Wood Booger Top 5 Special: Best Hikes Of Each Month Of 2014

OK, I didn’t have a Top 5 last week to finish 2014, but it is the start of the year and I thought what better way to kick-off 2015 than to look back at the past 12 months with a special Wood Booger Top 5…the Best Hikes of Each Month of 2014. I said when I started the Top 5 that it could vary in format and it will this week as I will list the best hike of each month. It is always tough because hikes are like kids it is hard to say I like one better than another. Well, sometimes it is not, with that said here is this week’s Wood Booger Top 5. 

January 2014: Winter Hike @ Pine Ridge & Sill Branch Falls –

This was a tough one. January had a couple of great hikes like the one to Stone Mountain and a couple at Sawnee Mountain. However, the first hike of 2014 was the best of January. While it wasn’t long, about three miles, it was filled with the beauty of winter. Last year at this time it had been much colder and that was evident at Pine Ridge Falls. However, it was even more on display at Sill Branch Falls. I have seen larger waterfalls but I don’t know if there have been any more beautiful than this one on this day...stunning!

February 2014: AT Hike @ Neel Gap to Levelland Mtn. – What

other hike did you expect? At the time I don’t know if I would have called it a favorite, but over time it has earned its spot because it was so memorable. I mean high winds, zero wind chills it is the hike I talk most about. While I hiked almost eight miles the weather forced me to cut it short at Levelland Mountain.

March 2014: AT Hike @ Tesnatee Gap to Levelland Mtn. to Hogpen Gap –

This hike was the result of my aborted attempt in late February to finish this section of the AT of Tesnatee Gap to Neel Gap. I had hiked in June of 2013 to Wolf Laurel Top, but when I tried to finish the other half I only made to Levelland Mountain. So, I wanted to complete this section and I also wanted to hike back to Cowrock Mountain and Wolf Laurel Top. On that hike in 2013 it was foggy and the view at Cowrock wasn’t the best and at Wolf Laurel Top it was completely fogged in. On this March day it was the opposite of June because it was clear and you could see for miles. The temperature was also perfect and made for a wonderful hike. It was this hike that cemented this section of the Georgia AT as one of my favorites.

April 2014: AT Hike @ Tray Mountain – This was a hike I had

wanted to do for a while and then I almost didn’t. I talked about why I almost didn’t do it here, but I am glad I did. Tray Mountain or “the Dragon” as some call it is one of the mountains I have termed "the Georgia Giants" (along with Blood Mountain, Rabun and Brasstown Balds) and part of the Triple Crown of the AT (Blood and Springer Mountains). This hike also had one of the steeps spots of any trail I have been on it is the trail up from Andrews Cove. This hike once again seemed like one where weather and location combined to make a great day on the trail.

May 2014: AT Hike @ Dicks Creek Gap – This was a tough one. I almost put the hike to Amicalola Falls State Park in May, but I remembered that its main highlight wasn’t the hike, but the snake show at the lodge (where Deb touched a snake). My day at Dicks Creek Gap was a better hike and that is why it takes the spot.

June 2014: GSMNP @ Andrews Bald, Clingmans Dome & AT - I didn’t have a lot of hikes in the first month of summer, but they were all good ones. However, there was only one hike that would take the top spot for June and that was my trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Anytime I get to the park is a good one and going to Clingmans Dome might have been enough to earn this trip the top spot. But, the first half of this hike was just as good as Deb and I hiked out to Andrews Bald. It was beautiful, especially the Flaming Azaleas. Add to that sometime on the AT, Clingmans Dome and this is good as a day hike gets. Oh, I almost forgot I also got to see my first wild Black Bear.

July 2014: AT Hike @ Return to Roan Highlands – I have said this before but the Roan Highlands is my favorite place to hike in the southern Appalachian Mountains, so when I went back in June it was going to be a great day out…and it was.This stretch has unmatched beauty and you never know what kind of weather you will get. So on this day there was weather (it started cloudy and then cleared off), I got to see the Baanty Goats, a Gray’s Lilly and a course the wonderful vistas of the Roan Highlands. I think Deb was even impressed.

August 2014: Summer Cook-Out & Hike @ Sweetwater CreekS.P.

– This was a no brainer for August. I got to cook-out with Matt, Jeannie and some of the Aloisio family and got three mile hike to the ruin of an old mill to boot. This was an excellent summer day and this state park in Metro Atlanta.

September 2014: AT Hike @ Preaching Rock on Big Cedar Mtn. –

This is one of my favorite spots on the Georgia AT and it was one of those days that just came together. It wasn’t too hot for September, the scenery was beautiful and Deb was a delight to hike with which made for one of my favorite hikes of 2014.

October 2014: AT Hike @ Blood Mtn. From Lake Winfield Scott –

This is the last solo hike on the list and the first since May. I had summited Blood Mountain on two other occasions, but this hike was the first from what is called the Slaughter Creek Loop. I started at the beautiful Lake Winfield Scott took the Jarrard Gap Trail to the AT. From there it is to the summit, which was just peaking in Fall Colors, and back to the AT and the Slaughter Creek Tail. At over eight miles this is a great day hike.

November 2014: Thanksgiving Weekend Hike @ Max Patch –

What happens when you mix one of the best spots in the southern Appalachian Mountains and snow? You get one great hike and one of the best of 2014. It seems I see more snow at Thanksgiving than Christmas and what has become an annual hike for Glen and I in November seems to see the Snow Miser's fury. We went up via the Tennessee side, which was a first, and when we arrived there was plenty of snow and sun. The 360 degree views make this spot worth the trip every time. This was the top hike of the Fall Outdoor Series and November.

December 2014: AT Hike Georgia @ Rocky Mountain – Let me say

that this hike is about even with another hike I did with my Thursday Hike Georgia group to Blood Mountain. Since I already had a Blood Mountain hike on this list, but more importantly this was the first Hike Georgia outing that I have led. So, I decided to make it December’s entry. This 5.5 mile steep loop hike allowed me to see the spot I bypassed in April when I went to Tray Mountain. We also got to chat up some SoBo’s which was nice. It seemed from the comments on Hike Georgia everyone enjoyed the hike, which was good.