Men stumble on stones, not mountains.
I was up a bit late Sunday (thanks to Yucca, apple pie shots, Tequila Rose, and a lot of other colored liquids with funny names) and slept in quite a bit Monday morning and was surprised to see much of the camp already packed up and gone by the time I was able to stir. After scrounging what I could of any remaining breakfast I too broke camp before taking a shower. There were a few hard core folks still hanging around doing laps in the golf carts, but most had left to travel home or spend with family. Since I had a couple of days before I had to be back home, I headed over to Stone Mountain on the east side of Atlanta. While I was expecting a bit of a toursity park, I wasn't ready for the size of the place and beauty of the area. Even with hundreds of families setting up grills and picnics around the place, it did not seem too crowded. I walked through the shops for a bit before heading off on the trail that skirted the base of the mountain. I finally found the walker's trail to the top and started climbing. I thought the Tallulah Gorge climb was a bit of an effort, but this was just a long climb. It kept going, and going, and going, but was well marked with plenty of other folks making the same trek up and down.
I took plenty of water and shade breaks and when 3/4 of the way up ran across a young lady that was having a very difficult time. Apparently she was already at the point of some pretty dangerous heat exhaustion since her skin was dry and clammy with the body already having to start shutting down some things. Though her husband was a bit behind her, it seemed pretty clear that neither of them had any real outdoor experience. Apparently not wanting to 'have an upset stomach due to the heat' she didn't eat anything that day and only carried up a 12oz bottle of Sprite for fluids. This was a pretty steep area and I had no doubt than much further would find her passing out and sliding down the mountainside. I and another random hiker got her to the shade and started cooling her off with my water soaked bandanna (which I never got back) as well as water and a couple of granola bars that I was carrying in my water pouch. I filled her soft drink bottle with my remaining water (since I knew there were faucets on the top) and waited until her body was back in control.
The rest of the hike was uneventful as I made my way to the top where many tourists (most having ridden up in the gondolas) were enjoying the view. There were bathrooms, air conditioning, and cold water fountains that made the rest enjoyable as I sat by the observation areas. After cooling off I spent quite a bit of time walking around the top taking in the various views. Since it was getting late and I wanted to explore the rest of the park 
I jumped on the gondola for a quick descent. After visiting the 732-bell Carillon located my one of the lakes, I jumped into the truck for a ride around the mountain. There were a lot of people out biking and walking the trails next to the roadway as I passed numerous playgrounds, parking areas, and forested picnic areas. I headed over to the covered bridge (right) and was able to enjoy my first experience with such a building. I can understand now the allure that these historic structures have with many photographers and travelers.
After a quick stop at replica of an old water powered mills (left) I headed to Atlanta to visit with a friend and get a chance to get my first real shower in several days. 
I wish I had more time to explore the park, but was able to really enjoy checking out some old, abandoned rail cars and engines that I came across. It was really neat to be able to walk around the old cars that were nearly swallowed up by the surrounding landscape. I was treated to a nice sushi dinner that, even after two hungry people scouring and ordering more, only cost about $11 per person. If sushi is that cheap everywhere there, I am definitely moving!
I was up a bit late Sunday (thanks to Yucca, apple pie shots, Tequila Rose, and a lot of other colored liquids with funny names) and slept in quite a bit Monday morning and was surprised to see much of the camp already packed up and gone by the time I was able to stir. After scrounging what I could of any remaining breakfast I too broke camp before taking a shower. There were a few hard core folks still hanging around doing laps in the golf carts, but most had left to travel home or spend with family. Since I had a couple of days before I had to be back home, I headed over to Stone Mountain on the east side of Atlanta. While I was expecting a bit of a toursity park, I wasn't ready for the size of the place and beauty of the area. Even with hundreds of families setting up grills and picnics around the place, it did not seem too crowded. I walked through the shops for a bit before heading off on the trail that skirted the base of the mountain. I finally found the walker's trail to the top and started climbing. I thought the Tallulah Gorge climb was a bit of an effort, but this was just a long climb. It kept going, and going, and going, but was well marked with plenty of other folks making the same trek up and down.
I took plenty of water and shade breaks and when 3/4 of the way up ran across a young lady that was having a very difficult time. Apparently she was already at the point of some pretty dangerous heat exhaustion since her skin was dry and clammy with the body already having to start shutting down some things. Though her husband was a bit behind her, it seemed pretty clear that neither of them had any real outdoor experience. Apparently not wanting to 'have an upset stomach due to the heat' she didn't eat anything that day and only carried up a 12oz bottle of Sprite for fluids. This was a pretty steep area and I had no doubt than much further would find her passing out and sliding down the mountainside. I and another random hiker got her to the shade and started cooling her off with my water soaked bandanna (which I never got back) as well as water and a couple of granola bars that I was carrying in my water pouch. I filled her soft drink bottle with my remaining water (since I knew there were faucets on the top) and waited until her body was back in control.
The rest of the hike was uneventful as I made my way to the top where many tourists (most having ridden up in the gondolas) were enjoying the view. There were bathrooms, air conditioning, and cold water fountains that made the rest enjoyable as I sat by the observation areas. After cooling off I spent quite a bit of time walking around the top taking in the various views. Since it was getting late and I wanted to explore the rest of the park 
I jumped on the gondola for a quick descent. After visiting the 732-bell Carillon located my one of the lakes, I jumped into the truck for a ride around the mountain. There were a lot of people out biking and walking the trails next to the roadway as I passed numerous playgrounds, parking areas, and forested picnic areas. I headed over to the covered bridge (right) and was able to enjoy my first experience with such a building. I can understand now the allure that these historic structures have with many photographers and travelers.
After a quick stop at replica of an old water powered mills (left) I headed to Atlanta to visit with a friend and get a chance to get my first real shower in several days. 
I wish I had more time to explore the park, but was able to really enjoy checking out some old, abandoned rail cars and engines that I came across. It was really neat to be able to walk around the old cars that were nearly swallowed up by the surrounding landscape. I was treated to a nice sushi dinner that, even after two hungry people scouring and ordering more, only cost about $11 per person. If sushi is that cheap everywhere there, I am definitely moving!
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