One of my biggest regrets about living in Valdosta, GA is that I really didn't take it upon myself to explore all of thing cool natural sites/sights in the area - clear blue springs, lakes, hiking, etc. Moving to Athens and being unemployed for, oh, 3 months or so will definitely make one change how they view the outside world. Or at least it did for me! Now, duh, I just love hopping in the car with just some mason jars of cold water, a few snacks and a camera and just exploring til I can't explore any more...or at least I have to return to the bakery for a late shift.
Our last trip before our New Orleans vacation, and our last trip with our sweet Miss Vienna, was to Black Rock Mountain in northern Georgia. It's home to some of the highest elevations in the state as well as the foxfire bioluminescent fungi. The latter we didn't see on that particular trip but we're planning to return to camp very soon (with temperatures 20 degrees cooler than what we have in Athens?...uh, yeah...we are so there) so hopefully that day will come!
I still can't get over how damn beautiful that blue sky was! Nor can I get over how much a mile 'moderate' hike to some waterfalls royally kicked my butt. I've been walking a lot more lately (thanks in part to all that N.O. strolling) despite the heat and I feel stronger already. Next time we go to Black Rock Mountain I plan to take that hike in 1/2 the original time. Yeah!
PS I did not carve my initials in the walkway beam. Please don't do stuff like that (not that you would) and please don't pick flowers and/or fungi and/or anything from trees or bushes while out hiking. Most parks don't allow it and most things in nature look fine just where they are. Most parks are completely fine with you picking fallen fruits, nuts, branches, etc but you should check in with a ranger/station before you do. As a proponent of foraging, it's important to know when/where/how/what is acceptable. Public, state and national parks are generally not the place to forage as they are housing an important area for general use. In that case, leave things for the next folks to enjoy and to help keep fragile ecosystems in balance. Thank you!
Holy crap mountains. Super gorgeous but I totally understand how those things can kick your butt! And that's another reason why I like Wisconsin 'cause we only have hills, hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you find foxfire!! I posted about it a while back ago and I would really like to find some!!! Too cool!! (naturalist geek out!!)
P.S. Thank you for putting in that disclaimer! I know it's hard for people, including myself at times, to not pick things like flowers at the parks, but it's so important to leave the things there so everyone can enjoy them! That's why photos are so great!
I'm glad your last trip with Miss Vienna was such a beautiful one. Had not heard of Foxfire (incredible!) and definitely did not know I've been breaking park rules all my life when picking various wildflowers (yikes, good to know). Hope you're staying cool. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks m'dear. Hope all is well with you?!?
DeleteYes! It's a big adjustment but we love Athens so far (except for the bug bites which are NOT a thing in Seattle). I feel very fortunate to have found some work but the initial crunch definitely means we aren't exploring too far afield yet. Lookin' forward to seeing more of Georgia and all its beautiful parks. No more flower picking! :)
DeleteLet me know if you'd like a tour guide complete with backpackin' chihuahua. I got connections.
DeleteI've picked many a wildflower in my life but after our trips to Yosemite, Arches and other parks I saw the devastation that things like that can do in large numbers. That and a stern talking to by a park ranger helped change my mind about bringing home certain treasures. Maybe that's why I take a gazillion flower pictures! Ha! :)
ReplyDelete