Preaching Rock - May 20, 2008 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Preaching Rock |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Georgia |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | May 20, 2008 |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny, Partly Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy, Fog |
| Trip Winds: | Heavy |
| Trip Precipitation: | Rain, Showers, Thunderstorms, Sleet, Hail |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 71-80, Low: 51-60 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | Tuesday (5/20/08) – Black Crowe and The Kidd showed up at my house around 3pm this afternoon and we beat traffic out of Atlanta after a stop in Dahlonega to get gas and last minute snacks. By the time Black Crowe drove us to Woody Gap at 4:30pm, thunderstorms were already rumbling in the distance. The skies were gray/black to the west and we knew we had to hustle to the campsite. After a slow and steady climb up to Preacher Rock, I picked up the pace with The Kidd and we made it to the a ridge line as the storm closed in on us. The Kidd waited for Black Crowe while I raced on to the campsite to pitch a Kelty tarp for protection from the storm. By the time The Kidd showed with Black Crowe, the storm was on us and spitting light, then torrential rain which eventually turned to marble-sized hail. I immediately knew there was a tornado in the area which we later confirmed had hit in Cherokee County. Fortunately, we rode out the storm hidden under the Kelty rainfly and a painters tarp that The Kidd drapped over our legs. We collected four bowls of water from the storm which was enough to fill the water bag and save us from backtracking 20 minutes to a spring off the A.T. Once the storm cleared, steam rose from the valley and the view to the east was pretty awesome. The sun eventually poked out for the last hour of daylight, and we were able to find enough wood to have a nice blaze this afternoon. It took 15 minutes of steady MSR stove heat to ignite the wood, but with Black Crowe's saw and stove we had an excellent fire this evening. Cooked some pasta and re-heated some chicked for dinner, then Black Crowe entertained us with his eccletic musical tastes until about 1am. To his credit, he served up a solid playlist that ran the gambit from 1960's to 2000's era rock. I was officially “working” today, but with my last day coming on Friday and most of the transition of my accounts done – there are little demands of my time at the office. Black Crowe and I originally planned this trip for 5/23 as a farewell party, but it was pushed up due to a start date with a new company. Wednesday (5/21/08) – Woke to sunny skies this morning at 8:15am and Black Crowe was enjoying the sunrise from the rock ledge when I unzipped my tent. Both The Kidd and I met him on the rock outcrop, had a few cold snacks for breakfast, then packed up our gear and hit the trail by 9am. The weather was fantastic for hiking this morning with cool temps and light breezes for the walk out. It took us about an hour to reach Woody Gap and we stopped briefly at Preacher's Rock to snap some photos on the way to the SUV. I broke ahead of the pack for the last mile to soak up the sunshine and perfect trail conditions. There was plenty of activity at the gap when we arrived with two separate groups camping on both sides of GA 60 and a number of hikers preparing to head out. This surprised me for a Wednesday morning, but Woody Gap has always been a popular trailhead. Drove to Dawsonville to grab a late breakfast at the Waffle House, then made it back to Atlanta by noon. |
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