January 21, 2014
| Today’s hike was on the Broad River Trail near Toccoa, GA from Dicks Creek to Farmers Bottom.
HIKERS – Wayne Barrios, John Bellamy, June Bellamy, Phil Brownrigg, Pam Euliss, Stephen Gales, Tim Hale, Bill Hunt, Jack Jacobi, Bob Magee, Dick Metzgar, Dave Norton, Mary Lu Norton, Jeanne O’Connor, Tony Presley, Pom Sinnock, Geri Whitaker and Carole Wintle. TRAIL INFORMATION – The Broad River Trail is a beautiful woodland hike along Dicks Creek and the Broad River. We encountered a very large number of trail obstructions due to blow-downs which made the hike very difficult today. The trail starts at Dicks Creek and ends 3.8 miles southward at Farmers Bottom. We hiked to the end of the trail at Farmer’s Bottom and hiked back to our cars on the Forest Service Road. Directions: From Toccoa take Highway 123 west and continue straight through the Jeanette Jameison intersection and continue on about a mile and a half and turn left onto Ayersville Rd. (Patterson Pump Inc.). Continue about a half mile or so and turn left onto F.S. Road 87 (dirt) continue past the game checking station for about a mile or so and look for a trail sign on the right. Park on the side of the road. (If you are coming from Cornelia/Clarkesville on the 4-lane Highway 17, turn to the right at the traffic light at Jeanette Jameison Intersection and continue as above.) Another great day for a hike! Fair and cool with temperatures ranging from 34 to 52 degrees F. Hiking distance – 8 miles. FLOWERS IN BLOOM: None BIRDS IDENTIFIED:Carolina Chickadee, American Crow, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay and Turkey Vulture. |
 Parking on F.S. road 87 |
 Trail sign near the start. |
 Another great day for a hike! |
 There are many great views of Dicks Creek! |
 Very nice! |
 18 hikers on this cool, windy day! |
 The famous circular Hemlock Tree! |
 Noisy rapids on Dicks Creek. This creek joins the Broad River shortly below here. |
 A sign of things to come today. Numerous trail obstructions due to blow-downs. |
 We walked up a steep slope to get around this massive blow-down. |
 We repeatedly had to find ways over, under or around large blow-downs! |
 Lunchtime at Farmer’s Bottom. |
 To avoid the blow-downs, we decide to hike back on the Forest Service Road 87. |
 The OFHC gang for today’s hike! (l-r)Pom Sinnock, Dave Norton, Bob Magee, Tony Presley, June Bellamy, John Bellamy, Wayne Barrios, Geri Whitaker, “Nugget”, Jack Jacobi, Phil Brownrigg, Pam Euliss, Tim Hale, Bill Hunt, Carole Wintle, Dick Metzgar, Stephen Gales, Jeanne O’Connor and Mary Lu Norton. |
SEE BELOW FOR VIDEO AND MANY MORE PHOTOS!