Visiting an Old Friend

Fort Mountain State Park

See Fort Mountain's PB&J Page

The Tribe gets around. We like to see new places and do new things. But sometimes, it's nice to visit an old friend. Sometimes a sure thing is better than a gamble. This is a very busy time of year for our family, so, to decompress, we decided a to visit an old friend, Fort Mountain. It's a mystery to me why more people don't take advantage of parks like this in the Winter and early Spring. We enjoyed 70 degree weather in paradise, practically by ourselves.

It was a little chilly first thing Saturday morning, so we decided to take a short ride in "Willie B" the Jeep. Fort Mountain is located adjacent the Cohutta Wilderness. We wanted to see if we could spot a bear, and maybe do a little rockhounding around the water falls. We founds lots of quartz of varying colors of blue and green, just the kind of stuff in which gold likes to hide.

When we got back to Fort Mountain State Park, we put the canoes in the lake and spent the rest of the day paddling around, fishing, and playing at the playground on the opposite end of the lake. We closed the day with a beautiful sunset, games, hot dogs for the kids, and a delicious grilled steaks with baked potatoes for Mommy and Daddy.

Altogether, it was just about as perfect a day as I can remember. Fort Mountain can get a little crowded in the Summer, especially the beach. But camping here this time of year is a no brainer. We can't wait to come back to see our old friend again soon.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

A Southern Winter Wonderland - Read the full story

Adventure Journal - Entry Date: January 2011
The first morning of this adventure to Cloudland Canyon State Park welcomed us with a chilly 20-degree air temperature, and a frozen water source. I thought I'd conquered the frozen-hose problem with heated tape (cable), but this time, the spigot was the victim. A minute or two with the blow-dryer solved the problem. 

After the kids indulged in a couple of lazy hours in the warm camper, everyone finally emerged with layers of clothing: long-johns, jeans, sweats, gloves, trapper hats, and walking sticks. We were prepared!

The air was cool, but we were blessed with warm sunshine. We first wanted to show the kids the canyon from above. It had been a long time since our last visit, so the twins didn't remember it very well. We walked a short distance North from the campground to the "Point", an overlook that provides an awe-inspiring view of Sitton's Gulch, Daniel's Creek, and many miles Northward to Tennessee. Note: Parents and owners of small pets BEWARE! There are a couple of places at this overlook where it would be very easy to fall. Keep an eye on young ones at all times.

Next, we hiked down the massive steel and wooden staircases leading into the Southeastern end of the canyon. The descent was easy and safe, even with fresh snow on the surface of the boards. The steel steps are slip-free, and the boardwalks were easily navigable. The icicles clinging to the cliffs resembled glass organ pipes on cold gray walls of stone. Very surreal. I took dozens of pictures on the "trip" down (pardon the pun). The sights were something Rebecca and I will remember forever, and I think the kids will too.

The scene at the first set of waterfalls was magical. The mist from the crashing water had crystallized on everything surrounding the pool at the base. These images don't begin to capture the sunlight and the colors of the canyon. The rocks, the trees, the logs, everything had a sheet of ice. The kids would have been happy to stay there playing and exploring all day. But it was cold in the shadows of the canyon, and we had more to see. From here, we doubled back to the point to go right to exit, or to go left to seet the second set of falls. Decision time...

After staring down the seemingly endless sets of stairways descending to the second waterfall, some of the Tribe decided to take a rest before heading out of the canyon. Others, myself included, decided to bite the bullet and trek the additional distance to see the sites at the bottom. I have mixed emotions about the choice I made. It was just 3/10 of a mile, but it was mostly steps. Whew! Climbing out was going to be a job. I photographed the second waterfall as well as the footbridge crossing Daniel's creek before heading out of the canyon. More pictures and the full story...

Lula Lake Land Trust - A Little Known Gem on Lookout Mountain

The Lula Lake Land Trust is a privately owned 4,000 acre preserve on Lookout Mountain in Northwest Georgia. Lookout Mountain is a massive, cave riddled, and heavily forested limestone ridge that stretches from North Alabama to Tennessee. Lula Lake is very near the town of Lookout Mountain, Georgia and a good many entertaining attractions typically associated with Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Lula Lake Land Trust has a lot to offer a family with energetic children. Its natural beauty and outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, wildlife watching, and fossil hunting make this a memorable destination. Oddly, the land is open to the public only on the first and last Saturdays of each month. Just show-up, sign-in, and enjoy. If you want to make arrangements for a group field trip, you can contact the land manager to request special arrangements.

The property was the home to the Durham coal mine around the turn of the 20th century, and the mine's tailings have tons of fern fossils. The part of the property that contains the mine tailings is not typically open to the public, but the Land Manager told us arrangements could be made for small groups to visit the site.

There are numerous trails covering the property, and a new trail connecting the Lula Lake property to Cloudland Canyon State Park is being cleared for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The main trail we walked on is an old rail bed for the train that carried coal off the property. It's a really interesting walk along Rock Creek. Lula Lake itself is little more than a pool in the creek that accumulates just before a small waterfall, but the view from the old renovated Iron bridge is quite nice. Further down the trail is another larger waterfall, and the climb down to the base and back out makes for some pretty good exercise.

While in the area, consider visiting the tourist attractions like Ruby Falls, Rock City, and the Inclined Railway. All these attractions overlook Chattanooga and its awesome Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee River, Chattanooga Choo Choo, a really neat little zoo, and lots more.

For more pictures and information, visit the PB&J Adventures website.Fern photo credit- BigstockPhoto.com