Winter trip 1-30-16

• Distance: Long/overnight
• Terrain:    Difficult
• Location: Unicoi Gap trailhead (White/Towns County)

The temperatures were unseasonably warm at the end of January so we took a chance and did an overnight trip on the Appalachian Trail between Unicoi Gap and Tray Mountain. I'm pretty sure James wanted to kill me after that trip, so we've taken a few weekends off since then.

The weather was absolutely heavenly with clear blue skies and highs in the 60's, so the challenging terrain was definitely worth it. This is not an easy hike, as it starts out immediately climbing Rocky Mountain, then another smaller mountain (not sure which one), then Tray Mountain. And since it is not a loop, you have to then turn around and hike Rocky Mountain again to get back to the parking area at Unicoi Gap. Should you not want climb Rocky Mountain twice, there are parking areas at the base of Tray Mountain (best described as a muddin' pit when we were there due to rain/snow during the past week) and Rocky Mountain  (Andrews Cove parking area).

Both Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain are over 4000 feet, so I felt quite accomplished when we were done. A little sore and tired, but definitely proud. I have been very busy and stressed out at work lately (hence the lack of posting) and I really needed to get outside and be away from everything for a while. It was absolutely quiet and peaceful at night, other than a few bird sounds. We ended up camping at the summit of the smaller mountain between Rocky and Tray Mtn, so we had a great view of the sunrise and sunset.

As I mentioned before, it had snowed the previous week and although the weather was much warmer by the time we were there, the northern sides of the mountains were still covered with snow. It was strange to be in sunny, 60 degree weather wearing lightweight clothing and seeing snow on the ground. It was also extremely hard to hike in!! It basically felt like quicksand. I have hiked in snow before but not while wrangling a dog and with a large backpack on. Trekking poles are recommended!!

Sidenote: I have seen "hands free" leashes before and always laughed at the concept (basically a belt for the human, with a leash attached), however, we ended up looping our backpack waist straps through the handle of the dog leashes and it was incredibly easier to hike this way. Tennille had a blast camping and "helping" gather sticks for the fire. Nova was a little unsure, but ended up loving the sleeping bag concept. I have a feeling she will like camping better in warm weather.

Mount Yonah 1-17-16

• Distance- short
• Terrain- moderately difficult
• Location- Cleveland (White County)

Last Sunday was a stunningly beautiful sunny day so we chose a iconic NEGA (Northeast Georgia) mountain for our hike. Strangely enough most days we hike, it is cloudy and we rarely get a clear blue sky as a back drop. 

Mount Yonah is a very popular mountain. In fact, I might even call it a "party" mountain. There were definitely more people there than we have ever seen on other hikes. So if you are looking for solitude and peace, this is not your mountain. We encountered several large groups of teenagers and very young adults along the way who were quite noisy. Yes, I'm an old curmudgeon who prefers silence while I hike.

Mount Yonah is also a training area for the Army Ranger School and there are certain times of the year the general public should not visit. Reference this handy, grammatically questionable sign for further information. 

Mount Yonah is a very rocky mountain and large stretches of trail are covered with boulders. It makes for an interesting hike, especially with dogs since mine think they are mountain goats and like to just bound over the rocks.

The trail is one of the more difficult ones we've experienced due to some steep inclines and the rocky path. It is also mentally challenging because you can see the summit of the mountain throughout the whole hike and it just looks so far away.It's really not a long hike though, at about 4.25 miles up and back. 

The summit is very rocky and can be dangerous, so don't get too close to the edge while taking those selfies! Unfortunately people have died falling from the rocks on Mount Yonah. We also encountered ice near the summit due spring water coming out of the side of the mountain along the trail. This section also happened to be incredibly windy, so be very cautious on cold days.

There are several spots great for picnicking or camping and judging by the amount of people we saw with overnight gear, it seems Mount Yonah is very popular for camping. 

Unfortunately I did observe more trash on the mountain than other places we've been recently and also a still smoldering but unattended fire. The previous campers had put a rock over the ashes but this actually created a draft which kept the ashes smoldering. Don't worry, Ranger Cara was there to put it out!! 

Despite the gorgeous views and interesting trail up Mount Yonah, it's things like this that make me stick to less traveled wilderness areas typically. I just like being the only person on the trail (well, I'll let James come along too)

I don't understand why it's so hard for some people to follow the mantra "take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints". Like if you are interested in nature enough to go on a hike, why would you leave garbage?? Regardless, Mount Yonah was beautiful and I'm happy we got up there on a sunny day. 

Mystery Trail Rich Mountain Wilderness 1-3-16

Oh, the Rich Mountain Wildlife Management Area- what a love/hate relationship we have. Love that it's relatively close by and beautiful, hate that I can never seem to navigate it the way I intend to. Yes, I know it's a WMA and it's mostly un-managed, however I keep stabbing away at it hoping to find a magical trail that will actually take me where I want to go. All the while repeating a mantra in my head- "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" x100.

The first time we went there last fall, we attempted to hike around the southern end of the area off of Hwy 52 in Ellijay near the Cartecay River. Several websites mentioned a loop trail along the Cartecay River, which sounded heavenly because it was still really warm outside and the dogs with us, so they could swim. But we never really found said trail "along" the river so after wandering for a few miles, we gave up. We did see the river, but there didn't appear to actually be a trail along it. 

So I did some more research and found what I thought to be decently clear map/guide which clearly highlighted a trail that would hit both Rich Mountain and Big Bald Mountain (both 4000+) so off we went. I'm not going to post a link to that map because it ended up being confusing once we got there. This time we went to the northern end of the area along Rock Creek Road, near Cherry Log off of Hwy 76. 

The drive along Rock Creek Road is stunning, with several large horse pastures and a great view of the mountains.What we ended up hiking was an old gravel road that wound through the woods and crossed several small streams. Apparently it was the trail I actually wanted but from the map we had, I wasn't sure so we only hiked about 5 miles roundtrip. We also reached a water crossing that was too wide to jump and it was really cold out, so we stopped at that point.


On the map linked below, we were on the black trail that goes south between the Blue ranger station (vacant when we were there) and the Pink parking area (the Aska Trail System). At the Pink parking area, there actually is a bulletin board with the Aska Trails clearly lined out. These go north toward Blue Ridge.

Upon returning home, I was able to find a better map and compare features on it to what we hiked and now that I have that, I would definitely like to return. We will probably hike the same road again and camp overnight, as there were several secluded spots perfect for that, including one with a great fire ring already set up.

It is a very pretty area and just feels rugged. Honestly it reminds me a little bit of Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic where I have been a few times to hike and ski. I mean, seriously, the hills with the horse pastures totally look like the "The Sound of Music". And it's just kind of nice being the only people on the trail.

One other thing to note with Rich Mountain WMA is that it is predominantly a hunting area. During popular hunting seasons, I myself would probably avoid going there or taking dogs. On the days we've been there within the past few months, though, we've only seen 1-2 other people around.