On Sunday, November 5th, on a visit to Atlanta I hiked Blood Mountain with my brother Bob and his family. Going for a hike on Sunday was Mari's suggestion. The other alternative was to sit around watching football on tv, Bob's favorite activity ... and my least favorite activity. So after having a leisurely breakfast and packing sandwiches and drinks in the car we drove 1 1/2 hours north through winding mountain roads to the Blood Mountain Wilderness area. Jackie, my niece, entertained herself by reading, while Daniel, my nephew, debated the pros and cons of barfing in the car. We ended up driving the last half hour with the windows rolled down.

Some interesting facts about Blood Mountain are that it is the highest peak on Georgia's portion of the Appalachian Trail and the state's sixth highest mountain. The Blood Mountain Wilderness is the first designated wilderness area along the Appalachian Trail as the hiker heads north toward Maine. We debated the origin of the name Blood Mountain. I was guessing it had something to do with a battle. According to some websites I found it came from a bloody battle between the Cherokee Indians and Creek Indians long before white men arrived in the area. Other theories trace the name to red lichen or Catawba rhododendron growing on the rocky summit.

We missed the peak of the fall foliage but the masses of rhododendrons growing on the mountain gave it a kind of tropical feel. Daniel, who is not yet 7, started the hike by racing up the trail. It wasn't long before he was asking my brother to carry him. Knowing it was over two miles to the peak Bob encouraged him to hike and pace himself. It seems 7 year olds only know two speeds ... fast and stopped. Eventually we broke up into two groups, Bob and Jackie in front and Mari, Daniel and I taking a more leisurely pace in the rear.

At the peak we were rewarded by gorgeous views, an old cabin now used by hikers on the Appalacian trail, and a mass of boulders which created small kid-sized caves that kept Jackie and Daniel busy exploring while the adults lunched on the top.

-Susanita