May 10, 2016
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Today’s hike was a loop starting at Lake Winfield Scott hiking up the Slaughter Creek Trail up to the A.T. and continuing up to Blood Mt. then returning to the lake by the Jarrard Gap Trail. HIKERS – John Anderson, Suzanne Belflower, Jenny Bell, Mike Bell, Phil Brownrigg, Ann Clark, Ray Clark, Greta Driggers, Jim Driggers, Stephen Gales, Bob Magee, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Roger Roy and Carole Wintle. TRAIL INFO. – The trailhead today was near the dam at Lake Winfield Scott. We followed the Slaughter Creek Trail up to the A.T. and continued up to Blood Mt. The hike up to Blood Mountain is uphill most of the way to the Blood Mountain shelter at the summit. This is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail in GA. at 4,461 ft. Returning back to the Slaughter Creek Trail intersection, we turned left and followed the A.T. to Jarrard Gap and turned right onto the Jarrard Gap Trail and followed it back to Lake Winfield Scott for a total of 8.5 miles for the entire loop.On our drive back, we stopped by the Sosebee Cove Wildlife Viewing Area for a short nature trail hike. 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! Partly cloudy and mild. Temperatures in the low 60’s F warming into the low 70’s. Total distance – 8.5 mi. BLOOMING PLANTS: 36 species! Yellow Lady Slipper, Flame Azalea, Painted Trillium, Large-flowered Trillium, White Erect Trillium, Wild Geranium, Buttercups, Red and Yellow Toadshade Trillium, Golden Alexanders, Solomon’s Seal, False Solomon’s Seal, White Baneberry, Yellow Star Grass, Blackberries, Black Cherry, Tulip Poplar, Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris Verna, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Sweetshrub, Foam Flower, Spurred Violet, Sweet White Violet, Purple Violet, Canada Violet, Perfoliate Bellwort, Star Chickweed, Bluets, Wood Betony, White Clintonia, Umbrella Leaf, Mayapple, Indian Cucumber Root and Yellow Mandarin. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Black and White Warbler, American Crow, Towhee, Oven Bird, Vireo, Black-Throated Blue Warbler, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Junco, Pine Warbler, Blue-Headed Vireo.
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