North Georgia Section of the Appalachian Trail
November 5, 2017
Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia
The seasons come and go. I've recently started a new season in my life and there is no better time for an adventure. I started the Appalachian Trial this afternoon and I couldn't have chosen a better time because the trail was canvased with the orange and yellow colors of fall. The Appalachian Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahoin in Maine. The trail covers a total of 2,108.5 miles and it's an achievement that takes months of dedicated hiking and only a few have completed.
I started near the check-in station at Amicalola Falls and took the approach trail to the waterfall. The next leg will be the 8.5 mile approach trail from Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain.
October 20, 2018
Blood Mountain, Georgia
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trial with an elevation of 4,458 feet. The overlook at this peak offers one of Georgia's most iconic views. I made this hike with Kaitlyn in October as the North Georgia leaves were beginning to change. It's a moderate hike with lots of rocks along the trail. We finished the hike between two rain showers so the leaves were wet and the woods were silent. For us, hiking is not just an activity but food for the soul. A very special bond and relationship was gained at the top of this mountain.
November 3, 2018
Springer Mountain, Georgia
Springer Mountain marks the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trial. The summit reaches 3,780 feet and is frequented by hikers from around the world. Kaitlyn and I made the drive through the Blue Ridge mountains and quickly hiked to the overlook. The trail is light so we decided to return via the Benton MacKaye Trail.
May 19, 2017
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
One of my favorite speech excerpts is from Theodore Roosevelt's "Citizenship In A Republic" commonly titled "The Man in the Arena.""It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." This is one of the many mottos by which I live my life. I want to be in the arena. I want to experience victory and defeat; I want to experience life. That being said, I've had a wishful list of outdoor experiences that I hope to fulfill in my lifetime. Here's the top 10:
1.) African Safari - this has been a dream of mine since I was a boy. I would sit at home on Sunday mornings, before my mom would hustle everyone into the car, and spend my fifteen minutes watching Jim Shockey and other adventure outdoorsmen travel the globe on their hunting trips. The lion is part of the Big Five, which is the five most deadly and difficult animals to hunt on foot in Africa. The others include the leopard, rhinoceros, cape buffalo and elephant.
2.) Blue Marlin - this is a trip that my dad and I have talked about for years. We want to charter a boat in the gulf and bring all of my brothers. The blue marlin is the most exciting species of game fish to catch in the Gulf of Mexico.
3.) Elk Hunt - this is a classic North American hunt. It wouldn't get any better than killing a bull elk in the mountains of Colorado or New Mexico.
4.) Alaskan Brown Bear Hunt - brown bear, grizzly bear and Kodiak bear are all names for this dangerous animal. This has been on my bucket list for most of my life. I can barely imagine standing in the mist of Kodiak Island and sqeezing the trigger of a high power rifle knowing that a grizzly bear is on the other end.
5.) Canadian Moose Hunt - moose are the largest living members of the deer family.
6.) Midwest Whitetail Hunt - I was told that every serious deer hunter needs to experience the whitetail rut in the midwest. My lifetime goal is to take a 170+ inch deer from one of the midwest states.
7.) North American Turkey Grand Slam - there are several turkey slams recognized by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The North American Grand Slam involves harvesting one of each of the four subspecies found in the U.S. which includes the Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande and Merriam's.
8.) Trophy Mule Deer Hunt - I become interested in mule deer and western hunting in 2015 after I took my first trip to West Texas. Mule deer inhabit some of the most arid parts of the country and spend most of their lives living in the mountains. This plains game will rarely let you get closer than 200 yards which require expert marksmanship if you plan to take a trophy.
9.) Alaskan Dall Sheep - I fell in love with hunting mountain sheep in 2015 after I shot my first aoudad in the West Texas mountains. Mountain sheep live high in the mountains and hunting them is as much a hiking adventure as it is a hunt. Taking a Dall Sheep are said to be one of the hardest and most rewarding accomplishments for a hunter.
10.) Caribou on the Northern Tundra - catching a big bull migrating through the Northern Tundra would is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The seasons come and go. I've recently started a new season in my life and there is no better time for an adventure. I started the Appalachian Trial this afternoon and I couldn't have chosen a better time because the trail was canvased with the orange and yellow colors of fall. The Appalachian Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahoin in Maine. The trail covers a total of 2,108.5 miles and it's an achievement that takes months of dedicated hiking and only a few have completed. 
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trial with an elevation of 4,458 feet. The overlook at this peak offers one of Georgia's most iconic views. I made this hike with Kaitlyn in October as the North Georgia leaves were beginning to change. It's a moderate hike with lots of rocks along the trail. We finished the hike between two rain showers so the leaves were wet and the woods were silent. For us, hiking is not just an activity but food for the soul. A very special bond and relationship was gained at the top of this mountain.
November 3, 2018
