Bad Winter...so far.

This has not been the best winter for me. It has been a very wet season in North Georgia, particularly with rainfall. But, it has been the unusual amounts of snow that has caused me the most trouble. Living on the side of a mountain isn't the best place to be when any amount of snow has accumulated on the driving surfaces. Union County has endured at least three major events that have left me unable to enter my driveway for days at a time. I know that my Yankee friends scoff at this, but when you live in an area that may have one snow event per year that tops three inches, the local budget and equipment for snow removal is sorely lacking.

Did you know that snow can be slippery? Especially when there may be hidden objects lurking beneath the pretty white powder; maybe some pieces of lumber that were supposed to be installed last summer as a trellis for my Rasberry bush?

Around December 13 we had snow on the ground when it became my job to hike down and around a retaining wall to check the level in the liquid propane tank. The snow wasn't terribly deep, around three or four inches and it seemed harmless enough to plod on down the hill and.....

I was on the ground before I knew what had happened. The last thing I saw were my feet pointing up to where the trees limbs hung. While in the act of walking, you should never be able to look up and see the tops of your shoes. I landed flat on my back, which protested with cracking sounds that ran up my vertebrae. A split second later, my head whipped back and did not nestle gently into the snow. It made a resounding thump as it discovered the leaves and twigs that are normally exposed on the ground. The whole episode sounded like the cartoon noise we are all so familiar with when Wiley Coyote, Yogi the Bear, or Scooby and Shaggy hit the ground hard. That sound is remarkably true to life. It is the sound of flesh and cartilage and bone hitting the earth, combined with the grunt and rush of air that leaves the lungs....all at the same time.

As usual, when I fall, I try to get back up as quickly as possible. This reaction is a combination of proving to myself that the injury is not great, and to prevent anyone seeing me laid out uncontrollably prone. I got up, brushed off the wet and cold snow and spied the lumber that did me in. Before taking another step, I flung it into the treeline so as to prevent other such episodes. I continued my journey, checked the propane level (less than 5%...shit) and went on about my business.

It wasn't until the next night at bedtime, when I went to lay my large head down onto the pillow, that the sensation of damage to my neck came rushing into reality. It was like my head was too heavy for my neck muscles to support. I had to take my hands and hold the back of my neck for extra support on the way down, and the same thing in the morning as I attempt to rise up from my slumber. This went on for a few days until the pain migrated behind my left shoulder blade, up the left side of my backstrap, into my neck and up behind my left ear. Nagging, nagging, nagging pain for weeks...until I found myself on the ground again about 6 weeks later...to be continued.

Birding in 2010

2010 ended up being a pretty good year for adding birds to my list. In January I added the Song Sparrow and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

A February trip to the Alabama coast found me spotting a Cedar Waxwing and a Royal Tern at Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, respectively. In Spanish Fort, AL a Boat-tailed Grackle was seen perching on the reeds next to Ed's Seafood on the Battleship Parkway. I really expected to add more species during this trip, but forgetfulness got the best of me. During a day trip from Mobile to Dauphin Island, across Mobile Bay on the ferry, and a drive through the Bon Secour Wildlife Area, I discovered that I left my binoculars and bird book where I was staying in Mobile. I will make a return trip to this area and it's wonderful Alabama Coastal Birding Trail stops.

In between the Alabama trip and a May visit to Washington, D.C. (where a Ring-billed Gull was seen at the U.S. Capitol reflection pool), I spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Augusta Canal, and made acquaintance with a Great Horned Owl that I have been hearing for months in the woods near my home. Also spotted here in North GA was a Northern Flicker (yellow shafted variety), a Brown-headed Cowbird and a House Finch.

My greatest haul occurred during an August trip to Hunting Island and Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge in coastal SC. At Hunting Island I spotted a Black Skimmer, Willet, Tri-colored Heron, Sandwich Tern, and  Ruddy Turnstone. Pinckney Island sightings included a White Ibis (or hundred), Common Moorhen, Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Black-crowned Night Heron and American Bittern.  Pinckney Island is a fantastic place to bird watch, but it was damn hot! I strongly recommend taking a bicycle, an ample supply of water, and sunscreen.

After that trip, almost four months of nothing new until a snow storm in December brought a Pine Siskin and a Purple Finch to my deck to munch on some sunflower seeds. My final sighting for 2010 goes to a Northern Harrier spotted near Washington, GA, swooping and gliding along a pine forest near Hwy 17. The white patch above its tail gave it away.   

All of that made for a total of 26 birds for 2010.

I already have 2011 kicked off by sighting a Red-tailed Hawk munching on some varmint by the side of Hwy 180 near Vogel State Park (GA). I can't believe it has taken me a year and a half to finally spot one. This brings my list total to 66 birds since May 2009.

Double Knob South

Via Wagon Train Trail, June 21, 2008

Elevation Start: 1,800'
Elevation at Double Knob, south summit: 4,040'
Elevation gain: 2,240'

Time Line
Start at red gate behind Rollins Hall at Young Harris College
To Wagon Train Trail (30mins)
Spring at the head of Darr Cove (59mins)
Crest of Double Knob Ridge (1hr 10mins) - this is where you begin bushwhacking.
Found USGS marker at 3,596' el (1hr 35mins)
Double Knobs, north summit (1hr 52mins)
Double Knobs, south summit (2hrs 4mins)
Back to Parking Area (3hrs 26mins)

This trip includes 54 minutes of blazing your own trail through underbrush. Most of Georgia's 4000' peaks are not directly accessible by trail, and involve a bit of bushwhacking. Some bushwhacking trips are more adventurous than others. This one wasn't too terrible other than when a lone hornet drilled into the back of my right calf as I was making my way back down to the trail.

As I pushed my way past laurel and rhododendron bushes, along with the occasional  brier patch, I made my way up towards the summit. There is no particular method I use in bushwhacking. The idea is to simply keep going in the direction of up until the highest point is reached. Hopefully a purchase of a hand held GPS in the near future will be of great help for trips like this.

I ascended the north summit from which I could plainly make out the higher south summit. I hate to sound like a broken record on some of these "peakbagging" trips, but the view from either peak is negligible. Both are completely covered with trees. In the near future I plan to do this trip in the winter when the views are completely different than the full foliage of June.

As you can see, coming down is a bit easier than going up, as it took only 1hr 22mins to return to the parking area. The best time to use this trail is when Young Harris College is not in session. With the students gone, there is abundant parking.

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!

Brasstown Bald via Arkaquah Trail 8/29/2010

TIME LINE

3:45 PM start, 2200' elevation
3:55 small spring (10mins)
4:54 Buzzards Roost Ridge overlook, 3640' elevation (1hr 9mins)
5:10 begin ascent from Cove Gap up to Locust Log Ridge (1hr 25mins)
5:25 begin descent from Locust Log Ridge (1hr 40mins)
5:33 rock seat at Low Gap, then ascent (1hr 48mins)
5:50 spring at rock formation on the north side of Blue Bluff (2hrs 5mins)
6:03 ridge with east view (2hrs 18mins)
6:30 rock pass through (2hrs 45mins)
6:35 slab on Chimneytop (2hrs 50 mins)
7:15PM arrive at parking area, 4,320; elevation (3hrs 30 mins)

This is one of my favorite trails in North Georgia. It may be the combination of the tough ascent up to Buzzards Roost Ridge mixed with the ancient Native American history of the Trackrock Gap petroglyphs. Also, the fact that the trail head is a mere 3 1/2  miles from my front door doesn't hurt.  The dogs and I have used it many times as a short workout hike, usually trudging up the hour or so that it takes to get to a fine view of the Plott Town and Jacksonville communities.

I first completed this hike to the top of Brasstown Bald on Easter in 2007. This is the first time since then that I have completed the trip all the way to the parking area, which lies .6 miles below the summit. So, if you're looking to make this your trail of choice for ascending Brasstown Bald, add in another 20mins to reach the summit. The Easter hike was an in and out hike that took eight and a half hours to complete. This time again, I had Jennifer pick me up at the parking area so I could enjoy the ride back down, not to mention that darkness would have swallowed me about halfway back.

Like so many of my hikes in this area, the number of people that you pass on the trail is minimal. This day was no exception as I passed a couple and their dog a mere 30 minutes into the hike. From that point on, it was just me and the dogs.

The first hour and nine minutes involved a climb of 1,440' to get up onto the Buzzard Roost Ridge where there is a vantage point from a cluster of boulders where I always like to take a short break. From here, the trail continues along a narrow ridge where you can spy the tower on Brasstown Bald through the treetops. It looks closer than the two hours and a bit that it will take to travel across the ridges and up and down the peaks on the way to the parking area.


In the winter, the views are certainly better than the curtain of green that covers the trees in the summer. Views to the west overlook the Track Rock, Town Creek, and Choestoe Valley areas of the county. I wish there were some bluffs, much like the one on top of Blood Mountain, that would provide a more open view.

Leaving Buzzard Roost Ridge, the trail drops down into Cove Gap, thus beginning a series of ascents and descents until you break out into the open on the rocky top of Chimneytop Mountain (another of the Georgia 4000' peaks). This is also a nice spot to sit and give your legs a rest. From here, the trail is fairly level, taking you through the lush rhododendron and laurel tunnel all the way to the parking area.

The sweat on my body becomes a cold dampness as I break into the open at 4,320' elevation, where even on a late August evening in Georgia the wind makes it cool enough that I'm glad for the fleece stowed away in my pack. I stroll to the far end of the lot near where Jacks Knob Trail comes in from the south. There is a nice view from the picnic area back to the north, where a family is enjoying a late picnic all the while fighting the battle to keep their plates and napkins from blowing away.

As the sun begins to drop behind the ridges to the west, my ride arrives, ending yet another great day of hiking in North Georgia.

Coosa Bald, March 15, 2008

Summit Elevation 4,280' - 11th highest in Georgia
Wolfpen Gap Elevation 3,140'
Elevation Gain 1,140'
Time to Summit - 55 minutes

There are a few different approaches to reach this summit. On this day, I chose the Coosa Backcountry Trail at Wolfpen Gap on Ga Hwy 180. Traveling north from this point, you head towards the summit of Coosa Bald. Traveling south you make your way up the steep and rocky trail towards Slaughter Mountain. If you are particularly ambitious, from Wolfpen Gap you can summit Coosa Bald, Slaughter and Blood Mountains all in the same day. The trail at this point is actually a combined trail including the Coosa Backcountry Trail and the Duncan Ridge Trail.

From Wolfpen Gap, the trail rises slightly then turns away from what was obviously the old path, as you could see the blue and yellow blazes continuing straight up the slope. Once in a while, the forest service decides that the old trail is becoming too eroded, thus a new pathway to give the old ground a chance to heal itself. To make sure that no one mistook the old trail for the new, piles of brush or dirt are placed to discourage hikers from following the path. However, at this point, the trees on the newer trail had yet to be adorned with their blazes of blue and yellow to tell me I was on the right path.

After 32 minutes of cutting back and forth (the new path utilizes the natural contour more than the old which appeared to travel straight up and over Wildcat Knob), the new trail re-connected with the old trail on the back side of Wildcat Knob, where the blazes came back into view. Just below this point, the trail intersects with a Forest Road before continuing up the hill to the steepest part of the climb. The trail at this point leaves behind the soft earth which is replaced by loose cobbles. A steady climb of about 17 minutes placed me at the intersection of the Coosa Backcountry Trail with the Duncan Ridge Trail. If you take this right turn, you will wind your way back down off of the slope and end up at W. Wolf Creek Road, heading in a direction toward Sunrise Grocery and GA Hwy 129.

My aim is to reach the summit, so I continue straigh ahead on the Duncan Ridge Trail. From this intersection it only took me 6 minutes to reach the summit, where there is a very small area of granite that provides a view to the west. Most noticeable about Coosa, like the other Balds, is that they aren't really bald. I assume that many years ago, when the names were assigned, the timber was stripped off the mountaintops thus giving them their names.

Currently there are many hardwoods atop Coosa which surely contributes to the lack of a vista in the summer. But, I am here without foliage and enjoy the views that can be seen through the trees. From the granite slab, the view is in the direction of Suches, GA, and to the left I can make out Slaughter and Blood Mountains, with the top of the latter obscured by clouds.

The wind picked up as I sat down on the rock to take a break. I notice a mountainous wave of clouds approaching from the west, covering far off peaks one by one. I knew before I began this hike that a storm front was approaching. I just thought that they would arrive later in the day.  In a matter of minutes, my hike in partly cloudy conditions becomes a near white out.

After quickly eating a banana, taking a couple of pictures, and situating my day pack, I re-trace my steps back down the mountain. Almost simultaneously, it began to lightly rain. A few yards later, I am shaken by a loud thunderclap. Great. I pick up the pace, figuring my car to be a much safer place than a ridge top. Three or four more thunderclaps and the rain intensifies, as my pace does accordingly. In all of natures wrath, I hear the distinct gobble of a Tom Turkey. I guess even a storm doesn't interfere with the task of impressing a hen.

I finally made it to my car, happy to be sheltered from the bad weather. The night before, a tornado interrupted the mens SEC Basketball Tournament by trying to rip the roof off the Georgia Dome. This day was a continuation of that weather pattern which ended up as the most tornado filled day in North Georgia history! Nevertheless, a great day for a hike.

Sweltering Summer

Even though the North Georgia mountain region is known for being an escape from the heat of the Piedmont, Sand Hills, and Coastal Plains regions of the state, this summer has seemed hotter than usual. Or, maybe as my body ages, it just doesn't handle the heat as well. Or, it's that extra 30 lbs I've managed to pack on since last summer.

Earlier in the season we had plenty of rain that managed to keep the air fresh and the temperatures down somewhat. But, for the past month it has been too hot for me to feel like doing anything beyond my never ending yard work.

My goal of attaining the summits of all of the 4000' peaks in Georgia requires bushwhacking, on many occasions, in order to reach the top. Doing this in the summer months involves a lot of contact with briers, which tend to win the battle against the flesh of my legs. I still have scars from the summer of 2008! This is an activity best left for fall and winter once the vegetation has died back a bit.    

Without any new ridge walking tales to tell, the next few posts are going to focus on hikes that I have taken and documented in the past three years. The majority of these took place in North Georgia, and include many of the 4000' peaks listed on peakbagger.com.

So, until I get back out there in real time, enjoy some history...coming soon!