Mon, Jun 20 2016 - Stone Mountain Solstice Sunset and Full Moonrise Hike (View Original Event Details)
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Mother Nature pulled out all the stops to grace us with an epic sunset to close out the longest day of the year. Twenty solstice-loving AOC'ers gathered to hike around, and then up Stone Mountain to view the sunset and full moonrise on the summer solstice.
We set off counter-clockwise around the mountain, working our way along the railroad tracks through the Nature Garden Trail to pick up the Cherokee Trail. A lone deer paused her evening foraging to usher us through her neighborhood. We enjoyed clear views of the mountain as we skirted Howell Lake, the catfish pond, Lake Venable, Stone Mountain Lake, the covered bridge and grist mill. As we reached Memorial Lawn, we practiced our disco moves to the tune of 'Stayin' Alive' being blasted from the speakers near the carving. Revelers were settling in to watch the laser show, but no time for us to rest! We had a mountain to climb.
Our team split up to follow different routes to the top, regrouping to stake our claim to front-row seats to the greatest show on earth. We shared blackberries, blueberries, crisp Korean melon, nuts, and lively conversation as the sun dipped lower. This was truly an outstanding sunset. When the last rays dipped below the surface, the crowd broke into spontaneous applause.
We then moved over to the east side of the summit to witness the full moon rising just moments later. The Strawberry Moon - named by Algonquin tribes to denote the peak of strawberry picking season - has not coincided with the summer solstice since 1948, and the two will not occur together again until 2062. We enjoyed a few moments of bliss before fastening our headlamps for the descent to the parking lot. We savored every moment of this longest day of 2016.
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