Register Comments

With last minute touches being done on Friday by Carl Carlson and I, Carl was satisfied the new trail was ready to open.

Jo Myers had the ribbon and bow ready for us to place at the entrance to the trail over the vine this morning, so we got that placed just as folks begin to arrive. Now the weather, well it was a cool 23 degrees in Columbus at 8:30 but by the time we got to the WJSP-TV Tower Parking Lot it had warmed up some and just a sweatshirt over a sweater felt good (along with gloves.) Thankfully there was no wind.

D. Neal & Judith Wickham, Ella Rose Land, Hanna McGhee Ronnie Eakins, D. Neal Wickham, Carl Carlson, Jody Rice, Jim Hall,

We had a lot of folks arrive around 10 a.m. so we got started a little later than expected but that was ok. Most of those waiting at the trail entrance were enjoying talking to one another. We were proud to have D. Neal Wickham and his wife Judith join us (Neal is the founder of the PMT and the one who came up with the idea for the trail) , along with Jack Weeks (Landscape Architect with Georgia DNR who guided us through the process of designing the final path and gave its’ approval. Jack had been at FDR on Friday and drove back down for the ceremony today), Ronnie Eakins (former FDR manager and now our Region Manager for Georgia Parks), Jody Rice (FDR Interpretive Ranger who gave the PMTA the idea for the name of the new trail) and of course FDR Manager Don McGhee along with his wife Pam and daughter Hanna.

Our “vine/ribbon cutters” were Ella Rose (the youngest PMTA member to have done work on the new trail along with Mom Jill) and Hanna.

After a brief introduction of the above mentioned (and thanks to them for the part they played in making the new trail happen) Carl & I told about the trail route and thanked all those present who had actually worked on the trail during this past year. A number of those present had worked on the trail (Including PMTA board members Danny Rock, Mark Hughes and Gene Wells.) We thanked volunteers who joined us Saturday like Gary Hughes, Bill Vang, Sam Burke, Harry Pruitt, Richard Daniels, Jonathan Hall, Gus & Mollie Callaway and their children, Jo Myers, Mark & Jean Swann, and Larry & Denna Durham who were some of 80+ volunteers who worked some on the trail throughout 2006. Most of those above worked with Carl more than once or twice! Folks like Jerry Brown and Mike & Deborah Ivie could not be with us and they too worked a lot on the new trail. I know we left out mentioning some others but rest assured Carl knows who all helped make building the trail and opening it in one year possible.

After the “vine cutting” most of those present went on the hike. We had 55 present (that we know of) for the ceremony and 42 went on part of, or all of the hike. We had PMTA members from as far as Warner Robins (Mark and Jean Swann) and Montgomery (Julian and Carlene Straham) and Gary Hughes ( Atlanta ), join us along with Jack Weeks (from the DNR in Atlanta .) Of course the place we stopped and spent the most time at along the hike was ODIE OVERLOOK and the “Climbin Tree.”

Carl deserves a big thanks for all he did to make this trail completion come true. Thanks again too for Neal and his idea for the route. Thanks Jack, Don, Trint & Ronnie from the DNR for working with the PMTA on this project. We all had a great day dedicating the new White Candle Trail. Everyone agreed, this is a beautiful addition to the Pine Mountain Trail system in FDR State Park .

The White Candle Trail project is behind all of us in the PMTA, so now it's on to the Dowdell’s Knob project!

PMTA Backpacking Trip November 18-19

Our annual backpacking trip was scheduled for November this year in hopes of having cooler weather and praying it would not rain. Well we got the cool and it didn't rain. A beautiful clear day we had to start out.

At Fox Den Cove PL Saturday afternoon November 18

I had about 20 folks signed up for the trip, but knew some would not make it and they didn't. When Helen, Jonathan and I arrived at the park office we were greeted by Drew Keesler from West Point (who joined us last year on the trip) and shortly after we arrived Nancy and Allison Cercy from North Augusta, S.C., Joe Mukhalis from Jacksonville, FL, Tony Lankford from up near Atlanta, Larry Roberts from Atlanta, Sherry Pierce from Cataula and PMTA board member Mark Hughes from LaGrange arrived. Margaret McClain from up past Atlanta joined us (just hiking in and then hiked out past our campsite.)

Sherry, Helen & Jonathan at the cliffs going up Indian Mountain

After I obtained our backpacking permit, we waited around a few minutes to see who else might join us who had said they would....but no one did. So we shuttled some vehicles to Mollyhugger Hill PL and then started our hike in to Beech Bottom Campsite from Fox Den Cove Parking Lot.

Allison in the lead, Nancy , Helen, Jonathan and Sherry at a water crossing near Mile 8

We all took photos along the hike, especially when we stopped to rest a couple times. Not in a hurry, we arrived at the campsite about 4:30 . The first order of things for most of us was to get our tents up then we all joined in to collect enough firewood for the evening. Got to have a campfire, and it sure felt good as the sun ducked over the ridge about 5:30 and dark settled in shortly afterwards. Before dark most folks were heating up whatever they brought for supper. Seems like we had no sooner finished supper, than it was time for S'mores.

at home for the night....Beech Bottom Campsite and a warm fire

Gathered around the warm campfire, I got everyone to tell a little about themselves so we could get know one another better. Great group of campers and we all had fun. Some folks turned in early and some of stayed up till around 10 or so. I was asleep by 10:45 . Around 3:30 I woke up and had to "go" and as soon as I opened the tent flap I saw two huge meteors flash across the sky. I stayed awake about 30 minutes but only saw one more good one. Supposedly there was supposed to be a lot of meteor shower activity last night.

Sunday morning Jonathan and several others rose around daylight and had the fire going by the time I got up. Course it was around the campfire again to stay warm for all of us as we had breakfast and talked some too.

Soon it was time to pack up and head east on the PMT and on to Mollyhugger Hill Parking Lot. Course we made stops at the "moose head tree" and the "Big Poplar."

By about 11 a.m. we all had said our goodbyes and were heading out to our homes.

We had great weather, a good nights sleep and an enjoyable hike in and out. No one got hurt that I know of and that is a good thing. So for those of you who couldn't join us, maybe you can next year. Oh, some asked for a Spring backpacking trip or two and so we'll plan on those.

Thanks to Joe from Jacksonville for the excellent photos, to be found here:

www.bikesdirect.com/pinemountain/pinemountain.html

At Cascade Falls, our group stopped for a long lunch break. We were waiting on one grandmother who had fallen and was having a difficult time with a swollen knee. Bill Vang, Helen Hall and Jo Myers stayed back with her. Thanks to PMTA member Bill Vang for his help with this lady (first aid and..well read on.) Before leaving Cascade Falls, I made the decision that this lady needed not to walk out on the trail but I sought help from FDR Manager Don McGhee to come for her back of Cascade Falls and so Bill stayed with the lady and walked out a ways before they met up with Don (and Gene from FDR who brought his 4x4 truck.) Another two hikers (one of who had an ankle problem and other situations) waited at Cascade Falls and Don and Gene drove all the way in for them. So we had two minor "rescue" situations for the first time I can remember on a PMTA hike. Thanks too for Mike Ivie and Jo Myers hiking along with the Arnold group. It was good to have folks who know the trails to be there in case we yet another situation.

Over thirty hardy souls including a Cub Scout pack from Macon joined us for our July hike, braving heat and yellowjackets.

Thanks to Lynne Lynch, Bill Vane, Charlie True, Carl Carlson, Jo Myers, Peggie Roberts (and Ming and Sing), Will Childs, Jeannie Childs, Richard Daniels, The Shipp family (Dorneen, Jeff, Dennis, Deanna) Donna Hernandez, the Smith family (Sadie, Adam, Jacob, Thomas, James, Parker, Angel and Jimmy), Kyle, Cameron and Sean Flury, Zackey Noffs, Susan Klosowski, Hank, Lori, Hayden & Hunter Martin, Sean Myers Sr. and Bob Armstrong for joining us on a 4-mile hike on the Mountain Creek Trail and the Delano Trail.

Special thanks to Carl Carlson for administering first aid for the numerous yellowjacket stings. Yellowjackets nest in the ground, and when several hikers come by all at once, the vibrations tend to disturb them. The first hikers are the lucky ones, the followers are often the recipient of the perturbed insects ire.

11 hikers and 3 dogs joined Danny Rock as he led the February hike from Rocky Point Parking lot to the Trading Post via the Pool Trail and Mountain Creek Nature Trail. It was a brisk morning but the day warmed up quickly as hikers enjoyed the winter views of the trail and FDR State Park.

19 folks turned out for the first hike of 2006. This afternoon hike followed the PMT from its Eastern terminus at the WJSP-TV Tower to Rocky Point Parking Lot. With an easy pace and breaks to enjoy the waterfalls along the way, the group finished the five mile hike in a little over three hours.