North GA Mountains

August 2009 

• Aug  8th

  • Unicoi  St Park - Two Nights in Barrel Cottage

  • Anna Ruby Falls (Smokey's 65th Birthday with cake)

  • Buck and Nelson

  • 4 Deer by Lodge
    
     

• Aug 9th -

  • At Unicoi we saw a mountain bicycle race and took a short hike.

  • Smithgall Woods Preserve

  • Tower Hill Rd- but ended up in Helen (Your are on the wrong side of the mountain). 

  • Rode back via Alt 75 and Ridge Road.
     

• Aug 10th

  • Black Rock Mountain State Park  - 2 Nights in Mountain top cottage.

  • Tennessee Rock Trail.

  • Highest Point in a Georgia State Park

  • Made Hobo Package dinners and S'mores. 
     

• Aug 11th

  •  Tallulah Gorge State Park - Hiked the stairs.... twice.

  • And bordered down to Oceana falls.

  • No Power that night in cabin  - Saw a good storm come in from atop a slide. 

  • Raccoon came a beggin'. 

  Aug 12th

  • Fox Fire museum in the rain.... 1 Program per guest... 

  • :Family Style lunch at the Dillard house.

  • 3 nights at the "fancy" cabin near Cleveland.

  • 2 dear at entrance to cabin.  

  Aug 13th

  • Went to Helton Creek Falls. 

  • Went swimming. 

  • Desoto Falls... Saw bear print....

  • Blue Creek Barbeque for pulled pork and chocolate spoon cake and great potato salad. 

  Aug 14th

  • Raven Cliff Fall Hike - 5 miles

  • Saw a Bear!!! 

  • At cabin "stalked" 2 deer.

Unicoi Park

Happened to be a bike race in the park that day - these are pro racers:

Unicoi Cabins:

Tallulah Gorge State Park

Non-Permit Section (About 1000 Steps) 

We decided to go back up and get a permit to pass the bottom gate, so we did the 1000 steps up and down 2 times.

.

In Permit Area: (Walk above is as far as you can go w/o a permit)

Now What!?!?!?!?

Black Rock

Tennessee Trail View (Highest Point in a GA State Park).   

This was a sign on a road the path crossed near the start/end point.

Near Black Rock Main Information Center

Dillard House

Helton Creek Falls Trail

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Raven Trail near Helen

(We saw a Bear - But no photo)

A bear was here!!!

A bear was also here!!!

Water bug running on flowing water, eating things as they went by. 

Bear Proof Garbage by parking area.

"Bear" trying to get into bear proof trash cans...

"Four on the floor" bathroom.... really it is a manual pump to flush toilet

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(we are not alone - deer are near by)

Butterflies galore

Up Hill - No official trail here...

Desoto Falls:

(The "welcome"/"slip and die" sign made an interesting picture) 

Desoto is a Easy Trail good for almost anyone.

Smithgall Woods Preserve

Caution: Objects in photos are steeper than they appear. 

DARN HILL

This is a "lodge" ?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?