AT Day Hike At Amicalola Falls Or That's Owl Folks

AT Logo.

Well, while not on the Appalachian Trail (AT) proper, there are not many places that ooze AT more

than Amicalola Falls State Park, and that it is why it is my latest AT Day Hike. I was back at the park for the fourth time on Sunday as it was Appalachian Trail Kick-Off (ATKO) Weekend.

Janey Hensley speaks.

There were two reasons we went for ATKO and one on why we went on Sunday. The first reason is the weekend is a celebration of all things AT. I mean it is the official kick-off to the 2014 thru-hiking season. It was cool to get to hear from Trail Angel Janet Hensley about the AT trail  

community. Also, I got to take in a seminar on the history of the trail from the Communication Director of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, Ron Hamlin.

Amicalola Falls in the Fall.

The second, which I will get into more details about later, is, one of the Seven Wonders of Georgia, Amicalola Falls. The third happened to be on Sunday, which was scheduled to close the ATKO, and was the parks famous Owl Show with the birds of Amicalola Falls. Back in October, when I was last at the park, I happened to be at the small amphitheater behind the visitors’ center. I was about to start my hike up the East Ridge Trail but there happen to be a man and girl with a beautiful black vulture. It turns out his name (the vulture) was Fabio and he is one of the Birds of Amicalola Falls. As luck would have it they were about to have a show with the other birds of prey at the park.

The story behind the Birds of Amicalola Falls is these birds are animals that were injured or in some other way cannot be re-released to the wild. So as it is, either they have to be used in an educational program or destroyed. So, through the show they get a second chance at life. On the day I was there in addition to Fabio, also featured were an American Kestrel named Moseby and Sir Lands A Lot, a Red Tailed Hawk. However, the stars of the show are the owls.

The first owl is a Barred Owl (better known as a Hoot Owl) named Owl Capone. There is also a Barn Owl named Ouija who has the most heart wrenching story. He was hit by a car and then fell into a vat of pesticides, but survived.  Most of these owls got here because of trash people thrownout on the side of the road. No owls don’t eat people’s trash, they eat what eats the trash and that is how the end up getting hit.

 

The Black Vulture Fabio.

Moseby, American Kestrel.

Barred Owl, Owl Capone.

Sir Lands A Lot, a Red Tailed Hawk.

 

Barn Owl named Ouija.

Zeus, the Great Horned Owl.

 

The box...

...Goliath came in.

 

Lauretta with Gizmo.

The largest owl in the show is a gorgeous Great Horned Owl named Zeus. Just think that an owl like him can carry off 16 lbs. of prey (so watch out for you little yappy dogs). The next owl had a box with caution stickers. Laurette Dean, the park ranger and bird handler who led the show said that the owl in the box was named Goliath and was the most dangerous of her birds. So, it is a surprise when she pulls out this small, cute Eastern Screech Owl, it was truly a funny moment. Finally a Red Phase Eastern Screech Owl named Gizmo was brought out to join his cousin Goliath. 

I know Deb was jealous, because I was at the show and she wasn’t , if you didn’t know she loves owls. Anyway, when I floated the idea of going to the ATKO events at Amicalola and told Deb there was an owl show on Sunday I knew that was the day we were going. The owl show was to be held, not at the visitors’ center but at the Amicalola Falls Lodge. The lodge is a 56 room hotel with a restaurant and convention rooms in the park. We could have driven to the lodge but instead we decided to hike over a mile up to the top, via the East Ridge Trail.

Yes, we could have taken the 600 steps up the staircase at the falls. However, I have done that and like the sign says it is strenuous. Knowing that Deb would not like that climb and the fact she only made it halfway up the East Ridge Trail, back in April, that seemed like the logical route. Just to add, I personally like that way up because it is mostly trail. While not as hard as the stairs it is not an easy hike.

Deb & I at the Arch.

So, after arriving and a short trip to the visitors’ center we did the whole walk through the famous arch at the park. It is a stone arch with a sign to the left that gives one the miles to the southern terminus at Springer Mountain and the northern end of the AT at Mount Katahdin. Added to the sign at some point after our April, 2013 visit (and before my October one) was the millage to the trailhead of the Benton MacKaye Trail. The arch, while not the actual starting point of the AT, it is the spiritual one and a good spot for a photo.

The old sign for half the steps.

The first half on the East Ridge Trail is like the AT, a dirt path with switchbacks, the second half it is a straight road bed, which if you have ever been on one can be difficult. One of the cool things we found on our way up was a tree that looked to have termites and the bark had been recently stripped. Right up from the tree where the trail meets the roadbed we found some tracks. These tracks and the tree look like signs that bears are up and moving around. While we didn’t see any bears, we made it to the top and then took the trail up to the lodge. It must be added that there are a number of overlooks where one can see the valley below and the North Georgia Mountains including Mount Oglethorpe on the trip up.

 

Tree bear has a go at.

Looks like a bear track.

The vista from the East Ridge Trail.

This time the owl show was inside and it was somewhat abbreviated. On this show Sir Lands a Lot and Moseby were absent, but Deb was there to see owls and she wasn’t disappointed. This time Laurette was joined by her twin sister LaVergne Beyer and the first bird out front was not an owl but the good old black vulture, Fabio. After that the show was all owls. Owl Capone was first up and then the youngest person to solo thru-hike the AT Nerva “Chipmunk” Warren asked to help with the always dangerous Goliath, she survived. His cousin Gizmo was next out of the box, literally. The final two owls were Zeus and my personal favorite Ouija. All-in-all it was a fun show and I know Deb enjoyed it.

LaVergne & Fabio.

Owl Capone in a stare down.

Goliath!

I am Gizmo.

Zeus might think your a Chipmunk.

 

Ouija is mesmerized by a finger.

The second reason, I mentioned earlier, wound up our trip and that was to see the parks claim to fame, the falls. I have been to around 20 waterfalls in Georgia and for me there is no doubt that the undisputed number one falls is the 729-foot wonder at the park, I have seen it four times and it never gets old.  It is big, there are four different places to view the falls. The first is from “The Top of the Falls,” which has a footbridge that goes over where the water cascades down the valley below. 

The Top of the Falls (video to the right).

 

While the top has a great view it is hard to argue that the most impressive point is the middle viewing bridge. It is here that one gets the best look at the falls. You can climb 175 steps up or 425 from the top down to the middle bridge. However, all levels of the falls have trails that lead to a parking area and climbing, if you are not into that, is not required. The trail to the middle bridge is one of those spongy trails so it is easy on the feet and joints. The next two levels the bottom deck and Reflection Pool share the same parking area.

The middle falls (video to the right).

 

The bottom viewing deck, which does have a slight uphill if you come up from the parking area, gives maybe the best view of how large the falls are. One thing to remember about the bottom deck that the best view from here is when there is no leaf cover, meaning late fall, winter or early spring. The last level is at the Reflection Pool. 

 

From the bottom viewing deck (L&R).

 

 The pool is more like a pond and is even stocked with trout. Like the bottom deck the best time to view is when there is no leaf cover, but the top part of the falls can be seen year round.  The hike from the bottom deck to the pool is a nice one on a paved path.  Anyway by the time we got to the pool I think the stairs had gotten the best of Deb so it was back down the AT Approach Trail and the car.

From the Reflection Pool.

Top of the Falls in the Fall.

Overall, I would say if you haven’t seen Amicalola Falls make the effort there is a reason it is one of Georgia’s Seven Wonders. Oh, if you can check and see if there is an owl show the day you visit, it is also worth the time. For more information about the park or when there is an owl show check out the Amicalola Falls State Park website.