Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

All About How You Home Away From Home.

Moderators: Sluggo, Amskeptic

Post Reply
User avatar
Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
Contact:
Status: Offline

Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by Sylvester » Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:32 pm

I am posting this story and pictures a little late. This has been a busy summer for me, only slowing down this month to catch up on some things. Me and the boys went back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia, well they had never been so I figured in the mountains it will be nice and cool late July in Georgia. Sometimes it is, this time it was not. It was in the 90's except for the night, thank goodness I own fans for camping. We got to the site late, it is a drive on the highway and up the mountain for sure from Atlanta, but a great ride when you get off the main roads. We passed just south of the Chickamauga Battlefield, the site of a big Confederate victory in the Civil War, and crossed the path of the retreating Rebel army after the battle of Chattanooga.
The park was nearly deserted. We walked around and went to the scenic overhang. We had most of the park to ourselves. Here is my son enjoying the view. (Over his left shoulder, around that bend far below, is where we would end up the next day).

Image

We had a little time to look around before setting up camp. The breeze was great!

Image

We set up camp. Ravioli, Spagettios, s'mores for dinner, eggs and sausage for breakfast. In the morning we had deer pass close by on the way to the woods here. My little boy, who last year wanted to chase a black bear at Unicoi park with a fish net, rant to the Bus when he first saw them. As soon as the passed however, he wanted to track them. We did for a little way, but we had to break camp and get moving.

Image

The plan was to look at the park, the go to Chickamauga and see some of the battlefield. But as John Lennon once said, life is what happens when you make plans. My younger son really wanted to go down into the canyon. As there were two waterfalls down there, and I thought they may like to see them, we descended into the abyss. It is a lot of stairs, and a lot of walking to get to the bottom. But it is worth it. We climbed down with a trail bar, two waters and a can of Creme Soda. I do love it so. This is at the bottom, looking up at the scenic overhang pictured above. Even down here it was in the upper 80's.

Image

Some of the cliffs. This canyon has lots of the cliff boulders at the bottom.

Image

Millipedes were all over the place. This kind spray a mist that will burn your eyes. One climbed on my younger son when we sat down, he never did sit down again until we got back up to the top.

Image

One of the waterfalls. It was fairly dry here and not much of a falls, but it is still pretty.

Image

I had thought the boys just wanted to see the waterfalls, but over a wooden bridge spanned a trail that according to the map, was 8 miles round trip not including the walk back up the canyon. To my amazement both boys wanted to press on! I had images of me carrying my tired little boy out of the canyon, but he was adamant to keep going, so we did. Over the bridge we went.

Image

We followed the creek. My older son thought this was the most interesting and peaceful camping trip we had ever done.

Image

Another cliff side. This place has to have lots of slides.

Image

Boulders as big as houses.

Image

Fungi and moss on a tree:

Image

This is the trail on the way down. When we were coming back up, we help my son's hand and helped pull him along. He did indeed want em to carry him a few times, but he hung in there like a trooper! I don't think he has ever walked this far before.

Image

Huge rocks at odd angles that have fallen down the cliffs.

Image

There were scattered on the valley floor.

Image

This is back at the top, four hours, eight miles later and tired! My older son really wants to come here in the snow, it would be pretty but you would slide all over the place. I am sure we will be back here often.

Image

Image
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

User avatar
satchmo
Old School!
Location: Crosby, MN
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by satchmo » Fri Aug 24, 2012 4:12 pm

Awesome trip report and beautiful photo, sylvester. We need more trip reports like this that remind us why we spend so much time, money and effort on a 30+ year old vehicle. Your boys will recount this trip well into your old age and beyond.

Tim
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

User avatar
Elwood
IAC Addict!
Location: So Cal
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by Elwood » Fri Aug 24, 2012 5:44 pm

Great place and report ---thanks.
'69 weekender ~ Elwood

User avatar
hambone
Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
Location: Portland, Ore.
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by hambone » Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:48 pm

Is that limestone? Really reminds me of Illinois, Matheson State Park.
Image
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

User avatar
Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by Sylvester » Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:31 pm

hambone wrote:Is that limestone? Really reminds me of Illinois, Matheson State Park.
Only at the bottom of the canyon, I didn't get any pictures down there. There are so many places to get great photos, if Glasseye was to visit it would be fantastic!

Image

This just looks like a boulder collision! They aren't small either!

Image

It would sure be nice in the fall, I want to go back when the leaves are turning and see them before November. This is a shot in December, not mine BTW:

Image

I did want to do a great write up, and tell a story too. When I mentioned my son having a millipede crawl on him, the funny part was since he is deaf, he jumper up and squealed. I made sure it was off him and signed for him to sit down on another rock. He signed no to every rock near me, then signed lets get walking and pointed down the path! Off we went!

And I love the idea that we camp and drive in my Bus. When I am long gone, and my boys are telling stories to their grand kids, they can tell the ones of the long rides in an antique vehicle built in 1971, driving the winding back roads and curvy mountain trails, and black bears looking for Arby's sandwiches, and wish they could go back.

Image
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

pj
Addicted!
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by pj » Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:31 pm

It is very pretty there, I was stationed at FT Oglethorpe, which is the small town just outside the front gate of the park. My wife and I spent many hours walking through the woods, just thinking about what happened there so many years ago. If you ever get a chance go to Lafayette, GA and check out the hotel that still has blood stains on the floor from its service as a field hospital, it really is very informative as well.

User avatar
hambone
Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
Location: Portland, Ore.
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by hambone » Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:48 pm

Front bumper!
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

User avatar
Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by Sylvester » Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:24 pm

hambone wrote:Front bumper!
I know I know! Lots of drilling to do to get it back on.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

User avatar
glasseye
IAC Addict!
Location: Kootenays, BC
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by glasseye » Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:31 pm

Sylvester wrote:
hambone wrote:There are so many places to get great photos, if Glasseye was to visit it would be fantastic!
The heck you say. I ain't goin' anywheres near that place now that I've seen what a great job you did. :cheers:

That shot of your son at the beginning of the piece is gorgeous!

Glad you guys had such a great time, especially with all the guy food. s'mores, spaghetti-o's, ravioi. Was it the REAL ravioli? Chef Boy R Dee? :bounce:
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.

User avatar
Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Back to Cloudland Canyon Georgia

Post by Sylvester » Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:53 am

glasseye wrote:
Sylvester wrote:
hambone wrote:There are so many places to get great photos, if Glasseye was to visit it would be fantastic!
The heck you say. I ain't goin' anywheres near that place now that I've seen what a great job you did. :cheers:

That shot of your son at the beginning of the piece is gorgeous!

Glad you guys had such a great time, especially with all the guy food. s'mores, spaghetti-o's, ravioi. Was it the REAL ravioli? Chef Boy R Dee? :bounce:
Hey Hammie, no real ravioli, just my personal chef, Chef Boy R Dee! A far cry from my reenactment days of hardtack, salt pork, rice and potato in one small pot. I want to get a Dutch oven and do good cooking, but not yet.


Hey PJ I will go up there and find the hotel, I plan on camping there more often. My friend went up there after I talked about it so much and saw wild turkeys and deer in the park. I have to also show my boys the famous horse statue I disgraced back in 1988 at Chicamauga.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Post Reply