Since I have not had the opportunity to walk much in the last month and still have four boxes to unpack at the cabin, I decided to take a much needed rest and picked the hardest, longest trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Northwest Georgia for my maiden voyage. Those of you who know me will understand the logic, those who don't... just smile.
Sitton's Gulch Trail is a new and very welcome addition to the network. A strenuous 6.5 mile hike that includes several hundred steps it descends from the bluff into the the gorge approximately 1800 feet. Along the way there are numerous waterfalls and benches for letting the knees rest. The lower portion of the trail is a boulevard of sorts and the only fault I found was the gravel bed that made hills somewhat slippery at times.
The highlight of my walk was a conversation with John and Peggy V. from Savannah, GA. Who, along with their dogs, Barkus and Journey, were on the first night of a cross country trip to the Pacific Northwest. A delightful couple whose experiences include living on a sailboat and walking a portion of the Trail of Tears my only regret was not being able to spend more time in their company. It struck me as we talked, as many times as I have complained about lack of privacy on the trail, it is often the people I meet along the way that makes the experience so interesting. I hope to hear from them about their adventure west in the near future.
Right On! Keep up the training Forest maybe you'll be ready for a relaxing overnight hike this fall.
ReplyDeleteI met some AT through hikers about 500+ mls. from "Springer" when we stopped to get some gas today returning from a business trip to NYC. They were relaxing at a this market near Shenandoah NP, outside under some shade. The market was really cool! Had a computer, Fax/copier, and some other AT hiker friendly stuff for through hikers to use.
Cool Picture Forest Case.
ReplyDeleteI fully understand the "relax" and kill myself syndrome. Decided to take it easy this summer and join a soccer team. The bottom of my right foot has a blister the size of a kiwi fruit on it, and I'm on my way to the chiropractor before our 2nd game on Wednesday. Looking forward to an overnighter in big forest soon. Should tell you about my record of getting to the trailhead by 3 PM TWICE in Olympic National Forest earlier in week (with pics, I hope). Be well, y'all!
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