Miller Trek Trail

Trailhead Arch

September 25, 2010

Starting Elevation: Miller Trek Trail Head 1,926'
Highest Elevation: 3,315 at Rocky Knob
Climb of 1,389' in the first 3 miles, mostly downhill back to trail head.

Time line
Start at trail head.
Right turn (15 mins) - first hard right off the blue blazed trail.
Pine thicket (19 mins) - after crossing the power cut.
Trail map sign (28 mins) - bear to the right at sign.
Small cove w/bridge (50 mins)
Cross over to south ridge of Rocky Knob (1hr 34mins) - Highest point on trail.
Long bridge (2hrs 11mins) - 100'+ of narrow deck that crosses boggy area.
Back to sign (2hrs 24mins)
Back to power cut (2hrs 39mins)
Trail intersection (2hrs 45 mins)
End back at trail head (approximately 3 hours)

In the mid 1990s, the state of Georgia decided it would be a good idea to build an 18-hole golf course and mountain resort near Young Harris. In addition to the main lodge, there are cabins dotting the hillsides, a spa, horse stables, and tennis courts, spread out over 500+ acres in an area that the Cherokee once referred to as "The Enchanted Valley". To me, the best features of the resort area are the 9 miles of hiking trails that meander through the mountain bogs and up on the ridges behind the main lodge.

The main trail is the Miller Trek Trail (in the process of being changed to lime green blaze trail markers) which begins near the main entrance to the resort at a parking area on the right. The trail head can't be missed as it is an elaborate rock and wooden arch. The trail is named after former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller. You may remember him as the fellow that challenged Chris Matthews of MSNBC's Hardball to a duel on national television during the coverage of the 2004 Presidential campaign. That bit of craziness aside, he is a resident of Young Harris, went to college there, and is still a very active member in the community.

This trail has become on of my most frequented due to its close location to my home, and the fact that there is a nice loop hike that can be done in about an hour and ten minutes. Also, the two other nearby trails (Arkaquah, and the Wagon Train Trail) are butt kickers for the first 1-2 miles. Sometimes it's nice to walk in the woods without feeling like you might suffer a coronary in the first 1/2 hour. I take the dogs here at least once a week for a change of pace from the neighborhood roads.

On this day we tackled the entire loop trail which, according to the brochure, is 6.5 miles in length. This is a great trail to take dogs on, without having to carry extra water for them. There are many spring branches & creeks for them to drink freely. Just remember that their gut can take drinking from the stream, and yours can't!

Winter time, as with most every hike in North Georgia, is the best time to take in the mountain views. On the return trip, once you have crossed over to the south slope of Rocky Knob, you can see the blue of Lake Chatuge in the direction of Hiawassee, GA. There are no clearings with a stunning vista, but this trail provides a nice ramble through the woods, includes creek bottoms, ridge tops, and all areas in between.

Regarding wildlife, I have seen a black bear on this trail, near the pine thicket, and Deer are also a common sight. However, this day's trip didn't include any wildlife sightings. If you desire a shorter hike, follow the blue blazes on a 2 mile loop trail that includes educational markers about the mountain habitat. Or, do both!

The Trail is Closed for a Reason.

The Saturday night before last brought some particularly strong wind to the Brasstown Valley. By the next morning, several trees reached the end of their life cycle. The combination of saturated soil and high winds is never a good thing for those trees with weaker root systems. When I arrived for a short hike with the dogs on Sunday, I was disappointed to see the sign that plainly stated "Trail is closed due to downed trees and hazardous conditions." Disappointed, we got back in the car and headed to another destination.

Well, last Saturday I again arrived at the trailhead hoping that it would be open, but the sign was still up. I wondered, 'How bad can it be?' and decided to throw caution to the wind and headed down the path with the two dogs leading the way. We didn't get very far when we came upon a downed pine that blocked the trail entirely and forced us to swing very wide through the underbrush before returning to the open path. Taking two 80 lb dogs on leashes, through underbrush is no picnic. They never seem to guess correctly on the path I wish to take.

We staggered our way around a couple more of these road blocks when we came upon a double hurdle. The dogs passed over the first one pretty easily. On the second one, the dogs failed to consider that their master couldn't quite get over the first one with the grace and speed of a four-legged animal.

They lunged over the second one as the very tip of my boot hung on the first one. The combination of their exuberance and my plodding led to a quick belly flop onto the second tree. Unfortunately this tree had some broken branches sticking up like stakes. I managed to fall, very quickly, taking one of these stakes right into my abdomen, then dropped chest first onto the ground. The dogs simply looked back with expressions of, 'why'd we stop?' or 'is it treat time already?'. They aren't the sympathetic type.

I knew that I fell hard, but my vanity always requires that I pop up and dust myself off as quickly as possible. On down the trail we went and finished up our one hour workout hike without another such incident.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized that my stomach was really hurting, and for good reason. The limb/stake actually tore a hole through my fleece and ripped a large hole in my t-shirt underneath. The photo below shows you the damage done to my flesh (sorry for those of you that don't want to see such a doughboy belly).

Luckily, it was a glancing blow that was more blunt-force trauma than flesh ripping puncture. When the sign says Trail Closed, heed the warning and go hike somewhere else.