Amicalola Polka

01-20-2012

So, the second trip of our "Exploring Georgia by Tent" was a little on the wet side. We left on Friday around 4:15 heading north up I-575 to Amicalola Falls.  We turn right into Hwy 53 to Jasper and connect to Highway 136 going northeast into the mountains.

Click here to see our Trax-ona-Map

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This is a great drive with several places to pull over along the way and look into vast, tree-covered valleys.  That's when you can actually see.  Our trip into the mountains had limited visibility, sometimes less than 50 ft because of low cloud coverage (fog.)  Drew and Kristin were both excited that they got to touch clouds.  I was excited that neither fell out the window trying.

 

Once we checked in at the Lodge (photoshopped pic below since its was dark, foggy and rainy when we got there,) we found a great spot to put up the tent.



It was misting the whole time I put the tent up.  Drew and Kristin learned that even lighter fluid can't overcome wet wood, but they used a whole bottle for the lesson.  I had noticed there were only two other sites with tents, one with a camper and one with an RV out of 24 total.  Just another sign of picking the wrong weekend to camp and hike.  As soon as the tent was up and the mattress was inflated (lesson learned from the Adairsville trip) the clouds opened up it got a little wet outside...I now know what 60% chance of rain means:

     1. of or relating to a torrent

     2. pouring or flowing fast, violently, or heavily torrential rain

     3. abundant, overwhelming, or irrepressible torrential abuse 

It sounded  like 1000 slingshots pounding the top with marbles.

We started playing a game of Kristin's version of Go-Fish.  I still don't know all the rules, but they definitely favor Kristin getting almost all the pairs.  Her rules also prove evolution exists because they keep changing based on her need at the moment.  Pretty exciting just keeping up with it.

Did I mention it was pouring down outside?  Yep, this is about the time Drew informs me it's now or never...bathroom or bust.  We all got wet.

Early to bed, early to rise.  I woke up at about 4am with the tent beating me in the face.  The storm front started pounding us with wind gusts whose sole objective was to clear the mountside.  The waves of air would start seemingly miles away and sound like a freight training racing through the treetops.  The stakes and poles on the tent held strong, but had me worried for a while.

Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Turkey...we have two.  They gobble electronically and randomly during the night.  Worst $7.99 (each) investment I've made in a while, but the kids liked them.

At 8am we're the last campers in the park.  Not sure what they know, but I'm guessing we need to pack it up.  After everything is in the truck, we drive to the falls just to say we saw them during the trip.  The falls are the highest in Georgia at 729 feet. 

So we're standing at the top and decide to head down the steps to the bottom.  That's 438 steps down and 438 back up, if you're counting.

I was a little worried 'cause Kristin has a bad habit of not wanting to exert energy on her own to go up hills (and I'm guessing steps.)  But, to her credit, she made it all on her own.

We make it to the bottom and are enjoying the view and the heavens open up....again.  I get it, I get it, it was a bad weekend to camp and hike.  I'll be more diligent to obey the Weather Channel next time.

Regardless, this was a great trip.  We made it back up the steps on our own, even Kristin, and felt awesone after doing it.  Proud of the kiddos almost as proud as I am of ME.

KRISTINS THOUGHTS:

MY FAVORITE PART ON THIS TRIP IS WHEN WE WALKED ALL THE WAY DOWN THE STAIRS AND IT STARTED POORING DOWN RAIN.

Next Stop: Cloud Land Canyon State Park

On A Hill in Adairsville

01-13-2012

So, we decide to make Adairsville the first of our "Exploring Georgia by Tent" experiment.  For the record, the "A" in Adairsville is pronounced "Uh".  We started here mainly because I have a friend who has a house there (aka: bathroom and tv.)  But also, because it's an awesome, hardwood filled 50 acres sitting on the highest peak in the area.

When we finally found the drive to Barry's place (turn right at the medium sized rock on the right straight across from the 3 gravestones,) the blacktopped trail looked like a half mile zipper up the belly of a fat man's jacket, which, by the way, is the best metaphor I've got.

Note: Coming back down in neutral got my Nissan Titan 4x4 up to 50 mph before hitting the brakes.

Barry had two massive fires going...massive.  We put up the tent on the best spot we could find given I had not packed any type cushion/air mattress.  This gave me my key takeaway from the trip.  Mountains are made of rock.  Rocks are therefore part of the ground.  Your back must lie in contact and parallel to the ground and therefore on rocks pending no cushion.  Luckily, we were able to find an area suitable as long as our heads were above our feet.

Drew and Kristin were a little disappointed the fires were already going. They had spent their money on some flint to build one themselves. They gave it a try.

Both kids decided to bypass the fast foodies on the way to Adairsville so we could enjoy eating what nature had to offer.  So after I captured and skinned (unwrapped) a pack of dogs, we applied a little char, a little mustard and enjoyed a camping delicacy.

I'm not going to lie....23 degrees F is cold!!  Cold may be a understatement given the thin insulation a tent provides.  Thank the Lord for warm sleeping bags provided us by REI.  Other than sliding down the floor of the tent (did I mention it was angled about 15 degrees,) we slept pretty comfy. 

Oh yeah...coyotes howled all night.  Luckily for us, Barry's neighbor Danny visited and said he had thrown deer remains at the bottom of the mountain to keep them at a distance??  Is that a good thing?

Barry was sitting on his porch several weeks prior and watched a toronado clear a strip of land.  Hundred year old oaks twisted and put on their side.

Another cool use of a deer stand.  Peeing off it (picture not provided)

Something you don't find at a state park....a Gator.

KRISTIN'S THOUGHTS:
HI!!!!!! THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR  EXCITING TRIP WITH MY BROTHER AND MY DAD I SAY THE FAVORITE PART OF OUR JOURNY WAS GOING DOWN THE BIG HILL AND TRYING TO SHOOT A GOLFBALL WITH A 22 RIFLE ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY MY DAD WAS THE FIRST ONE TO SHOOT IT ON HIS FIRST TRY...WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE GATOR THERE WAS A BIG HILL THEN I LET MY DAD DRIVE  I WAS IN THE BACK NOW  AND MY DAD WAS DRIVING THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY DAD LIFTED THE BACK OF THE GATOR LIKE A DUMPTRUCK AND SO THEN I FELL OUT ... THEN WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE GATOR I JUMPED OUT WITH MY BROTHER DREW AND HELD ON TO THE BACK AND MADE MY DAD DRAG US ON THE GROUND (THE GROUND WAS MUDDY:( BUT IT WAS SO FUN:) ) IN THE MORNING WE STARTED TO PACK UP BUT LUCKLY WE STAYED LONGER WE STARTED TO CLIMB A TREE THAT FELL DOWN WHEN A TORNADO CAME BY WE WERE TRYING TO ACT LIKE BEAR GRYLLS WE LOVE HIM... WE CLIMBED A LOT OF TREES IT WAS SO FUN...  

Next Stop:  Amicalola Falls