6/11/2013 Blood Mountain Appalachian Trail from Lake Winfield Scott – GA

Today, we hiked to Blood Mountain on Appalachian Trail by starting at Lake Winfield Scott and doing a loop of the Slaughter Creek Trail up to the A.T. then up to the summit of Blood Mt. for lunch and back down to Slaughter Gap and down the A.T. to the Jarrard Gap Trail back to Winfield Scott.

HIKERS – Karen Brown, Phil Brownrigg, Mary DeWitt (Pom’s grandaughter), Greta Driggers, Jim Driggers, Stephen Gales, Mike Jones, Dick Metzgar, Jeanne O’Connor, Pom Sinnock and Carole Wintle.

TRAIL INFO: A very nice loop hike beginning at Lake Winfield Scott on the Slaughter Creek Trail up to the Appalachian Trail and continuing up to the summit of Blood Mt. and back down to Jarrard Gap and returning to the lake on the Jarrard Gap Trail. 8.1 miles total hike.

Today’s hike – rated moderately strenuous due to large elevation changes. Execellent trail conditions.

DIRECTIONS: From Cleveland, GA, travel North on Highway 129 for 21.3 miles and turn left just past Vogel State Park onto Highway 180. Continue on Highway 180 (Wolf Pen Gap Rd) for 6.7 miles and turn left at Lake Winfield Scott Rd to the parking lot. ($5 per car parking fee – seniors $2.50)

Another great day for a hike! Mostly to partly cloudy and warm. Temperatures ranged from 68 to 78 F.

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM: Mountain Hydrangea, Wild Geranium, Tall Bluet, Bluet, Tall Buttercup, Fly Poison, Jack-in-Pulpit, Meadow Rue, Indian Cucumberroot, Mountain Laurel, Flame Azalea, Catawba Rhododrendrum, Galax, Golden Alexander, Goat’s Beard, Solomon’s Seal, Solomon’s Plume, Wood Betony, Cinquefoil, Star Chickweed, Cow Wheat, Rattlesnake Weed, Michaux’s Saxifrage, Spiderwort, Four-leaf Milkweed, Canada Violet, Tulip Popular, Indian Pipes, Foam Flower, Oxeye Daisy and Indian Physic.

OTHER FAUNA: Ribbon Snake.

BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Dark-eyed Junco, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse and Broad-winged Hawk .