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brasstown bald

I went hiking again yesterday. Today, I'm lucky the four friends who went with me are still my friends. I've wanted to hike Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, for a while now. After Spring Break, I decided Memorial Day weekend would be my best opportunity. There's a parking lot 1/2 mile from the summit of Brasstown Bald, but it didn't seem worth a two-hour drive for a 1/2 mile hike up.

I found a trail that starts at Track Rock Gap, 5.5 miles from the parking lot. Through a series of fortunate events, we were able to leave the car in the Brasstown Bald parking lot and only hike the 5.5 miles in, not round trip back to Track Rock.

After wandering about on the wrong side of the road trying to find the trailhead for a good half hour, we were pointed to the other side of the road and warned against starting by some folks who had just descended the trail. They said that the last 1.5 mile descent was strenuous and it took 3 hours. The information I had found about the trail said the same. I thought to myself, "We're in decent shape, we'll be fine." So, forward we trekked.

Note to self: if the trail guide says that it's a moderate to strenous 1.5 mile descent, then the ascent is extra-strenuous.

The views were well worth the climb! And, after a brief rest in the parking lot, we made it up to the top of Brasstown Bald 3 1/2 hours later. And were we ever thankful that car was waiting for us in the parking lot, not 5.5 miles back down the mountain. The Westminster Shorter Catechism kept running through my head... "God's providence is his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions."

posted by CP @ 3:52 PM 3 thoughts