Rainy day...errr...week gear post

What a week! It has been raining non stop and is forecasted to continue into next week. Not to mention 70+ degree temps. Basically it feels like April right now. I absolutely hate rain on Christmas. Don't mind warm weather, but rain sucks. 

Last weekend, it was quite nice out but we had seasonal obligations both Saturday and Sunday, so no time for hiking unfortunately. I was really hoping Christmas weekend would be nice because it's a long weekend and would have been opportune to do some backpacking. I hope the weather turns around by New Years. I think it would be really fun to camp out on NYE and celebrate under the stars (you know, with a little bottle of champagne...).

So here's a post about what I bought myself for Christmas (don't worry, I got James some stuff also). I really needed a new jacket, particularly one that is suitable for cool, rainy weather. I have a pea coat I wear to work and around town and I have a heavy duty ski jacket for really cold weather, but I didn't have anything in between. I bought the pea coat in 2009 and I received the ski jacket as a gift in 2005 (maybe earlier), so I think I earned this new jacket.

I am very picky about jackets and sweaters. I really hate bulky clothing and feeling like the little kid from "A Christmas Story" in wintertime. But I took a chance on ordering a jacket from REI and fortunately it was exactly what I was looking for. 

I got the Columbia Poleta Peak Plush Jacket (2015 closeout) in Geyser, which a lovely shade of turquoise. It is a lighweight feeling jacket however I think it is very warm, especially if you layer other tops under it. I wore it in ~30 degree temps last weekend in the morning and was completely warm. The lining is awesome and just makes you feel cozy and comfortable. I wouldn't say it's completely waterproof but can definitely take some light rain. 

I also like the way the drawstring is situated around the bottom of the jacket. It's hard to explain, but it doesn't look funny when it's cinched up to keep wind out. The jacket is also a decent length and a little longer in the back, which is important to me because I am 5'10 and I hate sweaters and jackets that aren't long enough!!

The only thing I would add is a drawstring for the hood, but the way it is structured keeps it up pretty well on it's own. I ordered a medium, which allows enough extra space to layer but isn't too big.

So if you need a last minute/late gift for a special lady, I would recommend this. Plus REI still has them on sale!!

Bear Creek Trail 12-12-15

• Distance- long (7 miles)
• Terrain- easy
• Location- Ellijay (Gilmer County)

(You'll notice my handy new rating system at the top)

We had a lot to do last Saturday morning (hooray emissions testing and vehicle registration renewals) so we decided to just go up to Ellijay since it's an easy drive. Bear Creek Trail is just a little ways outside of the town square and a scenic drive along a country road. The parking area is on a forest service road and it is about a two mile drive on gravel from the main road. We had no issues, but it looks like if it's been raining there are probably a lot of potholes.

We did the 7 mile loop from the main parking area. Supposedly there is another parking area at a higher elevation with a good view of the mountains but I could not find directions to that one. Beginning at the higher elevation adds a few miles as well. There is also a designated camping area with it's own parking lot before you reach the main parking area.

I would recommend starting at the trail directly behind the large map/sign in the parking area. There is a smaller sign off to the side of the parking area that reads "Bear Creek Loop" but if you start here, you will have a significant incline for about 2 miles at the very beginning of the trail. 

About a mile in, you arrive at the Gennett Poplar, which is the second oldest tree in GA (the oldest is in Thomasville, in case you wanted to know). There is a nice area to sit near the water, have a picnic etc behind the tree. There are lots of carvings on the tree, including a really cute paw print! At some point after this, there is a crossing with the Pinhoti trail.

The trail has mile markers, which is very convenient, and the scenery seems to change with each mile. The first few miles requires crossing several small streams, some of which require wading. Around mile two, you leave the streams and go up into a patch of small fir trees and continue into a more forested area. There are some decent mountain views but this is a very dense forest with little clearing.

Around mile 3-4 you come back along side the stream and then deviate away from the water again for a while. The last few miles catch up to the stream again and are steeply downhill. The trail ends along the water, across from the parking area, and you have to wade across to get back to your car. 

It was about 70 degrees out, so we took our shoes off, but the water was still pretty cold. Tennille played in the water a little bit and had fun but poor Nova fell in and was miserable. I don't think she forgave me the whole ride home!

  

I love hiking near water and enjoyed relaxing on the bank of the creek at the end of the hike. We found some very interesting rocks (didn't take any!) and I built a cairn.

I really liked the Bear Creek trail. Most of the trail was very wide and easy to maneuver, which is good because there were a lot of mountain bikers. It took us a leisurely 3 hours-ish but because much of the trail is so flat, it could probably be done much more quickly, if you're in a hurry. Not that you should be. I do not recommend hiking in a hurry. What's the point?

Fall in Florida

I never take time off from work, so this is monumental. Typically my adventures are limited to daytrips or a very brief overnight stay somewhere during a long weekend. However, my mom is staying in Georgia for the winter and we decided to take a road trip down to Florida after Thanksgiving to visit my hometown and all my other relatives. 

I grew up about an hour from Orlando near the beach (Merritt Island/Brevard County). Central FL tends to be very touristy and sadly a lot of the natural beauty has been destroyed by development. Of course there is Disney World, exceedingly large outlet malls, beach resorts, etc but that is hardly where I spent my time growing up. 

For your reference, please view the incredibly detailed map on the right, which marks all of the local breweries in the great state of Florida (don't worry about the panhandle- there aren't any there apparently). The little bump on the middle, righthand side is Brevard County.

If you know where to go, FL has amazing outdoor features. We were not been able to do as much as I would have liked because many places in FL are not dog friendly. If they were, this would be a much more interesting post about places you might like to go.

Chances are anyone reading this is either from Merritt Island and knows everything I am writing about OR will never go to Merritt Island and does not care OR may go to Merritt Island but will be doing things like visiting the Kennedy Space Center or going on a cruise. So if this all seems a little mundane and like "really she is writing about her grandma's neighborhood??", it's because it is. This may not be the Florida people imagine, but it's the Florida I grew up in.

We spent most of our time visiting with family but did go on a few excursions into the local wilds. My mom and I ventured out to the local wildlife preserve Ulumay one morning. This is located on Merritt Island near my childhood home. It may be flat, but try it on a warm humid day and see how strenuous it can be! There is an observation tower, about 11 miles total of walking trails and a "kayak trail". 
Disclosure- I hear it is a gathering places for less salacious types at night but we certainly didn't see anyone while we were there. It was very quiet and peaceful.

We also took the dogs to the beach. For the record, of all the many beaches up and down Brevard County, there is exactly ONE that allows dogs. So off to Canova Beach we went.

Apparently, there are two Canova Beach parks and the more southerly one off A1A is actually the dog beach. We ended up at the other one but it was relatively unpopulated at the time of our visit, so we stayed put. Technically, dogs are not allowed at this part of the beach.Some more on Canova Beach- no bathrooms or showers. We had quite an ordeal cleaning the dogs off before going home and there is still sand in the car.

Another word about dog beaches, dogs are supposed to stay on leashes but we let Tennille off. I mean, what is the point of bringing your dog to the beach if she can't run free? We all got lots of exercise running up and down the shore with her. Nova also had a blast and thought chasing birds was the best. 

One of the things I like best about FL is the likelihood of seeing animals. Anywhere, anytime. Let's see, we saw an alligator, a tortoise, many lizards, an owl, sea birds (not just seagulls), crabs, peacocks, various other birds, cows (lots of them) and probably more I am forgetting about (such as feral cats- lots of them at the beach). Not to mention, the neighborhood critters, such as the horses near my grandma's house. There have been horses at this pasture for as long as I can remember and going to visit them was one of my favorite things as a child. 

Speaking of horses and cows, there is somewhat of a belief that FL and it's inhabitants are somehow not southern. Sure, most people south of the panhandle don't have a southern accent, however, denim shorts, mullets, and Nascar do not discriminate. Neither does finger lickin' good fried food. In order to conquer one of my fears from childhood, we paid a visit to Lone Cabbage Fish Camp (just the humans because of course, NO DOGS ALLOWED). 


This place is located on the St. Johns River right on the border of Brevard and Orange counties (Right off on State Road 520 "The Beach Line", in case you need directions). It is quite literally a shack with a dock and several faded, air brushed signs guiding the way to either the air boat rides or the food. 

Now I am not bashing Lone Cabbage. It is a legit Brevard institution. I'm just saying the appearance, mixed with the Spanish moss on the trees, fog on the river and remote location scared me a bit as a child. (FYI, they did find a 9 foot anaconda down the river the same day we were there). But seriously, best fried shrimp I have had in years. James got gator, frog legs and catfish and he said the same. We didn't do an air boat ride because I'm cheap and not that touristy. I would recommend canoeing or kayaking if you want to get a real look at the FL wetlands.

Other than that, our trip just consisted of catching some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It's funny, when I'm on vacation I don't mind waking up at the crack of dawn to see the sunrise. Hopefully we will return to Florida soon and possibly be able to take in some more remote outdoor locations (in the mean time, Google "Florida Springs" to see my all time favorite places in FL).

Sawnee Mountain and a side trip 11-22-15

I apologize for the lack of posting this week. I have been on vacation (unheard of- I have not taken a real vacation in about 10 years) in Florida. I started this post before Thanksgiving and never finished it. More on Florida later :)

We decided to take a lighter hike on 11/22/15 because we planned to meet family in Dahlonega for a wine tasting and didn't want to show up tired, sweaty or both. Instead of heading deep into the North Georgia mountains, we just went next door to Forsyth County and visited a county park- the Sawnee Mountain preserve.

Sawnee Mountain is not an extremely tall mountain but it has amazing panoramic views of the mountains to the north. It also has an interesting back story relating to Chief Sawnee and native American traditions involving the mountain. At 4 miles roundtrip, with few steep inclines, it’s a pretty manageable walk for adults or kids. There is also a nature center and some outdoor facilities like a ropes course. The only downside is NO DOGS ALLOWED. This is posted in several places so we decided not to test it and left the dogs at home.

The trails is pretty mundane, but there is an entrance to a creepy old mine along the way which is pretty interesting. As you get closer to the top, there are more and more rocks, including the “Indian Seats” which are seat like depressions in the rock were reportedly used for meditation and ceremonies by the Cherokee.

As far as parks and recreation very close to the metro area go, Sawnee Mountain is a pretty neat place. It's in west central Cumming and easily accessible from GA-400. It's an easy ~2 hour or so hike and it would be fun to have a picnic at the top among the rocks. 

So after our hike, we went to Wolf Mountain vineyards in Dahlonega. We have been there many times over the past several years and we love it. I am not a wine critic but everything they produce tastes lovely. It's about $10-15 dollars for a tasting, which includes 6 or 7 different wines with healthy servings sizes. There is also food available to order.

The view was spectacular, as we were there in the late afternoon as the sun was starting to set. I had never actually been there in the fall before and enjoyed seeing the vineyards turning golden. One of the things I enjoy most about living in Georgia, is the seasons and seeing how different scenery changes throughout the year. But on a different note, expect a post about Florida and it's year round sunshine soon!

      

Brasstown Bald and the Arkaqua trail 11-15-15

We figured we’d better get a jump on our 4000+ goal, so we hit up Brasstown Bald this past Sunday to do it up big. I had been to Brasstown before and honestly am not a huge fan of it because it is such a tourist attraction (more on that later). It does have beautiful views, though.

To balance out the crowds at Brasstown Bald, we decided to also hike along the Arkaqua Trail, which juts off of the parking lot at Brasstown. This was a lot of fun and very serene and secluded. We passed a handful of hikers but for the most part were alone.

The Arkaqua Trail follows a ridgeline between Brasstown Bald and Track Rock Gap. It is about 5.5 miles one way and we got too late of a start to do the whole thing. It would be a fairly difficult hike to do in one day and there is not really anywhere adequate to camp along the trail (at least not the part we saw).

Leaving from Brasstown, the trail is mostly downhill so if you start at Brasstown, you will have your work cut out for you. There is also a parking area at the opposite end of the trail.

We did about 2.5 miles of the trail and crossed over Chimneytop Mountain, which is another 4000 footer. It was a very enjoyable, scenic hike and quite different from other places we've been. Since it is a ridgeline much of the way, the views are pretty spectacular on both sides. 
There is a nice view of Brasstown Bald from the distance, as well as Young Harris down in the valley.                                                                            

The flora and fauna of the mountains is also very interesting. The trail is covered with mountain laurel and rhododendron and the branches form lovely little tunnels over the trail in several spots. I would love to return when the plants are blooming. 

We also saw lots of differently colored mosses and lichens. On the north side of the mountain, there were some icicles, which was surprising since it was about 60 degrees out. It seems the northside of the rocks is very sheltered and does not get much sunlight. 

We stopped at a point that was very steep and rocky and turned back to Brasstown. I made James trek up Brasstown Bald just so he could say that he did. I took some pics and we headed back down. We saw some of the strangest people on the observation platform (such as a woman taking maternity pictures while scantily clad and in extremely windy, cold weather), so we didn't stay long!! We were able to catch a beautiful sunset on the way down and the drive home.

We have plans to return to the Dahlonega area today to meet up with James' brother and sister at a vineyard, so we'll most likely get some more hiking in. I am also very much looking forward to the Thanksgiving break and hope we will be able to backpack overnight if the weather is nice.