to see for myself.

The rain seems to have scared off the majority of hikers today and we are only a group of seven, which is actually better for my tastes. Often, our Sunday hikes get to be too big and unruly. Seven is a good number to manage. Everyone here knows each other and so, we skip the introductions and just head off into the woods. Before long, we encounter a small box-turtle seeking the security of it's shell. We try not to disturb him.

I think this park was created primarily for mountain bikers, which is probably why it is so appealing to Charlie, but even so, the trails are nicely maintained and wind through the woods enough to keep it interesting. We all hold a really good pace and will hopefully get in some good miles today. 

When we reach the southwest corner of the park (the area closest to where the remains of the bridge might be), I begin looking for a way to explore beyond the park. A large deep gully with a feeder creek blocks our passage directly across, but walking through the thorns and brambles just a bit upstream, I find a spot where I can cross over. The group follows curiously. After making way through the undergrowth, the area opens up into a maintained grass area with a house sitting up on a hill above us. I believe this is the historical home of Horace King, a renowned architect, engineer, and bridge-builder of the mid to late nineteenth century, who happened to be African-American and a former slave. He was responsible for designing Moore's Bridge and many other structures throughout the deep south.

Looking left through the trees, I see the unmistakable steel girders of a bridge skeleton spanning the Chattahoochee River. We make our way closer to the bridge and take a few minutes to explore. Everyone is excited to find this structure and I'm glad to have been proven right about it being here. There isn't much left beyond the steel skeleton and in the distance, the approach earthworks just below the house.

Heading up to the house, we take a few minutes to explore around the property, which appears to have been a museum or preserved historic site at some point, though Google indicates that is currently temporarily closed. It's a pretty nice house, though obviously dated and in some level of disrepair. There is an outhouse and well behind the main house and a couple of barns on the nearby land. It's all quite interesting to walk around.

Heading back up to the main trail a slightly different way than we came, we rejoin the mountain bike trails of the park and finish out the hike for the day. When we finally arrive back at the parking area, we've finished 7.9 miles. While mountain bike trails are often boring to me, looking for and finding the bridge made this a very good day. The others agree and thank me for my tenacity in exploring for it. They seem to have really enjoyed the diversion. We say our good- byes and part ways until our next hike.