Cohutta Wilderness - Conasauga River - April 6, 2002 - Member Trip Report

Hike Name: Cohutta Wilderness - Conasauga River
Country: United States
State: Georgia
Trip Rating: 4 stars
Trip Date: April 6, 2002
Duration: 2 days
Trail Conditions: Fair to Good
Trail Traffic: Light
Trip Weather: Sunny, Partly Sunny
Trip Winds: Light to Moderate
Trip Precipitation: None
Trip Temperature: High: 71-80, Low: 31-40 degrees Fahrenheit
Trip Report: 4/06/02: The Kidd was at my house by 10am this morning for the road trip to the Cohutta Wilderness, and we stopped at McDonald's on the way out of town. We finally made it to the trailhead at the FS 630 parking area after missing our first turn and taking a less direct route (and rougher road) to the parking lot. It took over three hours to get there but it was a nice day for hiking and The Kidd and I enjoyed the walk down to the river. The trail to the campsite was more obscure than I remembered it, but we found the camping area without much difficulty and decided to camp at the first river site. This was the only time it has been open in my three trips to the area, so it seemed like a good time to take advantage of it.

The Kidd and I spent the afternoon fishing, hanging out at a rock outcrop over the river, and setting up camp. I caught two fish on a Panther Martin - one suckerfish and one bass. It was a great evening to fish and hang around the campfire along the river. The temps dropped significantly tonight, but I never had to put on my North Face jacket (although it must have been in the 30's). The campfire started easily, but required a lot of attention until we finally got some hot coals in the base of it.

We stayed up until around midnight tonight and the stars were out in force. Originally we had discussed hiking to Panther Creek Falls this afternoon, but I'm glad we decided to hang out. It was a very relaxing day.

4/07/02: I slept later than I intended (since we gained an hour last night), and didn't roll out of the tent until 9:30am. By that time it was too late for the hike to the waterfall, which may have been a blessing actually. Both The Kidd and I enjoyed taking it slow this morning and doing some more fishing along the river (although we didn’t have any luck).

We didn't leave the campsite for The Kidd’s truck until around 1pm. The hike out was easier than I expected (although mostly uphill), and we hiked out of the ravine in 45 minutes. It was sunny, cool, and breezy today, so the weather was almost perfect for the climb out.

Yesterday the parking lot was packed, but today there were only three cars in it. The Kidd and I drove to a nearby McDonalds for a late lunch then made it back to Atlanta by 5:30pm. The Kidd said this was his most favorite southeastern hike to date, which says a lot about this area.

Hiker:

The Kidd


1,850 points


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