Pine Mountain Triple Summit and Coopers Furnace

Let's take in some views from up high this weekend. Join me on Pine Mountain in Cartersville as we traverse the trails up to the summit, around the East and West Loops, past the dam where the Etowah River flows into Allatoona Lake, and back up and down the summit a couple more times.

We will start by going clockwise on the West Loop and up to the David Archer Overlook. We will hope for clear skies to take in the stunning views. After savoring the breeze at the top, we will  head downhill going clockwise on the East Loop.  At about the halfway point of the loop we will veer off towards the Allatoona Dam. At the dam, we'll have our early lunch break overlooking the water. Next stop: Cooper's Furnace and a restroom break. Hiking back to the East Loop, we'll finish our clockwise loop. When we get back to the top we will head over to the West Loop to finish our clockwise loop on the west side. At the bottom we will do the West Loop again, moving counter-clockwise to complete our third and final climb to the top.

We will take some time to capture photos at the summit, and we will relax over lunch, but when we are moving, we will be moving at a steady, moderate-to-fast pace. We will be stop at trail intersections to regroup if need be.

This is not a beginner hike. This 10-mile hike will have 2700ft of ascent at a moderate to fast pace in hot, humid conditions.

Heartfelt thanks to Ron Jacobs for graciously allowing me to copy his itinerary!