- Date:
2023-03-23 - 2023-03-24
After waiting out the cold and wet winter, this was my first backpacking trip of 2023. Recommended by my ham radio buddy David, this trail is a 10.8-mile near Dillard, GA that ascends to Scaly Mountain at it's peak.
My choice to use a hand-selected waypoint in a super-old Garmin GPS from Free IT Athens lead me to an intense four-wheeling experience in the CR-V rather than the well-maintained road that I should have taken. After fording streams and conquering terrain in the CR-V, I partially slid down a mud-hill and then was faced with a river to cross. I opted to park the vehicle between these obstructions, cross the river on foot, and then hike ~4 miles to the trailhead. I knew that I would have to deal with this situation upon returning, but I decided to mull on a solution as I hiked.
CR-V Parking Spot - between a mud hill that I slid down and the upper Tallulah River.
This sign was close to where I parked.
The view within 50' of the vehicle just before I crossed the river on foot
The other side of the river after I crossed. The guys in the pickup trucks had the right idea. They were using handheld GMRS radios to communicate.
The walk to the trailhead was approximately four miles.
Interesting sights along the road.
Photo from a blind-curve mirror.
Mabel and I finally reached the trail.
Scenic views. The trail ascended steadily all the way to the side-trail leading up to the summit.
The only radio I brought was my 2m Motorola XTS5000. The only place it was usable with the stock antenna pictured was at the summit of Big Scaly Mountain.
About ⅔ of the way up the mountain there was a sign indicating a connector trail. I opted to stay on the more clearly-marked trail, and my GPS indicated that my choice was correct.
Ultra-steep terrain
Near this point I walked up the side-trail leading to the summit of Big Scaly Mountain.
Near the top of Big Scaly Mountain I met a fellow hiker. He was the only person I saw on this trip.
This is the summit. Somewhat overgrown. The side trail leading up to this point was difficult.
This was the only point where the 2m amateur reached the N4TS 2m repeater atop Black Rock Mountain in Clayton, GA. He cell phones worked, and I was able to listen to a few songs my broadcast station in Athens.
Another view from the top. A very scenic landscape, and very peaceful.
A view from the side trail heading back to the main trail.
I filled my water twice, and from the same location - once before setting up camp, and once the following morning.
I set up camp next to the intersection of the side-trail leading to the summit. I thought of my buddy Chuck when I lit a fire.
Cooking while using a headlight that I found abandoned last year at the summit of Mt. Yonah in Cleveland, GA.
Freeze-dried foods. A blessing to have in the woods.
The following morning it was foggy.
This is where the trail meets the road.
Some sights from the road on the way to the vehicle.
Passing by my starting point
There was an area along the road that is part of a land trust.
Upon arriving back to the vehicle, I forded the river - which wasn't as bad I thought it would be - and used the well-maintained road to drive back to civilization.
This was a fun one-night backpacking trip.
