Mon, Jun 3 2013 - Stone Mountain After-work Adventure Hike: Meet OUTSIDE Park. (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham, Lauren Participants: Lauren, Charlie Cottingham, Matthew Ballard, Jane T, Aaron, David Duffey, Linda Bratton Haynes, Laura V, Michael Johnson, John

Thanks to the nine other intrepid AOCers who refused to "take Stone Mountain for granite" by joining me to explore some of the park's spectacular natural areas that are seldom witnessed by the public at large.  I'm proud of us for surviving the "steeps" of this adventurous and memorable 5-mile hike in fine form!
The weather could hardly have been more perfect, and the few slick spots that remained from Sunday's showers were more than compensated for by the lush foliage and abundant wildflowers that had perked up from their dowsing - esp. the tall white-flowered spikes of native "beargrass yucca" and bright yellow prickly-pear cactus blooms.
In the darkening twilight while en route back to Stone Mtn Village we enjoyed exploring cavernous old quarries where millions of tons of granite had been removed from the mountain before it became such a wonderful park.
-Submitted by Charlie, 8:00 AM Tue