Hiking with a Fat Bald White Guy: GEORGIA MOUNTAINS

HIAWASSEE

"AYUHWASI" is a Cherokee name given for a section of Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia. Hiawassee means "large meadow". It is the name given to a river that flows from Northern Georgia across North Carolina into Tennessee. A dam was constructed on this river by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1940's, the first of three, for flood control and hydroelectric power. The dam at Hiawassee Georgia created Lake Chatuge, a 7,000 acre lake on the North Carolina-Georgia border. We elected to visit there on the weekend of the 2017 Eclipse. Nearby is Brasstown Bald, the tallest mountain in Georgia.

BRASSTOWN BALD

Brasstown Bald is a 4784 foot peak located near Hiawassee Georgia. Known to the Cherokee as "Etonah". It was named Brasstown by early English settlers who mistook the Cherokee word for "itse yi" which means "new green place" for the Cherokee word, "untsai yi" which means "brass". Cherokee legend tells of a great flood when only the Cherokee people who sought refuge in a "great canoe"survived. When the flood subsided, the canoe was resting on top of a forested Etonah mountain. Being no wild animals to hunt, the Great Spirit created a meadow for the Cherokee to raise crops. It was thought by the Cherokee that this mountain bald was Etonah.

The mountain is accessed off of Georgia highway 180 up a steep winding road. Several trails converge on the parking lot which is a little over a half mile below the summit. A nicely paved but steep path provides access for hikers. A shuttle bus operates for those not inclined to take the trail. We got there late on our first day and scampered up the trail to take in the view.

A top the summit is a large fire and communication tower which is not accessible to the public. But surrounding the tower is a observation deck from where a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains can be enjoyed. On clear days, we were told, the skyline of Atlanta can be seen.

Scampering down the trail before sunset, we caught the view from an overlook on the south side of the parking lot.

There we were joined by a talkative retiree from Maine who worked part time at the park and a couple from England who flew in for the eclipse. And a tired old dog who seemed to be only mildly annoyed by our conversation.

The setting sun created an orange backdrop to the distant mountains. My Faithful Hiking Companion even caught the moon chasing the setting sun, aligning itself for the great eclipse the next day.

It was a spectacular orange sunset that seemed to illuminate the trees that framed the overlook.

Arkaguah Trail

We decided to hike the Arkaguah Trail on our second day in the Hiawassee. The trail is a ridge line trail of nearly six miles that connects the Brasstown Bald parking lot with Track Rock Gap. Trail reviews warned of a steep 1500 foot climb at the Track Rock Gap trailhead. We decided to access the trail from Brasstown Bald.

Not wanting to trek 11 miles and endure a 1500 foot climb at the halfway point, we decided to hike down the trail until we tired and return. The trail is a forested narrow path along the ridgeline. We soon realized that the path was a steady descent away from Brasstown Bald. The foliage limited the scenery to a few forest windows.

About 1.5 miles into the trail, we emerged onto a large rock from which we caught a view of the Brasstown Bald Summit.

Standing on my tip toes and braced against a tree I was able to zoom in on the summit tower and catch the American flag blowing in the breeze.

The trail would be a great winter trek as it is obvious that there were spectacular views being hidden by the thick summer greenery. We decided to end the hike at this overlook and return to the parking lot, clocking about 3.25 miles. On the way to the car, we looked to the summit of Brasstown Bald and saw Old Glory waving at us.

HELTON CREEK FALLS

Leaving Brasstown Bald, we went off into the Georgia back roads looking for waterfalls. After frustrating OnStar with our request to find a particular obscure waterfall, we happed upon a country store with a rather unique name. There we stopped for gas and directions. Fortunately for us the storekeeper at the Booger Hollow Store told us how to find the Helton Creek Falls.

We were instructed to follow Ga Highway 129 past the Vogel State Park and look for a sign on the right side of the road pointing to the access road on the left to Helton Creek Falls. We easily found the road and proceeded down to the falls. It was a narrow gravel forest service road. We were amazed at the number of vehicles we encountered. When we arrived at the trailhead we discovered that we were two of nearly 100 people crowding to see the falls.

A short trail down to the falls revealed that there were two cascades, each over 50 feet tall. At the upper cascade there were at least 75 people vying to wade, swim and gawk at the falls. It was hard to enjoy the majesty of the waterfall but I understood the excitement that folks felt as they waded into the shallow pool at the foot of the falls...and I joined them!

At the middle cascade, some folks created a stir as they noticed that Mr. Nicholas Noneck was nearby! We could only get a glimpse of the fellow as he hid beneath a log, but by the markings it appeared that all our tromping around had disturbed a Timber Rattlesnake!
As we proceeded to the lower cascades we found it to be shared by only 20 or so folks. But we were all entertained by the exploits of a young lass who was sliding down the waterfall laughing with each plunge. Her brother was a bit more timid...but all I could say is how wasted youth is on the young!

VOGEL STATE PARK

Right up Highway 129 from the Booger Hollow Store is a gem of a state park. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930's, Vogel State Park has a nice lake, cabins, hiking trails and a wonderful waterfall. We elected to take the mile lake loop and the Trahlyte Falls spur trail.

The spillway of the lake dam creates a wonderful waterfall nestled in the woods between Highway 129 and Vogel State Park lake.

I scrambled across the creek so that I could get a better view of the falls as my Faithful Hiking Companion remained on the observation deck. I am sure the waterfall is not a natural falls. As it was created by the CCC some 75 years ago, the weathered rocks form a nice cascade.

Leaving the waterfall, as we completed the loop we stopped into the CCC museum dedicated to preserving the history of the young men who built this park during the Great Depression.

The park is a living legacy to these young men. The lake, the cabins, the dam, the waterfall together with the hiking trails would not have existed but for their labor. The restored cabins have air conditioning and other amenities. It is a great hidden vacation getaway. Check it out. http://gastateparks.org/Vogel/

Eclipse 2017

The small mountain village of Andrews, North Carolina found itself in the path of the total eclipse of 2017. It dubbed itself "Totality Town North Carolina" and we joined about 15,000 folks gathering there on August 21st.

Even Sasquatch joined the festivities....along with a grad student from Ohio University who walked around making folks think he was an astronaut....I dubbed him Rocketman!

Some of the most entertaining folks we encountered was a family of immigrants from India who used the occasion of the eclipse to host a family reunion. They were easily recognized by their matching T-shirts...."Keep Calm and Eclipse On!"

There was a nice man from England who traveled the world following total eclipses. He set up a simple shadow display that resembled a pair of eyes and sold me a piece of welding glass that I used to take a selfie of the eclipse.

As the eclipse began we donned our NASA glasses and used various techniques to observe the movements of the sun and moon. Whether it was watching it through the telescope or lying on the grass field looking skyward, the event was spectacular!

Perhaps the most well prepared and most friendly of the folks we met was a guy from Andrews who set up his camera and no doubt captured some really nice images. His t shirt was a reminder of the real message of the day. "Here comes the Son"

You see for two minutes and a half, thousands of people across the United States, some of whom traveled great distances, paused from their daily lives and looked to the heavens. What we saw was an amazing display of God's handiwork. The intricate balance of nature that sustains our daily life was on display in a spectacular fashion. For two and a half minutes, our world stopped. There were no political divisions....no racial strife....no class conflict...we were neither rich nor poor... We stood still. The earth and the moon moved in a delicate celestial dance... a dance choreographed during the dawn of creation...played out over the ages to the awe, to the fear and to the amazement, and sadly, to the indifference of generations of mankind ....then when I had no words to adequately describe what I was seeing... I remembered.....

I recited Psalm 46:10