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. 

                                                   

Raven Cliffs Wilderness 11-11-15

I had Veteran's Day off this past Wednesday and the weather was gorgeous so I took a solo trip to Raven Cliffs in Cleveland. James had to work and I didn't know if I could wrangle both dogs, so it was just me. It had rained here for the ~10 days prior, so I had to take advantage of the sunshine and high of 70 degrees. 

The Raven Cliffs Wilderness is about an hour and a half north of where I live and because most other people were at work, was a quiet drive and hike. It is about 5 miles roundtrip but I spent several hours there, just looking around. It was one of the most beautiful places I have been in Georgia.

The trail is very easy to hike and goes right alongside the water almost the whole way to the falls. It is very peaceful. The water is crystal clear and at the beginning of the trail there is a lovely swimming hole type area, as well as some picnic tables.


There are two smaller falls before you reach the main fall at the end of the trail. All are equally interesting and impressive in their own way. I could have spent hours at each one just watching the water and climbing around.

There were so many spots I thought would be perfect for just sitting and reading a book or relaxing (or, you know, climbing trees which I totally did a few times to get good pictures). 

The entire place feels like something out of a fairy tale, not to mention the whimsical name "Raven Cliffs" to boot. It makes me think of something out of "Game of Thrones. 

At the end of the trail, at the largest waterfall, you can continue to climb up onto a rocky bald face that is opposite the waterfall. This does involve climbing up some rocks, over fallen trees, etc and requires caution. 


Once atop the bald, there is a nice panoramic view of neighboring mountains and the waterfall. The sun was directly over the waterfall when I there so I was not able to get any good pictures of the waterfall from that height. 



I will definitely be returning to Raven Cliffs with James and the dogs. Actually, I'd like to camp overnight (really, I'd like to just live here). There are several campsites along the trail and I think falling asleep alongside the water would be awesome. 

            

Rainy day gear post

I don't plan on writing a lot about hiking or camping gear, however it has been raining here all week and the forecast is dismal for today and tomorrow. Sadly, we won't be able to go hiking at all this weekend, which sucks because today is my birthday. Sooo, next best thing- shopping!

Disclaimer- I don't really like promoting products or advertising. I also believe every person is unique and gear is highly specific to each person's needs. What works for me, may not work for you. That being said, on my birthday excursion to REI, we did find some really cool lanterns. They are inflatable and solar powered. They collapse down and weigh next to nothing. Basically, the concept is like paper party lanterns but these are durable and energy efficient. We put them on a window sill on a very cloudy, rainy day and they still charged up in no time. Lanterns are one of those bulky camping items that really don't fit well anywhere, so we were pretty excited about these!

Luci Lights

Blood Mountain 10-31-15

In the spirit of Halloween, we decided to hike Blood Mountain. It was a chilly, cloudy, blustery day and felt just like Halloween should feel. Although Blood Mountain is one of the taller mountains in Georgia, it is one of the closest major mountains to where we live. It's located near Dahlonega, which is a great place to visit in and of itself, and we have been there on several other occasions. However, yesterday we were on a timeline (had to get home to watch the FL/GA game- although we totally could have missed that!) so we focused just on hiking.

We started at the ever popular Byron Reece Trailhead off Hwy 19 in Blairsville. We arrived around 10 am and started out. I hiked Blood Mountain about 7 years ago but it was during the summer and everything looked totally different this time of year. 

I love the stream that runs along the beginning of the trail and the changes in foliage as the elevation rises. There were still some red and yellow leaves showing through but most of the leaves had fallen. The trail was a little slick due to some light rain and the leaves covering the ground. The trail is very rocky and root filled, so exercise caution if the ground is wet. I actually fell on the way down on a spot that didn't even look that slippery.

One of the things I like most about the Blood Mountain trail is the "pattern" of the trail. It starts off pretty slow and level, giving you time to warm up. The hardest parts are in the middle, briefly, and then the climb to the summit is pretty relaxed. So for me, it doesn't feel strenuous at all. It is a very enjoyable hike.

Since we had the dogs with us, we didn't spend too much time at the summit. It's hard to wrangle two 

dogs without someone falling off a cliff. It was also very windy and cold at the top and our sweet Nova was a bit chilly (we forgot to bring her sweater). I would say it was probably 15 degrees colder at the summit than in the parking area. We poked around the "hut" and took some pictures before heading back down. Both Nova and Tennille had a great time climbing around the rocks and exploring. Their dachshund noses are in heaven out in the woods. 

All in all, we had a great midday hike and now we can say we officially hiked our first 4000+ peak. We finished around 1:30 pm and made it back home to watch the game, although we should have just stayed in the mountains! The Blue Ridge was looking particularly blue and misty because of the clouds and it was so peaceful.

I'd definitely like to come back again soon and hike further along the Appalachian Trail, camp overnight or visit some of the other recreation areas nearby. Happy November!