Spent another weekend in the Cohutta, but I was missing my better half for this one! I got up Saturday morning to join a great group of volunteers with the Conasauga Ranger District Group! It was my first day with the group and it was great fun and we hopefully did a little good for the beautiful trail on Hemp Top Mountain. We worked from 9-3 digging out water drainage ditches all along the trail with hand tools and hiking in and out! I worked with 2 amazing women, Allie and Wanda, who both worked me into the ground! It was tough work on a hot day, but it brought a great feeling of accomplishment and after you hear the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey always said, maybe we really did some good! After working, we visited and got to know some of the other volunteers over some good food and then I headed out! I had decided not to drive home, but to stay at Jack’s River Fields Campground, which is a small 6 site very primitive camping area! I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get a site because bow hunting season started that day, but when I arrived, I got one of the 2 best sites almost right on the river! Not as lucky as I thought, when you hear the rest of the story! I set up camp and went for another short hike to explore some Falls I enjoy off of South Fork Trail! After returning to camp, I settled in my lounge chair and had some dinner by a nice fire!
After an hour or two, I saw 3 mountain bikers pedaled in and set up camp! I had some fried chicken left over from the volunteers and I went over and offered it to them since I figured they wouldn’t have much on their bikes! They seemed to really enjoy it! As it got dark, one of the bikers came over to thank me and we talked for about an hour! He and a friend had come all the way from Canada to ride across Georgia! WOW! And I thought I was nuts! Who would think you would have a great intellectual conversation about the United States and Canada in the middle of the wilderness? After he left, I noticed some thunder in the background and decided to reinforce my tent even though I knew it was not going to rain since the weathermen said there was a 0% chance of rain! I crawled in my tent around 10 as it started to sprinkle! Within 5 minutes, it was flooding rain, cracking with thunder and lightning and I said a quiet curse on all weathermen!
Now, I was actually pretty secure and I stayed very dry, but the sound of massive amounts of rain didn’t help me sleep! I kept thinking, how long does it take for a flashflood to rise up a short, flat bank 30 feet from my tent! I was preparing my air mattress for a float down river! It rained ALL night and almost constantly! My tent and tarp held good, but I wondered if the bikers across the camp were going to float by any minute! I think I slept about 4 hours, but I survived the long, wet night! I really don’t like weathermen!
As I crawled out of my tent, I looked across the camp and the pair of Canadians were gone, hopefully on their bikes and not floating down the river! The river was still in its banks, but I had the thought that our water drains on Hemp Top got a real workout if it rained as much over there! I then noticed the other biker sitting by the creek filling a water bottle filter and decided to offer him some fresh water! As I walked over, I noticed he didn’t have a tent, but a mummy bag with a cover! His mummy bag was hanging from the lamp post, dripping wet! I always tell my students, someone is always worse off than you, and this guy was soaked and had to have had a horrible night! I went back to my camp and had a horrible experience! I was trying to lift the tarp and dumped a couple of gallons of water on my head and on my phone! I quickly took my phone out of the case and dried it off! Then it slipped out of my hand! I almost caught it, but it barely touched the ground! I picked it up and prayed, but when I flipped it over the screen was cracked! Did I mention, I don’t like Apple much either, even though I love my phone! I think they make the screens out of tissue so they will break! Anyway, what’s done! Still works and the crack isn’t too bad, so I can live with it for a while!
I sat down to cook breakfast and thought of the biker! I always bring extra food, so I put some extra bacon and eggs on the stove and fixed a plate for the biker! I walked it over to his campsite and asked if he could use a hot meal! He seemed to greatly appreciate it! I talked to him for a while and he told me he was taking two months off work to bike from Savannah to his home in Michigan! And I thought I was nuts!! I’m beginning to think I am the sanest person in the wilderness and that is a little frightening! I returned to camp and packed up all my wet equipment and headed out! After some exploring at an amazing mountain top cemetery and outdoor chapel in the Jones community, I headed out of the wilderness! I met Phyllis and my parents at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge! It makes the apple places in Ellijay look small! We headed home and had a good lunch at Long Horns before making our way to Rome! I unloaded with Phyllis’ help, walked like zombie to the shower, crawled in the bed and passed out! Another great adventure, but I love hitting my bed after a weekend like that! Can’t wait for the next one! Hope all my biker friends made it out of the wilderness!
