On a beautiful clear day that wasn’t looking to be as if we were walking on the surface of the sun, Tucker and I headed two hours north for my majestic mountain range fix.
Black Rock Mountain State park is Georgia’s highest state park (not the highest peak, but overall the land is farther from the ocean vertically-speaking than any other state park. And it was only 3640 feet.
Black Rock Mountain State park is Georgia’s highest state park (not the highest peak, but overall the land is farther from the ocean vertically-speaking than any other state park. And it was only 3640 feet.
Once you climb around Vancouver, British Columbia or even just the California Sierra mountains, 3640 feet is nothing—that’s just the usual elevation gain on an everyday hike and still nowhere near the summits that can be 10,000 or 12,000 feet up.
I found the trailhead rather easily and parked along the side of the road. I figured the visitor center couldn’t be too far as I watched some folks walk down the steep incline of the road that kept going uphill past the trailhead parking area.
I was wrong.
Half a mile later up the hill, we found the visitor center and the much needed restroom I had been looking for.
On a positive note, the view behind the visitor center was worth being there for.
I found the trailhead rather easily and parked along the side of the road. I figured the visitor center couldn’t be too far as I watched some folks walk down the steep incline of the road that kept going uphill past the trailhead parking area.
I was wrong.
Half a mile later up the hill, we found the visitor center and the much needed restroom I had been looking for.
On a positive note, the view behind the visitor center was worth being there for.
Inside the center, I got the scoop about the trails I could have taken, rather than the road, to get there from the Tennessee Rock Trailhead parking area. They informed me of where to pick up the trail so we could walk back on soft earth instead of hard pavement.
Along the way, we stopped by Black Mountain Overlook.
Along the way, we stopped by Black Mountain Overlook.
We had already gotten a few beautiful views in and we hadn’t even started the hike proper yet.
Once on the trail, we were back in the woods.
But luckily for us, while meadows and wildflowers were beginning to bloom, Spring hadn’t quite finished filling in the trees yet, so we could still peer out over the valleys to the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond.
Unlike our western mountain hiking, we only climbed about 500 feet over the course of our four miles around mountain tops. While the dramatic jagged rocky mountains of the western United States are breathtaking (sometimes literally), I also enjoy the soft rolling hills of the east coast.
There aren’t many hiking days left in Georgia until autumn, so I’m glad we got this one in. As the days get longer, they get hotter, more humid, and although it seems pleasant enough to stand around and enjoy a beer and barbecue, any kind of physical activity is just too much—for both Tucker and me.
Even on this decent day in he 70’s and 80’s, many weeks after our last real hike, Tucker pooped out under a picnic table about twenty yards from the finish line—our truck. Any talk of walking a little further for air conditioning went unheard from his loud panting.
While he didn’t want any water, he also didn’t want to move.
While he didn’t want any water, he also didn’t want to move.
I allowed him his five minute nap, then dragged him to the truck where we made the half a mile drive this time up to the visitor center for me to get in my last pee break. And since we already there, we took the time to just sit a spell—something Tucker appreciated after such a long walk in the woods.
He needs to rest up. Cause there are a lot more mountains out there we have yet to hike.
RSS Feed