Fri, Jul 31 2015 - SM Sunset, Blue Moon Rise, International Space Station, Meteor Shower, and Fireworks (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham, Laura V, Mark Participants: Mark, Laura V, DaveO, KimVo, Barb, Sharon H, kevin, Stacey, Kristi, Jean, Lucila, Augusto, Charlie Cottingham, Patricia, John Christopher, Herm D, Barbara Saheb, Joyce B., Greg K, JAM, Mary Joyce, Cris, Celina, Shanda, Amy E, Lucy, Kip, Susan, Rodney R, Doug Holloman, Jai S, DennisC, Donna F, Davida, Deana, Shirley S, Stephen

We AOC "Stone Mountaineers" want to thank Mark for planning this very creative event and writing it up in such an entertaining way.  As it turned out, the first few words of his event article, "Should the weather and skies cooperate..." ended up being comically prophetic.  Although the entire day Friday had been mostly sunny, no sooner than we 3 dozen AOCers had gathered at the base of the walkup trail a little storm cell popped up out of nowhere and hovered over the Park for the next two hours with almost continuous torrents of rain!  In hopes that it might end we huddled under the 10' x 20'  restroom overhang with about 60 other would-be hikers from a local Christian singles ministry - who obviously didn't succeed in praying the clouds away- and who headed for the nearest bar after their leader announced their decision to pass on the hike.
  Mark and more than a dozen of us AOCers enjoyed sticking with his plan of hiking to the mountaintop.  We headed up the Walkup Trail at about 8:45 PM and had a fine time despite the downpour and despite not getting any actual glimpses of the sun, "blue full moon," ISS, or any meteors.  We were in fact rewarded by lots of brilliant red color on the western horizon just after sunset and had colorful views of the booming laser show fireworks from the northern rim of the mountaintop directly above the giant carving.
  We enjoyed hanging out together on the summit until about 10:15 and it was fun taking the alternate "parallel trail" with Mark back down the mountain together, with several non-AOC hikers in tow.
  We'll welcome other event anecdotes - also photo album links, etc. -  which we can add to this archive writeup.
- Submitted by Charlie on Aug 1.  Ironic Postscript:  Amazingly when I arrived home at 11:15 Friday night my parched yard had gotten nary a drop! - just 10 miles from Stone Mountain, and an example of how hit-or-miss summer rainstorms can be here in GA.