My Brother-In-Law Tried to Kill Me Today!

My brother-in-law, Mike, called yesterday to see if I was interested in going to Pine Mountain for a hike today.  That sounded good to me.  I really want to try to step up my fitness game.

We set off on the Wolfden hike.  Susan and I had hiked to Wolfden back in October, but we didn't do the entire hike.  We did the shorter hike to the den and back.  Mike's mission was the complete 6.7 mile loop.  

He set off at a respectable (breakneck) pace.  I was determined to keep up with whatever pace he set without complaint (crying).  Hiking with Mike is a bit different than hiking with Susan.  Susan and I stop to admire the scenery and take photos and drink water.  Most of the photos I took today were taken quickly while on the move (run).  There was no dawdling.

It took Susan and I about an hour and 45 minutes to make it to the den.  It took Mike and I one hour.  It took us 3 hours and 15 minutes to hike the entire 6.7 mile loop.

The hike beyond the den is not quite as pretty, but it was interesting.  The terrain changes substantially a number of times.  There were a couple of sections of woods where the hiking was fairly easy, but all in all, the hike was challenging - a moderate rating.  Up and down mountains over and over, 13 creek crossings, rocks and roots...   There were two particularly steep uphill sections where I thought paramedics might be needed. 

We crossed roads twice during the hike.  After the last crossover, we went through an area that had been hard hit after a tornado a few years ago.  It was sad, but the area was still pretty in a very unusual sort of way.  The photos I took here are some of my favorites, actually.  I like the colors and the lonesome feel.

To set the record straight and clear Mike's name, he asked if I was doing OK many times.  If I had given him any clue that I was pushing it (praying to be put out of my misery), he would have slowed down or rested or whatever I wanted.  In truth, I WANTED to be pushed.  It was fabulous!!!!  I'd gladly do it again, but not tomorrow.  I may not be able to move tomorrow.

Mike's trying to talk me into joining in on a Grand Canyon hike in 2017.  The really crazy thing is that I just might do it.

Hike #3 - Sweetwater Creek

Susan and I opted out of Black Friday and went hiking.  We loved REI's idea to spend the day outside rather than shopping.  Apparently, MANY other people loved the idea as well.  I have NEVER seen such crowds at a state park.  I'll bet records were broken today.  We had to drive around a bit to find a parking spot and even then, we ended up in a spot that wasn't officially for parking.

We followed the red trail today.  According to the state park site, the red trail is one mile one way. 1 to 2 hours each way. Rated easy to difficult.   That rating seemed curious, but I certainly understand it now.

The red trail stays close to Sweetwater Creek the whole way.  

The early parts of the trail were crowded at times, but not so bad that it hindered hiking.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't care for hiking around so many people, but today it was fun and exciting.  I was happy so many were choosing to Opt Out.  Also, everyone was in a great mood.   Hikers are happy people!

The old mill was about 1/2 mile down the trail. I wasn't pleased with any of my photos of the mill.  Maybe the next time I try this trail, it won't be so crowded and I'll be able to get some photos from better angles.  

The trail had been fairly easy to that point.  Casual hikers generally turn around at the mill.  

Susan and I kept going.  There were great views all along the way, but the path became more challenging.

A few places had wonderful bridges and steps.

MANY other places were trickier.  We went over LOTS of rock piles like this.  This is why the trail is labeled difficult.  It was not for the faint of heart (or weak of knee).  Thank goodness we had each brought a hiking pole.  There were a few places where those poles came in very handy.

But how could we possibly stop with even more fabulous views beyond every obstacle?

Getting to the end of the red trail took 1-1/2 hours.  We stopped to take lots of photos. It only took an hour to get back.  We only stopped at a few places n the return trip.  We both felt compelled to conquer this big rock. It had been occupied when we passed it earlier.   We knew the view of the creek would be great from there.  It was!  In fact, I think it would be a grand place to stop and have lunch on a future visit.

By the time we finished, we were spent.  Once we sat down, everything started to get stiff.  There was talk of Advil or Tylenol.  I  haven't taken anything yet, but it's still a possibility.  I took a long hot shower first and that helped a little.  Not enough.  Many muscles are talking to me tonight and it's not happy talk.  That's OK.  Today was truly amazing.

Hike #2 - Line Creek

Susan and I went on another wonderful hike.  This time it was local since we were limited on time.  Line Creek Nature Area in Peachtree City has two trails.  The Bridge Trail is an easy .8 mile loop.  The Creek Trail is 1.2 miles each way and requires more sure footing.  It has slippery rocks and granite outcroppings.  Since the weather was so damp and we had limited time, we decided to just explore the easy trail.  The trail has several attached trails, which we explored, so our hike was definitely longer than .8 mile.  It took us an hour and 45 minutes, but that included lots of stops to ooh and ahh and take photos.

The entrance is marked with a wood sign with Line Creek Nature Park.

At the beginning of the trail is a nice duck pond.  There's a gazebo and picnic tables, which I'd definitely like to use in the future.  The ducks are so cute and friendly, but we really disappointed them by not coming with any snacks.  I promised them next time I wouldn't be such a thoughtless guest.  What's the healthiest snack to fee a duck.  I know bread crumbs are the traditional food, but is there something healthier?

It drizzled off and on during when we first started out.  We opened and closed our umbrellas over and over, but after a bit, it just didn't matter.  It was very humid the whole time, but it wasn't that big of a deal.  The temperature was nice.  I was a bit overdressed and in the future, I'd rather get wet than carry an umbrella around on a hike.

At this point, I wasn't even bothering to close up my umbrella.

The Creek was fabulous.  There were parts that were gentle and others that rushed over rocks.  The sound was so relaxing.  I could feel stress melting away. There were many spots along the way where we had to stop and admire.

This path was said to be easy.  It wasn't strenuous, but it definitely required us to keep our eye on the path.  The were rocks and roots and logs and a few slick spots.  Each time I wanted to gaze at scenery I would come to a full stop first!  I didn't mind the challenge.  It's rather zen-like to get lost in keeping your footing.

The path was fairly well marked.  There were signs in plenty of spots and there was really only one spot where we weren't quite sure what to do.  There's a path map online (see link at the bottom of this post) and that was very helpful!

The shoals were great.  Susan had a great idea.  She said this would be a wonderful spot to sit and read.  I agree.  Note to self - Next time, bring duck food and a book.  

The trail looped around back to the duck pond.  We had a treat.  Steve and Robin (our new friends) were on the gazebo singing - practicing for an upcoming performance.  They told us where they gather with other music lovers and Susan and I will definitely be going to see them again. We hope to take some friends along!  I'll post about it when we go. We listened to them sing several songs and the last one really got me.   It was a sad song and they sang it beautifully.  I could barely speak afterwards. If you know me, you know I don't like to get emotional in public, but this music got to me.   Susan knew I was struggling so she avoided eye contact with me til the end.  When she did look my way, she fell apart, too.  Good friends will cry with you.

Here's a little snippet of one of their songs -

Update: Thank you Glenn for letting me know this is "If I Needed You" by Townes Van Zandt"

Susan and I highly recommend hiking this trail!  If you do decide to check it out, this aerial view will help you see where to pull in.  The road to parking for Line Creek is off Hwy 54 - just down the road (west) from Wal-Mart and Home Dept.  The entrance is catty-corner to MacDuff Parkway.  You pull in after the entrance to the shopping center with the Flying Biscuit restaurant.  The road is right before the entrance to Meineke.  The Line Creek road goes back half a mile or so to a decent sized parking area.

Click for larger view.

Click Here for More Info on Line Creek - includes trail map and more

Hike #1 - Wolfden

Susan and I kicked off our hiking venture yesterday. It was wonderful and the weather was absolutely perfect.  We hiked on the Wolfden Trail at Pine Mountain.  It was ranked easy to moderate.  There were enough challenging places that Susan and I were glad that we hadn't talked any of our on-the-fence friends into starting with this one.

Just before the hike we stopped at the ranger station at the top of the mountain and bought our yearly park passes.

We officially began the hike around 1:20.  We had a couple of false starts.  Susan decided her new boots were not broken in enough to risk wearing, so she changed shoes.  My backpack was too heavy so I got rid of a few things.  The path looked very pleasant and easy at the start.

The trail was well marked.  We needed to keep watching for blue swatches painted on trees and rocks.  There were a few spots that required a little investigating to be sure, but mostly it  was easy to figure out where to go.

There were six or seven creeks to cross. We passed a few hikers with walking sticks or poles  One hiker, noticing our lack of sticks, told us sticks would be helpful.  He wasn't kidding.  The creeks weren't all that wide or deep, but I felt sure it would have been very painful to fall.  I took my time judging each step and testing rocks to see if they were slippery or wiggly.  I'm happy to say, we didn't fall.  On the way back, after a good bit of searching, I finally found a sturdy stick.  At one point I carried two sticks.  The second stick was larger and very heavy so I only used it for a few crossings.  The sticks made crossing sooo much easier.  I'm definitely going to invest in some lightweight poles before my next hike.

There were six falls along the trail.  They were all pretty dinky, but they were fun to see.  We could hear running water almost the entire hike, which was really pleasant.

Finally, we made it to the largest falls - Cascade.  It wasn't all that large, but it was quite pretty.  There was a bench there, so we sat a few minutes and had a snack.

The falls were right beside the wolfden.  It's hard to tell from these photos, but there's a large overhang down low.  

We didn't stop to take photos on the way back.  We didn't want to risk getting back late.

Our muscles were definitely feeling the workout by the end.  As we cooled down on the ride home, everything started getting stiff.  That didn't phase us.  We're already planning our next hike.  Friends - let us know if you want to join us.

REI - Take a HIKE!

I'm going to hike!  I'm going to get outside more.  I'm going to walk wooded trails and see waterfalls and canyons.  I'm going to see if nature can save me. (better explanation at the bottom of this post).

I enjoy walking.  I walk every day with my dogs and my dad walks with me most mornings.  It's almost a mile around the perimeter of our property and it's very pleasant.  As much as I've walked it, I'm still not bored.  Still, I'd love to walk even more and see new sights.  My wonderful friend, Susan Holcombe, and I were walking around Lake Horton one day and one of us said something about wanting to do some hiking.  The conversation sparked a fire in us both and we're going for it.  We're going to start hiking regularly!!!  We're thinking fairly low key hikes - mostly 5 miles or so (at first).  Day trips for now.    There seems to be an endless number of interesting places to walk and be back home by the end of the day.  Who knows what's in our hiking future.

We decided to start off our new venture with a trek across town to REI because there's nothing like a new pair of high dollar hiking boots to ensure commitment.  :-D

Dave helped us find the perfect shoes and that was no easy task.  He stayed helpful and good natured through our entire stay.

It's hard for Susan and I to find shoes.  Susan's feel are very narrow.  I have to work around a sensitive area on my right foot where I once broke my ankle.  Susan's search was easy.  Her daughter, Katie, has matching feet and she had already found the perfect shoe.  Susan tried in on and declared it perfect.  My search was harder.  I tried on at least 8 shoes searching for perfection.  I *think* I found it. I'm wearing them around the house for a while to be sure.

To the tune of Nancy Sinatra's old song...

These boots are made for hiking.

And that's just what they'll do.

One of these days these boots are gonna

Help me figure out what to do (with my life)!

The shoes with a tiny bit of purple are mine.   Susan's have bits of orange.  I tried on several that were more girly with turquoise and other fun colors, but these ended up being the most comfortable.  Since I'm a serious hiker, I had to push all my style instincts aside.  Ha Ha

The search for great socks was easier.  OMG.  We fell in love with our socks, but geez - hiking socks are expensive!

Why this new desire to hike?  Let me explain.  I am blessed to have a lot of wonderful, seriously wonderful friends.  They have all been watching out for me through this entire sad time.  They were there in droves when Rudy got sick.  They stayed after Rudy died.  They continue to love me and watch out for me as I figure out how to live without him.  Many of our outings have been to lunch, which is great because cooking for one doesn't seem worth the effort most of the time. Some outings have included a bit of shopping.  I can shop with the best of them, but I'm about shopped out.  I want need things to do that are different and fun and engaging.  Hiking fits the bill and is a great place to start.  I'm ready! Luckily, I have friends with varied interests and no matter what I come up with to try, I can usually find a friend willing to try it with me.