May 29, 2012
| Today, we hiked the Yonah Mountain Trail featuring massive rock cliffs near Cleveland, GA.
HIKERS: Karen Brown, Phil Brownrigg, Greta Driggers, Jim Driggers, Pam Euliss, Dave Hinson, Bill Hunt, Jeanne O’Connor, Don Preece, Donna Presley, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Dan Ross and Carole Wintle. TRAIL INFO. – The Yonah Mountain Trail is a short but strenuous hike from the base to the summit of this beautiful rock-faced mountain. The rock cliffs are amazing and are frequently used for training by the U.S. Army Rangers. The side trails take you out to the edge of these cliffs where you find numerous rapelling hooks anchored in the rocks with hundreds of feet of sheer drop below. The views are breath-taking! Distance hiked – 5 miles. Directions: To reach the trailhead, take Hwy 75 north from Cleveland, GA towards Helen. Turn right on Tom Bell Rd at the Western Sizzlin Steakhouse. Then take an immediate left on Chambers Rd. looking for the second gravel road on your left. You will see the parking lot with kiosk and restrooms. Another great day for a hike! Mostly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 67 to 75 degrees F. WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM: Bergamot, Butterfly Weed, Flame Azalea, Fleabane, Rosebay Rhododendrun, Whorled Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susan, Mountain Hydrangea, Tall Bluet, Spiderwort, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Black Cohosh, Flowering Spurge, Poke-leaf Milkweed, Hairy Skullcap, Fire Pink, Whorled Loosestrife, Yellow Wood Sorrell, Sun Drop, Flowering Spurge, Carolina Rose, Ragwort, Mountain Laurel, Blackberry and Rattlesnake Weed. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Chestnut-sided Warbler, Dove, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barn Swallow, Turkey Vulture and Black Vulture OTHER FAUNA: 4 Deer, Toad. |
 Our destination today! Beautiful Yonah Mountain. |
 Headed to the summit of Yonah Mountain. |
 Huge boulders are a constant feature along the trail. |
 Careful footing is required to climb through this boulder field. |
 Wildflowers are abundant on this trail. Spiderwort (Tradescantia subaspera) |
 About half-way up the mountain we come to a grassy field for a break. |
 A nice view from the grassy field area. |
 We head up one of the steep portions of the trail. |
 We saw hundreds of Wild Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) blooming. |
 The amazing rock cliffs were fogged in. Here you can see a rapelling cable that Army Rangers use. |
 The rock cliffs are breathtaking! (not recommended for careless walkers or people with vertigo) |
 As we continue along the rim of cliffs, we can look down to the Helen highway. |
 Fungus of the week! |
 Beautiful Sundrops(Oenothera fruticosa) |
 The OFHC gang for today’s hike! (l-r) Greta Driggers, Carole Wintle, Karen Brown, Don Preece, Vic Robson, Bill Hunt, Dan Ross, Donna Presley, Jeanne O’Connor, Pam Euliss, Phil Brownrigg, Jim Driggers and Tony Presley. Not pictured – Dave Hinson. |