February 20, 2018
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Today’s hike was in Rabun County starting on Courthouse Gap Rd hiking up to the Bartram Trail at Courthouse Gap and on up to the Pinnacle Knob Trail onward to the summit of Pinnacle on the newly routed trail. Distance approx. 4 mi HIKERS – Mike Bell, Ray Clark, Joe Collins, Renee Corbett, Tim Hale, Bob Magee, Dave Norton, Mary Lu Norton, Tony Presley and Vic Robson. TRAIL INFO. -The new Pinnacle Knob Trail is a great improvement over the old one. The original trail climbed straight up the steep mountain with no switchbacks and this led to some serious erosion until much of the trail was turning into a deep gulley. The new improved trail consists of a series of switchbacks following the northeastern side of Pinnacle Mountain before skirting the mountain’s southern ridge towards its summit. It is a beautiful trail that is much less strenuous than before. From this parking spot, you walk up the gravel road for approx. .25 mi then turn left onto the Courthouse Gap Trail. Continue another .25 mile to the Bartram Trail at Courthouse Gap. Turn right and continue to the Pinnacle Knob Trail (green marker trail number 58). The summit has spectacular mountain views! DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From Clayton GA, Walmart area, Travel north on Hwy 441 for 2.5 miles and turn right onto Pinnacle Dr. Continue on Pinnacle for 2.7 miles and turn left onto Courthouse Gap Rd. and continue until you get to the big powerline cut and park there. Walk up the road a quarter mile or so and look for the access trail on the left. Another great day for a hike! Mostly Cloudy and very foggy with temperatures mostly in the upper 50’s to mid 60’s F. FLOWERS IN BLOOM: Chickweed BIRDS IDENTIFIED: White-breasted Nuthatch, Cardinal, American Crow, Chickadee. , we had a wildlife tragedy today…. as we were climbing up the trail less than a half mile from the summit, we spooked two deer and they ran full speed downhill. One of them took a violent tumble and broke its back. It died shortly afterwards just a few feet off the trail.
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