IN a NUTSHELL: The weather is shaping up nicely for this coming Tuesday: It's expected to be a gorgeous blue-sky fall day with virtually no chance of rain and comfortable afternoon temperatures in the 60s and low-70s. Should be perfect conditions for this Stone Mountain "Adventure."
Perhaps too often we Georgians "take Stone Mountain for granite!" :-) Boasting an amazing 300-million-years-old geologic history the massive monolith and its surroundings rival virtually any other natural area in the country, with craggy rock formations, beautiful lakes, rare native plants, and abundant birds & wildlife. The hundreds of acres of diverse terrain in the world-famous "Memorial Park" offer much to explore beyond the usual popular attractions and overused trails that most visitors limit themselves to. "The Rock" is also associated with many fascinating stories about its human history, which have become even more relevant now that the Park's gigantic Confederate carving and connections with the Civil War have become so controversial.
On this partly off-trail hike and "bouldering scramble" we'll explore many of Stone Mountain's little-known and seldom-visited scenic spots. Our route will be suitable for hikers who feel comfortable on rugged and steeply inclined rocky surfaces, which are likely to be wet in spots. When we've offered this event in past years it proved to be especially a treat and eye-opener for "veteran" AOC hikers who had previously focused on the Park's most heavily traveled and popular areas.
We plan to take a moderate pace, stopping often to regroup and observe & photograph the craggy scenery, wild critters and flowering plants, but still at times getting in a good aerobic workout on the uphill climbs. Although we don't consider the route to be particularly strenuous, there will be a few "scrambles" over large boulders and other steep spots along the way where a slip could potentially result in injury (as happened in fact to a couple of members who did this event with us in the past). We classify the hike as a "D5 Adventure" because of these "special considerations" that may affect our individual safety, and if you sign up for the event we prefer that you have previous climbing and descending experience in a wide variety of steep, rocky and occasionally briary wooded terrain.
WHERE & WHEN? We’ll gather a few minutes before 12:00 Noon at the "PATH Trailhead," outside the Park in Stone Mtn Village (beside the Visitor Center on Main Street at an old 1914-era red caboose). See detailed Directions & GPS info below. We'll have FREE parking there (or if those spaces are full, some of us can park a block or two northward in Stone Mtn village). We'll also have FREE entrance from there into the Park, as pedestrians and cyclists are always welcome to take advantage of, during daylight hours.
HIKE PLAN: Our expected total distance will be about 5 miles, with elevation gains in our uphill portions totaling perhaps 900 vertical feet or more. After introducing one another we’ll hike eastward into the Park (from the Red Caboose) via the half-mile paved "PATH Trail" - then continuing initially southeastward around the base and shoulder of the mountain via a series of both marked and unmarked trails. Along the way we intend to avoid disturbing the flora or fauna and leave the mountain and its surrounding terrain in better shape than we found it by picking up and carrying out bits of trash left by previous visitors. We trip leaders will provide small trash bags for this worthy AOC "spruce-up" effort. We'll target getting back to our vehicles at the "Caboose" by about 3:30 PM.
FOR a PHOTO ALBUM of our similar Nov 11, 2010 AOC Stone Mountain "Adventure Hike" click the following link: (Thanks to AOCer Marcus Kubota for sharing these colorful shots including the craggy "promo photo" atop this article.) http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=303112&id=648793487&l=00a69951aa
For Andrey Kundin's fine Google album of photos and video clips actually taken today, Oct 30th, 2018 on this event, click here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9MQkqX3arWmTKRTD7
FOR MORE about STONE MOUNTAIN here are clickable links to some excellent online Maps & Info:
- Stone Mtn Park Official Trail Map: https://stonemountainpark.org/wp- content/uploads/2014/10/Stone-Mountain-Park-Complete- Trail-Map.pdf
- Interactive Pictorial Park Map: https://www.stonemountainpark.com/map/Overview
- General Info & History of Mtn & Park: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Mountain
- Park Recreation Info & FAQs: http://www.stonemountainpark.com/faq/#Recreation |
Required Items to Bring:
1. Wear comfortable well-broken-in Hiking Boots or Athletic Shoes with a good rock-gripping tread and sturdy heel & ankle support, and preferably synthetic or wool-blend Socks.
2. Wear comfortable lightweight Clothing appropriate for the weather. (A Cap and Sunglasses with a strap are also suggested.)
3. Hydrate well (in advance) and carry at least a Liter of Water, preferably in a "Camelbak-style" backpack hydration system.
|  | Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
1. A single Trekking Pole with a rubber base (Can be handy for extra stability on rocky inclines, stream crossings, etc.)
2. SmartPhone and/or Camera for our numerous "Photo Op" stops along the way.
3. A relatively spacious Daypack for helping carry out our bags of light trash that we pick up along the way.
4. Consider bringing a few Snack items, esp. if you haven't already had lunch, etc. We can enjoy these at occasional scenic stops along the way.
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| Event Directions: | | DIRECTIONS to our Parking area & Trailhead for the Hike, OUTSIDE the Park beside the Stone Mtn Village Visitor Center, a.k.a. the "Red Caboose."
- Street Address: 892 Main St, Stone Mountain, GA 30083,
- GPS Lat/Lon Address: 33.8053, -84.1700 - Be sure to include comma & minus sign.
1. From "Spaghetti Junction" (the I-285/I-85 interchange in NE Atlanta) take "I-285 East" (actually southward) toward Augusta about 4.7 miles.
2. Take I-285 Exit #39B (bearing Right off I-285 in a clockwise loop). Merge onto Stone Mountain Pkwy/US-78 E (toward Snellville/Athens), and go about 5.9 miles.
3. At Exit #5 bear Right onto the Memorial Drive/Stone Mountain Bypass, and go only about 0.6 mile—then bear Right again at your first opportunity up the E. Ponce de Leon Ave. access ramp.
4. Turn Left onto E. Ponce de Leon Ave. and go 0.5 mile to the first traffic light.
5. Bear just slightly rightward at the light onto Main Street (southward through Stone Mtn village) and continue about another 0.5 mile to the Visitor Center on your Left, located in a historic 100-year-old red caboose. It's just beyond the traffic light at Mimosa Drive.
6. Free parking spaces are normally available there beside the "PATH Trailhead" , where we'll gather just beyond the caboose. If those spaces are filled there's always plenty of free street-side parking within a block or two northward, in the Village. | |
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