Summit Stone Mountain plus optional Yoga

Come join us on this potentially wonderful October afternoon to climb up Stone Mountain. We will hike at a moderate pace with no stops to the summit, because this is after all an attempt to get a little outdoor fitness after a day of work, which for me, means a day in the office, followed sometimes with a long commute. The faster hikers will of course be waiting at the summit to regroup with the rest of the team, so a certain amount of confidence and fitness level should exist if you want to join the hike. We don't want too many people waiting a long time for the others to catch up in other words. If you can climb up in less than 25 minutes, I think you'll be fine. The faster hikers are free to do push-up's if they start getting cold, or want to keep their heart rate up, prior to the yoga.

Once we all regroup at the top, we will walk together to a place appropriate for our yoga session as the sun sets and potentially as dusk settles upon the mountain, with the call of the robin in the background.

We have the extra benefit of having a relatively new AOC member, Kristina Buck, lead us through a yoga session, who just happens to be a certified yoga instructor. If you want to know more about her, she added a link to her website on her profile.

Warning, this is a steep climb in places, with a total elevation gain of 700', most of it in the last third of the hike up. If you're not familiar with the mountain, afraid of heights, or not in good shape, you may want to try this climb on your own first, because the objective is a fitness hike, and we can get spread out due to the varying paces. It's not a tour in other words.

After we regroup, I will lead you to a place where we can relax and start doing yoga. If you want to participate in yoga, I recommend bringing a yoga mat.

If you don't know the mountain, or feel uncomfortable walking in the dark, I recommend bringing a head lamp so your hands are free, since after the yoga session, it could be starting to get dark.

We will meet near the Confederate Hall and the start of the walk-up trail behind the large parking lot across from the bathrooms. The hike will start promptly at 5:30 pm so plan to arrive early. There is an $10 parking fee to enter the park; however, free public parking is available in Stone Mountain Village. See directions below.

Directions: To the main entrance- From I-285 take U.S. Hwy 78 East (Snellville/Athens) exit. Travel about 7 miles and take Exit 8, the Stone Mountain Park Main Entrance. After entering the main entrance, proceed straight ahead. The road will fork at about 1 mile – stay to the right. Continue to follow the road for another mile. Confederate Hall will be on your left. The parking lot will be immediately after. We’ll meet behind Confederate Hall near the walk up trail.

Additional directions and maps can be found at:
http://stonemountainpark.com/default.aspx

This event is not rain or shine. If inclement weather is predicted when I check just after lunch on the day of the event, I will be forced to cancel.