In late January, on the first “warm” day since Thanksgiving, I made my way up Stone Mountain, GA. I had barely started my hike, when I came face-to-face with a confederate flag, proudly announcing that this was Civil War grounds. It also clearly illustrated what side good ol’ Georgia fought for.
For my non-American readers, the flag on the left, beyond the American Flag, is the Confederate Flag of the south. It represents the side of the Civil War that fought to retain the institution of slavery, and lost — well, on paper anyway.
Even so, as far as hiking goes in Atlanta, this is the most popular trail people tend to suggest. And that is exactly why I didn’t go anywhere near it until I had all but run out of other trails in the city, to see.
The Climb
We started in the early afternoon, more than a little thrilled at having our first day in the 50s since November. Yes, it’s been an unusually cold winter in the southeast this year. But, with spring creeping up upon us now, we shan’t dwell on that!
The climb up the mountain was a lot steeper than I had imagined it would be, made worse by the fact that I was doing it on 4 hours sleep, after coming off a 16-hour shift the night before.
Still, I’m accustomed to lack of sleep, and wasn’t at all slowed or disheartened. In fact, I remember being in the absolute best of spirits. So much so that I ran up the last of the summit, all the way to the top, while Winston and Orion lagged behind.
The Top
At the top of the mountain, I found tiny pool formations sprinkled across the rock. They were interesting, but not quite the view I had climbed all that way to see. The view of the surrounding area was beautiful, especially with the deep-blue of man-made lakes below.
Behind me, there was also a lift, which I suppose was the easy way up the mountain. I bet the view is pretty awesome up there, too.
I walked the top of the mountain by myself for some time, enjoying the wind and the sunshine and the view, before Winston came to find me. It was time to go.
Naturally, the descent was a lot easier than the climb up, though we did somehow manage to get lost along the way for a short bit.
The whole hike took us about two hours, including the stops along the way. It was manageable, if you don’t mind the altitude — child’s play compared to hiking up Lone Mountain in Vegas, or climbing those 10 million steps at Amicalola Falls!
The Nature Shots
Despite being the first warmish day since before the end of fall, nature was already fighting the good fight. Here are a few random nature shots I took along the way.
Have you ever hiked up Stone Mountain, GA? Is there an iconic hiking trail in your neck of the woods? Share the details in the comments below!
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