Walking
in the rain has taken on a new meaning for me since our trip to the Hike Inn in
the Amicalola Falls State Park in northern Georgia.
Emails went back and forth the week
prior to departure on Sunday with such comments as “surely, the weather will
clear up,” or “they never get the
forecast quite right anyway.” Checking the forecast for the hundredth time on
Sunday morning we set off for north Georgia in the cold pouring rain with
friends Terry and Mel. Ayla and
Bruce followed close behind. Our
three-day hiking adventure was decided upon, paid for, and talked about for
weeks. How could it possibly be
raining? But it was.
Driving
into Dahlonega, Georgia, our lunch stop, the rain had not let up as we stopped
in the Walmart parking lot. Our mission was to buy sturdy giant
garbage bags. If worse came to
worse, we’d cover ourselves in these, backpacks and all, for the five-mile trek
from the Visitor’s Center to the Hike Inn. Surely by the time we started we wouldn’t need them, I
thought, as I pictured myself returning them to Walmart in Asheville next week.
Perhaps if we didn’t talk about what was happening all around us, the rain
would just stop and all would go as we had imagined.
We
caught glimpses of charming Dahlonega dashing from the car to the Crimson Moon
where we warmed up with hot soup and sandwiches. Dahlonega is home to the University of North Georgia and the
site of the first major Gold Rush in the U.S. in 1828. The old Lumpkin County courthouse,
now a Gold Museum, sits in the center of the town square with shops,
restaurants all around it.
The
Visitor’s Center for the State park is about 15 miles from Dahlonega and as we
headed there it continued to pour.
By the time we checked in with the park ranger, we were unwrapping the
garbage sacks and fashioning our hiking costume by poking a hole in the bottom
for our head and armholes on the sides.
At least the backpacks would stay dry assuring us of a dry change of
clothes when we got to the Hike Inn.
And so we set out – all six of us on the wet muddy moderate trail for
five miles of up and downhill, which gradually climbs just over 3,324 ft. This well-travelled route is the
“gateway” to the beginning the Appalachian Trail going north to Maine. On our mid to late afternoon hike we
did not encounter a single other hiker.
Who would be out here in this torrential downpour?
The
trail goes through the woods of hickory, pine, and oak trees and through wild
rhododendron and mountain laurel. The last mile we were enveloped in fog and
clouds and it poured harder than ever so that despite the cold it began to just
feel normal to be soaked. I could
have cheered when after two and a half hours on the trail, the Hike Inn
appeared, dark and foggy, yet so welcoming! The garbage bags came off and we headed to hot showers and
dry clothes and could hardly believe we had arrived.
A
delicious dinner and a warm bunk bed did wonders for our spirits so that the
hilarity of hiking in garbage sacks became the first and best memory of the
entire trip. Bruce who is a master
of summing up all our fun outings wrote in an email , “the most hilarious
moment was when the whole party set out in garbage bags…The most unbelievable
moment – Art’s “ringer” in horseshoes. The most unforgettable moment was reaching the southern
terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
The best moment was spending 3 memorable days with an incredible group
of friends in such a beautiful place.”
The
Hike Inn offers rustic rooms, family style meals, panoramic views of the
Appalachian Mountains. With all cell phones left behind, no television or
Internet connection we jumped into Scrabble games at night, jigsaw puzzles and
even a few hands of bridge - just good old-fashioned fun. By Monday the rain had stopped but it
took a good part of the day for the clouds to clear out and by Tuesday morning
we were treated to a 6:30 a.m. sunrise over the Appalachians.
Hiking
back out on Tuesday morning ‘sans’ garbage sacks we hardly recognized the trail
we had been on in the fog and rain.
The five miles back seemed easy – more of it downhill as we descended
towards the Visitor’s Center and stopped for a view of the dramatic Amicalola
Falls. Terry and Mel went on their
way to meet friends in Franklin, N.C. On the way home, we joined Bruce and Ayla
for what became an all day ramble through north Georgia and into the mountains
of North Carolina. Dahlonega was
bathed in sunshine when we stopped for lunch the second time and we walked
around the square admiring the azaleas and spring flowers in full bloom.
On Terry’s advice we stopped at the
Tallulah Gorge formed by the Tallulah River in north Georgia. As we stood gazing over it we imagined
Karl Wallenda crossing the gorge on a high wire walk July 18, 1970 at the age
of 65. Tickets were sold to
spectators and people in the area still remember it. With Bruce at the helm we drove into North Carolina on
winding mountain roads up to the famed resorts of Highlands and ten miles on to
Cashiers. Both towns are known for luxurious vacation homes and golf
communities nestled into mountains with dramatic views. Then it was on to Brevard for dinner at
the Square Root and back to Biltmore Lake by 9 p.m.
The views from the Hike Inn and
memories of our adventures with good friends are still with me along with a few
sore leg muscles. They remind me of my 10 mile round trip hike with backpack
and all! This morning we woke up
to rain and as I stuck my head out to consider my usual walk around the lake I
hesitated. Then it hit me, this
was nothing compared to Sunday. I
threw on my rain jacket, headed out the door and embraced my familiar morning
walk around Biltmore Lake – rain and all!
