May 2, 2017
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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. We stopped by Sosebee Cove for a short wildflower hike before the main hike. HIKERS – John Anderson, Mike Bell, Phil Brownrigg, Ray Clark, Joe Collins, Renee Corbett, Angela Evans, Stephen Gales, Tim Hale, Bill Hunt, Whitney Hutchinson, Gary King, Bob Magee, Beth McDonald, Trushna Nadig, Terre Pratt, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Linda Schultz, Carole Wintle and Jack 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 8.7 miles for the entire loop. 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 sunny and cool. Temperatures in the upper 50’s F warming into the upper 60’s. Total distance – 8.7 mi. BLOOMING PLANTS: Flame Azalea, Showy Orchis, Catesbys Trillium, Large-flowered Trillium, White Erect Trillium (Stinking Benjamin), Red and Yellow Toadshade Trillium, Wild Geranium, Buttercups, Golden Alexanders, Solomon’s Seal, False Solomon’s Seal, White Baneberry, Yellow Star Grass, Blackberries, Black Cherry, Tulip Poplar, Dwarf Crested Iris, 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, Squaw Root and Yellow Mandarin. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Black and White Warbler, American Crow, Towhee, Oven Bird, Veery, Black-Throated Blue Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, Junco, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Blue-gray Gnat-catcher.
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