4/30/2019 – Lake Winfield Scott – Blood Mt. Loop, GA

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 – Ray Clark, Bob Drake, Jo Drake, Greta Driggers, Jim Driggers, Stephen Gales, Tim Hale, Gary King, Beth McDonald, Don Pratt, Terre Pratt, Tony Presley, Vic Robson and Linda Schultz, .

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 mild. Temperatures in the mid 60’s F warming into the mid 70’s. Total distance – 8.7 mi. Mostly strenuous

BLOOMING PLANTS: Fraser Magnolia, Flame Azalea, Showy Orchis, Catesbys Trillium, Large-flowered Trillium, White Erect Trillium (Stinking Benjamin), Red and Yellow Toadshade Trillium, White Baneberry, Wild Geranium, Buttercups, Golden Alexanders, Solomon’s Seal, False Solomon’s Seal, White Baneberry, Yellow Star Grass, Blackberries, Tulip Poplar, Dwarf Crested Iris, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Sweetshrub, Foam Flower, Sweet White Violet, Purple Violet, Canada Violet, Perfoliate Bellwort, Star Chickweed, Bluets, Wood Betony, White Clintonia, Umbrella Leaf, Mayapple, Cut-leafed Toothwort, Indian Cucumber Root, Wood Anemone, Squaw Root and Yellow Mandarin.

BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Oven Bird, Black and White Warbler, American Crow, Towhee, Pileated Woodpecker, Junco, Pine Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Our starting point today – Beautiful Lake Winfield Scott.

Headed out on the loop of Slaughter Creek Trail – Appalachian Trail and Jarrard Gap Trail.

Crossing Slaughter Creek.

The first Wood Betony we have seen this Spring!

Now we have reached the A.T. and head up to Blood Mt.

Nice but hazy view from the summit of Blood Mt. (highest elev. on the GA portion of the A.T.).

We found a Painted Trillium near the Blood Mt. Shelter.

“Real Hikers!”

The first Canada Violets we have seen this Spring.

Finishing the Jarrard Gap Trail!

We saw a few of these today.