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Tue, Apr 19 2011 - Stone Mountain After-Work Adventure Hike: Meet OUTSIDE Park. (View Original Event Details)

Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham, Marcus
Participants:Charlie Cottingham, Marcus, Hope, Lisa Maldonado, brenda, Greg Walling, Steven Schum, Russ, Allan, Phil Weltner, Brett B, Sarah Y, Rafiq, Milt K, Veronica L, Mary Kay


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Write Up:
ARCHIVE WRITEUP:  —Submitted by Charlie, Apr 20, 2011.

  Our sixteen friendly "AOC Scramblers" had a blast together on this "completely different" kind of Stone Mountain experience.  En route we bypassed the Park's well-known worn trail system and instead traversed remote and expansive rocky landscapes reminiscent of the surface of the moon or of Yosemite's Half Dome.
  First in our lineup of adventures was exploring a granite cliff and grotto high on the mountain's SW shoulder, with bent pines and cedars that seem to be keeping the giant overhang from collapsing.
  Continuing in an upward spiral around the mountain we paused briefly to test our vertical climbing and descending skills in a field of small boulders. The pinnacle of our "scramble" came soon thereafter—exploring what adventurous locals call "the Crow's Nest," a field of giant boulders and gnarled trees high on the mountain near the aerial tramway and memorial carving.
  As nightfall approached we descended down the wide gently sloping eastern shoulder of the granite monadnock in self-styled meandering switchbacks.  Before returning to our "Red Caboose" free parking area we had a leisurely stop at the open-air Granite Quarrying Museum near the old Mill—then "returned to our childhood" for a few minutes by climbing all over the antique steam locomotive that has been retired now for years in the Park's old train yard.
  Our final after-dark "adventure" involved helping one another safely negotiate the final 100 yards to our vehicles.  The PATH Trail's exit gate near the Caboose is locked at sunset each evening.
  We were fortunate to have ideal spring weather, with a gentle breeze and hike-time temps in the 70s and 80s—also lucky to witness the showy white blooms of the rare "Diamorpha" (see Hope's photos, linked below).  After regular rainfall like we've had recently this low-growing red succulent and other showy flowering plants and lush mosses grow in profusion in April in thousands of shallow sandy recesses all over the mountain.
  It was great having Lisa and Sarah back with me on this 3rd AOC "Stone Mountain Scramble"—both had been part of our first one last October.  Marcus was on our second Scramble in November and we all appreciate his capable co-leadership this time around!
  Thanks to Brett Blackwelder and Phil Weltner for joining us—for both of them their first AOC event.  Brett lives in Stone Mountain village and knows the mountain and its lore well.  Phil loves rock climbing, and we appreciated his demonstrating various bouldering moves and techniques during the Scramble.
  Thanks to Hope and Milt who have shared their nice photos of the event with us.  I welcome more photo links which I can add below!

For Hope Zacek's nice Flickr photo album click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopetopia/sets/72157626540287592/detail/