Hike Yonah Mountain
The rain finally stopped last night but was forecast to startup again in the evening. This was a window of opportunity to get the Yonah Mountain hike in. A couple of people had told me this is was a difficult hike. I grabbed a coffee at Starbucks in the Ingles grocery store nearby and did a few things online.
Yonah Mountain
I found my way to the trailhead around 11:00 pm and was on the trail about 30 minutes later. On some hikes, no one wants to talk. That was not the case on this day. I met a lot of people on this trail and most were from Georgia.
The trail is mostly soft with very few rocks. I passed a group of woman just as they decided to start out. I like to find a pace for the mountain and just keep it going with minimal stops. I usually carry a 2 litre water bladder on my back and I keep sipping as I go. The women had a faster pace and took more breaks and we kept passing each other.
There’s a point about half way up where the path makes a loop. You can take a steeper short cut up the mountain and avoid the loop. At the fork, there is a reminder to remain on the marked trails. So, like a good hiker, I did the loop. As I was coming off the loop, I saw people in front of me that I had passed earlier. I remembered the conversation with Marilyn the night before in Cleveland, GA. She does this trail barefoot and goes straight up the side of the mountain.
About two thirds of the way up the mountain there are restrooms. You don’t see that very often. There’s also a sign indicating that military maneuvers may be happing. The military wasn’t training on this day. I later met an Army Ranger that trained on the mountain.
Passing the restrooms, I continued up the climb. Two guys, Bobby and Jordon, were coming down and Jordon asked me what type of lens I had on my camera. I told him I had a 14-24mm f2.8 lens that I use for landscape photograph. Jordon is thinking about doing the Appalachian trail. I told him that he probably should look for a lightweight camera and lens for such a hike.
Bobby (l) and Jordon (r)
Top Of Yonah Mountain
At the top, the trail ends in a big open field. From this field are two trails leading to overlooks. I took the first trail which comes to a large exposed rock wall. There was Lori and her friends, the women I kept passing, having snacks and taking in the views. We chatted a while and took in the views.
There’s a trail that wraps around the mountain and connects all the lookout points. On the way to the next overlook, Addison and his girlfriend ask me to take their picture. They were enjoy the walk around the top.
The next lookout, for me, was more spectacular. The rock was more exposed and there’s more of a sense of being in the open.
Continuing around the rock formation, the path comes to some rocks jutting out at a lower level. To the left is a rock formation that is used for repelling (see photo). This looks like a place where people probably think it’s safe to take a stroll and miscalculate what could happen with one wrong step.
I met Sam (Samantha) and Orlando sitting on a rock chatting. We talked for about 30 minutes. Sam is in finance and Orlando was from Venezuela working as a cross-fit coach. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo, as I was so caught-up in the conversation. They were so fascinating to talk to. We parted but kept crossing paths throughout the afternoon.
I was on my way back down the mountain. I was moving fairly quickly which was a mistake. Somehow I’ve jammed my left knee and it doesn’t want to bend very easily now. The views didn’t last very long as the trailed went back into the woods. On the way down, I took the short cut to avoid the loop I took on the way up.
Tantrum Brewing
After hiking I was famished. I hadn’t really had much of a lunch. After leaving the park, I saw Tantrum Brewing a mile from the park. I could see a food truck parked at the entrance and decided to have an early dinner. The brewery had a wide selection of beers, and to my surprise they had two stouts. I went with their chocolate stout.
Beer in hand, I headed for food. I ordered a barbecue sandwich with hot sauce. The brewery had seats outdoors and the air felt warm. Come around the back of the food truck, I saw Sam and Orlando. We had talked while we were taking in the views at the top. I asked if I could join them. Sam told me she though I would show up here. It was so nice talking to them. I wish I had captured a photo.
Laundry Night
When I got back to the campsite, it had started to rain lightly. I went to the laundry room because it looked clean and I didn’t expect to see anyone there. I woman had just finished her drying and wished me a good night. There were only two washing machines and I used them both. A few minutes after starting, a woman came in and set her laundry down. She left and came back 15 minutes later with her daughter. There was a large number of books in the area. We started talking about books.
I was there for an hour and we talked most of the time. She was home schooling her two kids, age 5 and 11. They had sold everything and moved to the park in a trailer for a while. She was looking for books for her son. I had seen a copy of Grey Mountain by John Grisham, which I recommended.
She told me about their plan to move to Alaska and search for gold. I’d never heard of a group called LDMA (Lost Duchmen Mining Association). Apparently, there is a $3500 yearly fee. I don’t fully understand this, but it seems they are children friendly campgrounds where you can learn to mine gold and look for treasures. I’m not sure who owns the gold found on their properties and how long you can stay. She also talked about buying some equipment for dredging up stream beds to search for gold. After reading several sites, I’m still not sure how much money can be made with this.
I left the laundromat and the rain was coming down harder. By the time I got into the tent, the rain was coming down hard. The tent did a pretty good job of keeping rain out except for any condensation that formed on the inside. I drifted off pretty quickly.