Rabun Bald 12-26-17

Can you tell one of my new year's resolutions is to write more? Just kidding, I don't really believe in making resolutions. I just change stuff whenever the mood strikes. 

I was off work the day after Christmas and it didn't really seem like anyone else was, so I went hiking by myself. I finally got in another 4000+ mountain in Georgia! I drove up to Sky Valley and hiked Rabun Bald. I love how the GPS informed me when I was crossing into North Carolina and back into Georgia. 

I started my hike at Beegum Gap, which is essentially on a narrow road with mountain houses all along it, so you have to be cautious when parking. 

It was a very cold day, probably a high under 40 degrees and fairly windy but the sun was out so it wasn't too bad. There was a ice on parts of the trail though and I saw a lot of cool icicle formations. The trail is fairly easy and steadily gains elevation, no major ups or downs. It took me 2 hours on the nose to finish and that was with spending about half an hour at the top. 

Aside from the stunning views at the top, I was most impressed with the amazing rhododendron tunnels along nearly the entire trail. I would love to come back when they are blooming. Rhodies are one of my favorite plants and sadly ours were crushed during a recent snow storm (still not really sure how since they are very sturdy plants). 

I only saw 5-6 people along the entire trail and I met a nice photographer at the top who gave me a DVD about the Chattooga River, which I have not watched yet, but am looking forward to because I would like to explore the Chattooga more in the future. 

I can honestly say I have not experienced a more serene environment in a long time. There was absolutely no noise aside from the few people I encountered and the sound of a leaf blower once I got closer to the start of the trail. I've never experienced silence like this before except when I went to Mammoth Caves as a child. Truly amazing. 

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.

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. 

                                                   

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!