Recently (Aug. 16-24) they were in from
Idaho to visit
family and friends here in Atlanta and
Asheville. It was the first time I got to
see them since they left in November for a new life in the potato state. I
guess I should flash back to the last time I saw them, which was also the last time we
hike the trail together.
Back in the fall, they told me that they were moving to
Idaho. I knew that they had a desire to move out west and their original
plan was Colorado, but Jeannie ended up getting a job in
Boise. So just before they
headed west I made an overnight trip to Asheville. On the drive up I stopped at
the
Foxfire Museum in Mountain City GA (more about that in a future blog) and
the
Oskar Blues Brewery in
Brevard, NC.
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Foxfire Museum in Mountain City, GA. |
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Church at Foxfire Museum. |
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The Tasty Weasel Tap Room... |
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...at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC. |
What this has to do with hiking with Matt and Jeannie, nothing really, but it is my blog. So when I arrived in Asheville, and after
Matt got his car serviced, we headed for a hike on Town Mountain off the
Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).
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Western Terminus of MST. |
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MST near Mt. Pisgah. |
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Town Mountain Road... |
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...& start of our hike at Cravens Gap. |
Our starting point was the parking area at Cravens Gap and
Matt, Jeannie, their dog
Hermey and I headed out on a
section of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail (MST). I have mentioned this before but the trail's Western Terminus is at Clingmans Dome and the MST cross the state of North Carolina and ends at Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the
Outer Banks. I have hiked bits and pieces of the MST because it shadows the BRP
from Black Balsam Knob to Mount Mitchell. Another interesting fact about the
section we hiked is it’s the same one President Obama and the First Lady hiked
when they visited Asheville in 2010.
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Stairs on the MST. |
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MST blaze is white circle. |
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Ox Creek Road. |
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Headed back up the MST. |
Anyway, the hike is a nice oneabout three-mile out and back trail (turn around is Ox Creek Road). I would
describe it as moderate hike but I should add that the most difficulty part was the pace
Matt set. At the start Matt told Jeannie to take Hermey and go on ahead as I got
my knee braces and gaiters on. I asked if he was afraid they would get too far ahead
and Matt said no we will catch-up. On most hikes I usually set the pace but not
when you were out with Matt. It had been a while since I had hike with him and
forgot how he could go. Also, unlike me he didn’t have trekking poles or even a
hiking stick.
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Matt waiting for my slow ass. |
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Hermey! |
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Nov, 2013: Matt & I on the MST. |
Oh, it didn’t take us too long to catch Jeannie and Hermey, but all and all it
was an excellent hike. After hiking we spent the rest of the evening eating and
drinking some adult beverages (Glen and Donna even came over from Greeneville).
Well, that brings us to our latest
get together. We met at Sweetwater Creek State Park over in Douglas County near
Lithia Springs (west of Atlanta). This was my first visit here and overall it
is a nice state park. I think Matt and his brother Nathan picked this park because
their Mom and Dad (Richard and Ruth) were coming up from Alabama. When Deb and
I arrived we were the first ones o our party at the park so we got to look at the lake,
called the George Sparks Reservoir, and then got to tour the visitor
center.
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George Sparks Reservoir. |
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Visitor center. |
It was a nice visitor center and was surprisingly built in
2006. It was constructed to
LEED Platinum standards which is the highest environmentally friendly level
attainable. Inside there were a number of exhibits, including some about the
Civil War which was fought in the park including one of the parks highlights,
the old
New Manchester & Sweetwater Manufacturing Company cotton mill
ruins, left that way by the Union Army (more about that later). Oh, like every Georgia State Park Visitor Center there was a Black Bear.
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I think ever visitor center has a Black Bear. |
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White Tail Deer. |
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Fox pouncing on a rabbit. |
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Great Horned Owl (not alive like the ones at Amicalola Falls). |
Still, it only
sprinkled and it was a nice hike to the point of a trail junction. It is here
that I must comment on the Georgia State Park Maps. I have been to I think eight state parks here in Georgia
(that and includes the Dahlonega Gold Museum) and the ones where I have used
the park map it
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Vogel map. |
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Sweetwater map. |
never seems to quite fit the trail you are on. I never really
noticed at
Amicalola Falls State Park, because let be honest the trails are so well
marked it is hard to get lost. No, the first time I noticed this about the map
was on the Tennessee Overlook Trail at
Black Rock Mountain State Park. However, when I really noticed that the
map didn’t correspond to the trail was at
Vogel State Park on the Bear Hair Trail back in December.
On our way we came to a junction at Sweetwater Creek. It was
here it started raining again and we started to hear the rumble of thunder. Deb
flat-out said she was heading back to the visitor center and think it crossed
Jeannie’s mind too, but she and the rest of the party decided to push on. Well, I would
be lying if I didn’t have a flashback to my hike at
Watauga Lake, but after
checking the weather on my phone I decided it was safe to move ahead.
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Sweetwater Creek. |
However, the factory was on borrowed time as four years
later when Union General
William Tecumseh Sherman was, literately, burning a path into
Georgia the Confederate Army decided it was best and retreated across the Chattahoochee River
leaving the factory exposed. On July 2, 1964 Sherman sent two Union Calvary
divisions under the command of Colonel Silas Adams and Major Havilland
Thompkins with orders to close the mill and arrest all workers. Seven days
later Sherman ordered the factory destroyed. The ruins still stand today.
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Another shot of the mill ruins. |
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The creek that once powered the mill. |
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These old Confederate guns were found in the creek near the mill site. |
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Three generations of Aloisios |
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Matt & I. |
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Matt showing everyone his stone skipping skills. |
After a second round of a stone skipping contest between
Matt and Nathan it was time to return. We made a stop at the visitor center to
pick-up Deb and take a quick break. Since we had been there earlier we decided
to show Matt’s nephew Dillon around the exhibits which included a snake room I
missed on my first visit.
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Back to the visitors center. |
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Albino corn snake. |
Well, it was back to the White Trail with Nathan’s
other son, Ian, leading the way. While going the wrong way was the biggest
problem coming in, coming back it was Dillon getting stung by a Yellow Jacket. I
know it hurts because I have been popped many times by these stripped devils,
but besides the sting hurting I think it scared him more (I know I have a bee
phobia most of my life).
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Great way to end the day. |
When we got back it was time to say our goodbyes. Deb and I
had to get back to Dawsonville and Matt and Jeannie were bugging out for Asheville that evening. I have to say it was great to see my "Idaho Family" but it was also sad because they live too far away these days. But there will be other days on the trail with them, maybe in Idaho...Grand Tetons?
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