Fri, Feb 16 2018 - Coopers Furnace and Pine Mountain Summit (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Holt Ward Participants: Holt Ward, Bruce R, Suzanne, Dan R, Dan C, Beverly H, Janet G, Carolyn Naser, Debbie W, Kim W, Kris, Sharon C., Gerrilyn, Evy, Wendy B, DavidV

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Well the weather held out for us today for our hike to Coopers Furnace and up to the summit of Pine Mountain.  We started at the Visitors Center for Lake Allatoona and viewed the the Dam from above it before we headed down to the river level.  There, we visited the Iron Furnace and learned a little about the furnace and the Town of Etowah which was destroyed towards the end of the Civil War and now lies beneath 100 feet of water behind the Dam.  Next we hiked along an old abandoned railroad grade following the Cooper Furnace trail on the way over to the base of Pine Mountain.

Then we started about an 800 foot climb pausing at Whiskey Hollow where moonshiners from years ago operated.  We continued our climb to the David Archer overlook, with Lake Allatoona in the background.  In spite of being overcast, the air was relatively clear and we could see the skyline of Downtown Altanta and Buckhead, as well as Kennesaw Mountain.  After a relatively quick decent down the East Loop back to the bottom of the mountain, we headed back to the visitors center using the connector trail and a portion of the Laurel Ridge trail.  A great hike of about 7 miles and about 1300 feet of elevation gain.   Holt