January 31, 2015
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir
Emily and I watched the first two discs for Ken Burns “The National Parks” this week. John Muir plays so prominently, that his eccentricity and brilliance made an indelible impression on us. I have been ruminating on his quotes throughout this week.
The Chattooga River Trail is gorgeous. With a week that was rough, hectic and stressful, my body felt nurtured by the river, the moss, the trees. Emily, Ramona, Ramona’s friend, Gracie and I started at Whiteside Cove Road and went south on the Chattooga River Trail for three (3) miles. The trail is very easy, with little undulation. The scenery shifts from white pines to dense rhododendrons to thick underbrush.
The southern end of the hike is a soul-stirring scene of the Chattooga River narrowing and flowing under a cliff and meeting a second creek with a sandy beach to rest upon. This section of the Chattooga Trail is directly north to where Perry and I hiked two weeks ago.
Total mileage in-and-out is 6 miles.
