Touring North Georgia

Bill Dion with north Georgia's War Woman Dell in the background

In the years I lived and worked in Chattanooga, TN, I discovered northern Georgia as my favorite destination for backpacking, canoeing, camping and bicycling.  The busy four-lane highways had not yet been built and the small towns and beautiful country was just waiting to be discovered.  It still retains a lot of that charm and I highly recommend you go see for yourself.  Check out the spring and fall festivals throughout the area.
A few years later my friend Bill Dion and I cooked up some bicycle tours of north Georgia and actually bicycle toured the area twice.  I still have some photos of those trips and nice memories.
Bill is a tall guy and bicycling behind him was awesome for me because he blocked any headwinds, making my ride much easier.  Life didn't work the same way when I rode in front, Bill could never get far enough out of the wind to have an easy ride.  We did get along well, though, and that makes for a good bicycle touring partnership.

Cheers!

Our routes started in Ellijay, GA and followed north to the town of Blue Ridge, then east across the mountains to Suches.  We would then drop down to camp at Vogel State Park and cross Richard Russell Scenic Highway and the AT before dropping downhill into Unicoi, making the big left turn toward Hiawassee.  Passing the road to Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald and back to Vogel again before the long downhill glide into Dahlonega.  We would stay at Amicolola Falls State Park and return to Ellijay.

The warm part of the ride

Except for that first time...  But I got ahead of my story.
While the routes changed a bit each time, we still followed highways 5 and 76 north from Ellijay to Blue Ridge before turning east toward Morgenton.  During our first trip they were building the four-lane highway which prompted several dead-end runs and lots of carrying the loaded bicycles across the mud to get back to the old road sections.  Our first trip we stayed at Two Wheels Only, a motorcycle campground at Suches who welcomed us in on our bicycles.  The food there was great that night and we slept awesomely, due to pedaling up and down mountain passes all day long.
We did camp at Vogel State Park twice and on the next trip used a walk-in campsite where the view from the tent platform was of halfway up the trees.
Richard Russell Scenic Highway is still beautifully scenic, but it was very steep and we had to use our lowest gears and stop lots to rest on the way up.  The weather was cold and cloudy with swirling clouds around us on the climb.  At our last stop before the top I remarked to Bill "You are on fire!", and from the clouds evaporating heat from us in the cold air, we both appeared to be on fire.  We took way too long a break at the top, and I put on my old yellow rain suit to keep warm during the descent.  Bill found that hilarious and called me "downhill man".

Downhill from here

At Unicoi we were welcome to camp but with packing light for bicycle touring, we didn't have the clothing required for dinner at the restaurant.  We rode in to Helen and bought some food, eating at the campsite, watching our clothes dry that night.
A highlight of the next day was the hill along Owl Creek Road.  The road is pleasant and very quiet until you reach the wall.  It went straight up about as steep as you can drive road paving gear down, for what seemed at the time like hours.  Maybe we had aged since the first tour, but the second time we rode Owl Creek Road we were astonished we had no recollection of the pain of the first trip's climb.
The drop off the mountains into Dahlonega the next day was just plain wonderful and we just missed the bad weather coming in.  A big thanks to the gentlemen who watched our bicycles for us while we viewed the historical film at the old courthouse.
Once again, we found ourselves climbing an amazingly steep hill into Amicalola State Park to get to the campsites.  That steep route has since been rebuilt to make it more safe and they have built an awesome lodge at the top, near the start of the Appalachian Trail.

Laundry at Unicoi

Here's where I left off with "that first time..."  In the morning, Bill's brakes gave out while going down the big hill on the last curve.  He crashed, taco-ing his front wheel and launching panniers and stuff everywhere.  I was behind Bill and got to witness everything.  Bill landed in the grass along the roadside and was mostly unhurt.  After finding his missing glasses lens, we walked his bicycle down the mountain to the welcome center.
I left my panniers there and got to pedal a most awesome bicycle ride into Ellijay that day by myself.  I was swooping past everything, riding fast and free, unencumbered by my loaded pannier weight.  It was an awesome experience I'll never forget.
I picked up my truck and drove back to get Bill.  We drove on south out of the mountains, making it to High Falls State Park where we slept for the night before getting home to central Florida the next day.

A short weekend-long bicycle tour of north Florida

Our loaded mountain bicycles at the corner of Where and Am I?

Walt Foy and I bicycled a back roads route through the farmland of northern Florida, riding a loop from Florida Caverns to Three Rivers State Park and back over a 2 day weekend.  The whole route can be driven in about 3-4 hours the same day and still leave time to tour the Caverns before you leave, but I suggest you try riding a bicycle instead.  Moving along at 10 MPH is the best way to really see the land and experience the topography.  You also feel a sense of "earning" it when you carry your camping gear along the route.  With the low amount of traffic and with only one hill, it was a pleasant ride.
We drove up on Friday, camping at Florida Caverns that night.  In the morning we pedaled out into the country and open farmland.  I remember it was cool weather, but not cold.  The clouds were few and bicycling on our mountain bikes was easy.  Walt didn't own a touring bike, so I left mine at home and we rode our mountain bikes instead.
In the afternoon, we reached the bottom of a large hill where we could see the campsites to the left in Three Rivers State Park.  However, we had to ride uphill to get to the entrance, then coast back downhill to pick a site by the lake.  The bathrooms were clean and the hot showers were welcome.

Waiting for the coffee to kick in the next morning

Walt was watching an osprey dive for dinner across the lake from our campsite when I returned from the shower.  The park was very peaceful and you could hear fish jumping in the lake.  After dinner a couple in a huge motor home bus parked next door to us invited us over to visit.  I think they were interested in us riding bicycles and camping in small tents that took less space than the closet did in their bus.  I know I slept well that night.
The next day was cool and overcast, and after barreling down the hill exiting the park, we rode along more back roads and beside farmland until we got back to Florida Caverns.  After a shower we enjoyed the excellent tour of the cave, delighted to be just a few feet underground in Florida.  I highly recommend the Florida Caverns tour with its interesting geology.

Bicycling Cohutta

Walt bicycling

Mountain Biking in the mountains of North Georgia is a hoot.  Walt and I camped in the Conasauga Recreation Area near the Cohutta Wilderness Area.  Normally we wouldn't ride mountain bikes in a wilderness area, but they were allowed in the Recreation Area, so we went.  It was near the end of the season, so there were few people there.

Me at a blaze

The campout was nice in the cool fall temperatures and after breakfast, we rode down some pretty steep trails, some with with jumps at the end for motorcycles.  We jumped too.  Stuff broke loose and had to be fixed.  Eventually we had to ride back uphill and that took the rest of the day.

Walt fixing something, banana-less

Before we turned around, Walt was looking for a banana for a snack that was in his rack trunk.  The banana skin was still there, but the banana had been pureed by the jumps into wetness.

Me cranking back uphill

We did have a great day riding and after a drive into town for dinner, we returned to the campsite that night for more peace and quiet.
To get there, go north 4 miles on US 441 from Chatsworth, GA into Eton.  Turn right onto Forest Service road 18 for 10 miles, then left onto Forest Service Road 68 for 10 miles.

Bicycling South Georgia

Starting at Seminole Lake

My friend Bill Dion and I rode a bicycle tour through southern Georgia.  We followed the Chattahoochee River north on back roads from Lake Seminole for two days, and returned the same route.  We drank gallons of water and discovered Jolly Rancher Peach candies along the way.
Our route took us through small farming towns like Blakely and Fort Gaines.  I remember passing many fallow fields, and others where the corporations had obviously taken over.

Bill along the road

This route was flat, real flat

Cool old 5 cent Coke sign

Break by a stream

The Chattahoochee River

I am hot and tired

We turned back south after camping at George T Bagby State Park.  While we had planned to see the canyons at Providence Canyon State Park, we ran out of time.  It was early fall and the temperatures were way too hot.  Bicycling in the heat was bad enough, but it never cooled down enough to sleep at night.  Add some technical problems and it was all we could really do just to pedal along in the heat. We did get to spend two nights at Kolomoki Mounds Historic Park, both coming and going.

The heat was just too much for both of us

At George T Bagby State Park with a broken spoke

Kolomoki Mounds in the largest and oldest Woodland Indian Mound site in the United States.  The 1294 acre site protects the 57 foot high Temple Mound, several smaller ceremonial and two burial mounds. The area was occupied from about 350 AD to 750 AD.  There is much to do at the park, including camping, boating and some hiking.  Check out the museum and store.

Me in front of the Temple Mound.  Classic touring tee.

...and Bill in front of the Temple Mound, Miami Vice and all

Stairway from Heaven

Camping at Kolomoki

Kolomoki Mounds

Large ceremonial fields

We passed many historic sites and old homes and businesses along the way.  Most were in good repair and were still in use.  I don't remember just where these were located, but they were along the route.

Our route was mapped by the Georgia Tourist Commission and is still a popular bicycle route today.  I would like to retrace this route in a car and enjoy the sights, camping along the way.

REI Flash 18 Water Bladder Holder

For my older REI Flash 18 daypack, the water bladder pocket does not have a holder for a bladder at the top of the pack.  Usually my Platypus 2 liter bladder works just fine, but last week the top somehow folded over, cutting off my water supply before it was empty.  When I opened the pack to see what the problem was I was surprised to find the water bladder had folded over, until I noticed how empty the pack part of the bag was.  For ultralight day hiking and bicycling I will usually carry a nearly-empty pack, the water being the most important item in the pack.
I use this 10 ounce Flash pack for bicycling, hiking, carrying stuff on a trip or anything where I need a small backpack.  This kit also cost much less than name-brand hydration bags!  The newer bags already come with a clip just for this purpose.

REI Flash 18 daypack and parts

While shopping recently, there was a clothing hook (for socks?) laying on the floor of the store as trash.  I picked it up and pocketed it, thinking of what I could use it for.  Well, here it is!

Poking the hole

I poked a hole into the center of a seam along the inside pack top using a hammer and a small screwdriver with a sharp point. This seam made it possible to poke a hole through while staying totally inside of the pack.  Then I threaded a small zip tie with the clothing hook through the hole and cut off the excess of the zip tie with wire cutters.  (The blue foam is a piece cut from my old sleeping pad, to give the pack support and shape, and to pad my back from whatever I may be carrying.)

Attaching the hook with a zip tie

When installing the Platypus, it was easy to loop the hook through the white clamp top of the bladder.  It held the top of the bladder without an issue and was small enough to not be in the way when loading the pack with anything else.  Once the pack is placed on my back, it straightens out the bladder and holds it upright, preventing it from folding over.  And it doesn't weigh anything on my scale.

A simple MYOG, a simple fix, my water problems are solved!