PHOTOBLOG: Gold Head Branch State Park

"The worst day on the trail is better than the best day in the office."

Photoblog: Family time at Juniper Springs

A lovely day at Tallulah Gorge

My older sister and I had planned this trip for a long time. I'm so glad we went; Tallulah Gorge is a beautiful place. The water churned and flowed in stunning shades of blue and turquoise and amber, and the trees and rocks and everything else was so amazing to see in person. You really need to visit this place!

There are a few hikes available in the park; there's one that takes you around the rim of the gorge, and a much more strenuous hike that leads down to the river's edge. In the above right photo, you can see one of the intrepid wanderers who hiked down to the bottom of the gorge.

The park wasn't terribly busy, but there was a steady stream of people walking around, so wildlife wasn't exactly in abundance. I was, however, able to make the acquaintance of this fuzzy buddy:

10/10 -- I do recommend a visit to Tallulah Gorge. I hear it's brilliant in the autumn.

Hontoon Island adventure

I visited my little sister in Orlando in February this year, and we set of on a series of adventures together. That's her in the top photo; she is in school to become a yoga instructor.

The first place we visited was Hontoon Island State Park, a large island situated on the St. John's River, accessible only via personal watercraft or the park's complimentary ferry. We decided to wander the 3 miles of trails, take some photos, and in my sister's case, do yoga on every available surface. ;)

The trees were all covered in a thick blanket of moss, which happened to be blooming while we were there. All of those tiny blossoms were a delight to behold.

 The wildlife on the island is on the small side, but plentiful. Spiders, butterflies, and birds were scattered in prolific number throughout the park. We ran into a snoozing snake as well as several armadillos.

We had a lot of fun; perhaps it would be nice to return one day to do some camping.

Catch you later!

Tornado devastation in FDR State Park

The left side of the photos above and below used to be a campsite. Used to be. 

While visiting my older sister in Georgia in 2011, my family decided to take a hike on the Pine Mountain Trail -- a hiking trail that meanders through the lovely FDR State Park. As we drove to the trailhead, we were met with the first evidence of just how powerful Mother Nature is: there was a gaping, freeway-sized path carved in front of our car, from one side of the road to the other, like a giant bulldozer had gone on a rampage through the forest. It was only a hint of what we would see at the first overlook on the trail:

Felled trees littered the landscape as if they were nothing more than discarded matchsticks. There were parts of the trail that were blocked by massive, old trees, and we had to climb over and under them in order to hike onward. I kept thinking about what people's homes must look like, if a tornado could do this to the trees out here. I hoped everyone was okay.

Despite the devastation left behind by the storm, the cycle of life continued on, and out of the debris of the fallen grew a new generation of flowers and would-be ancient trees.

If you are the type of person who finds meaning in nature, like I do, you could see this as a sort of reminder. Bad things happen. Sometimes in life, trees fall. You can either lay down and join the debris, or you can use it as a nourishing foundation for life to begin anew.

Riding out the storm on the Appalachian Trail

It was almost two years ago to the day that my mother and I set out on an overnight hike on the Appalachian Trail. Our hike would take us to the summit of Springer Mountain and back. I had previously completed this same hike on the approach trail in a single day; hopefully I can locate those photos to share them with you, because that experience was life-changing.

On this particular hike, we were able to take our time and enjoy the early summer scenery. The approach trail -- which is the first 8.5 'unofficial' miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail -- can be rough and altogether unforgiving; it's as much an exercise in mind as it is in body. Its natural beauty makes up for it, however.

Here is Amicalola Falls, sitting pretty at 729 feet tall; it's the tallest waterfall in Georgia. Amicalola is a Cherokee word meaning, "tumbling waters," and it is an apt name, indeed. The falls bounds over huge boulders and courses through a series of natural stone "steps" to the forest floor below.

We made it to the top of Springer Mountain between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. After a celebratory photo next to the southern terminus plaque, we took a short walk to the nearby hiker shelter to inspect the guest log and poke around. In the end, we decided to camp on the summit instead.

I picked out a good place to camp on the summit that appeared free of potential falling branches. My mother set up her tent and I put up my beloved hammock, and then we made and ate our dinner.

At around 5pm, some clouds wandered past us, dark and brooding. They eventually cleared away, leaving us with this absolutely gorgeous sunset:

We watched the as the colors went from that painterly peach-and-purple haze to a dusky indigo, hung our food bag, and then turned in to sleep for the night.

We were woken in the middle of the night by one hell of a storm! Lightning, thunder, the wrath of the gods was upon us on that summit. My hammock was literally bouncing in the wind, though I was safely ensconced under my trusty tarp and wrapped up like a burrito in my sleeping bag. It was a strangely lulling sensation, almost like being rocked to sleep.

My mother was not as comfortable, apparently; she was rather panicked, and kept calling my name. At one point, she hilariously and irrationally started blowing her whistle to "keep the bears away from our food." I will never get over that. I laugh to the point of tears whenever I think of it.

When we woke the next morning, we were greeted by cool weather and a flooded mountaintop. I had chosen our campsite well: our site was clear of debris, but all the surrounding tent spots were littered with large, fallen branches. We were lucky.

We broke camp and made our way back down the mountain. The forest was chilled and foggy; it was a peaceful descent. 

We stopped at one point and filled our Nalgene water bottles at one of the water sources on the trail. It was there that we encountered a fellow hiker who gave off a homeless-but-hiding-it vibe; there are actually quite a few homeless people who wander between the shelters on the Appalachian Trail.

I would love to explore more of the Appalachian Trail; my goal hikes are through the Roan Highlands, the 100-mile Wilderness, and the White Mountains. I'll be sure to update here when I complete them. :)

Have any of you hiked the Appalachian Trail?