We parked at the top of the falls and hiked down the "trail" to the viewing platform near the bottom. I say "trail" because it was all wooden stairs...425 to be exact. It was well worth the effort. Amicalola Falls reminds me a lot of Issaqueena Falls in South Carolina that we visited back in May. The water disperses over the dark rocks providing many flowing streams and a lot of mist. The view from the top was pretty cool too.
They warn you
View from the top
Amicalola Falls
Going up
Video from the bottom
Our knees were sore by the time we descended and then climbed back up all those stairs. We headed back toward Dahlonega to the Jake & Bull Mountain Trails for some mountain biking. These trails are used in the popular Fool's Gold endurance race and have been on my radar for some time. We parked on the Jake Mountain side. I went in for an exploration lap while Shannon went to Dahlonega to explore town. I broke a pedal literally 10 feet into the trail and came running out of the woods to catch Shannon before she drove away with the toolbox. I had another set of pedals in there so everything was fine. But it shows you how close I was to having more problems than just cramps in the SERC/GSC finals at Helen last weekend.
I really liked the trails I rode. I did a 17-mile loop all on the Jake Mountain side. It included some flowing singletrack around the side of the mountain, a deep creek crossing which required a bike carry, long climbs, fast descents and the occasional gravel road. I really enjoyed my ride.
Creek crossing
I came back to the parking lot to meet Shannon and we went out for another 10 miles. It was a tough trail for her with so much climbing, but she rode it like a champ. I think I was more tired at the end than she was. I was hoping for 40 miles today, but my legs were toast at 27. I called it a day as I could use a shorter day after how much activity we have had in the past five days. This is one of the best trail systems I have ever ridden. I liked how it was remote and there were plenty of trails to spread out all the trail users. I only saw a few riders all day. I want to go back and ride the Bull Mountain side of the trails.
Shannon hikes across the creek on her lap
One of the guys we did see ended up getting a ride out with the EMS crew. When I was finishing my first loop he was going in on a snazzy-looking new bike. The nice paint covered a low-end bike with a coil shock and very upright stem and bars. The guy just looked out of place as he weaved his way down the descent. It was one of those times when you think to yourself "that guy's not going to make it out." The shortest loop there is the 10-mile loop so it's not the easiest place for a Beginner rider. I saw the guy on the loop with Shannon. He was halfway through and not looking so good, but he was still moving. By the time we finished the lap, EMS had been called and were pulling into the parking lot. The guy was freaking out back there because he was tired, had no food and no water. Another rider have given him water, but he still couldn't ride out. When we left the EMS crew were headed in to get him and his bike. I hope when he recovers he will want to ride again and can look back on this day and laugh. We have all one of those days at some point. Welcome to the trail my friend!
On our way back to Blairsville, we visited a few more waterfalls. After a long drive down a gravel road we saw both sections of Dicks Creek Falls. The lower section is bigger, but much more crowded. There's a deep swimming hole, which is quite popular on a 95-degree July day. The upper section was two miles further upstream and there was only two people there. It was not as big, but it was quiet and peaceful. There are supposed to be more falls in the Dicks Creek area, so we want to come back here again in the future as well.
Dicks Creek Falls - Lower
Dicks Creek Falls - Upper
We also stopped by Desoto Falls, hiking to both the upper and lower portions of these falls. There was not much water flowing at either place, but we enjoyed them nonetheless. We were the only people on the trail tonight. It may have the same name as DeSoto Falls in Alabama that we visited earlier this month, but the falls are way different from each other.
Desoto Falls - Upper
Desoto Falls - Lower
Video of lower Desoto Falls
No comments:
Post a Comment