Sat, Mar 26 2005 - Day Hike at Allatoona Lake (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Don Hayes Participants: Melissa Whaley, Kristin McDermott , TIEANE FORREST, Abena Asamoah, Karina Gunarto, Udo Licht, John Robertson, Emily Culpepper, Eveliz Metellus, Luz Quinones, Amanda Stone, Beth Arnold, James M Storey, Denice Fischer, Don Hayes

Write Up:
This outing turned out to be a very popular one. I don’t know if it was the late meeting time (noon on Saturday) which allowed some of us to sleep in after a late Friday evening, the close proximity to Atlanta, the great weather, the start of spring, or a combination of many different things.

With such beautiful sunny weather we couldn’t wait to get on the trail. After a brief stretch and introductory comments, the group set out to conquer the Homestead Loop Trail. The group got to know each other a little better during the hike and everyone took the opportunity to lead different portions of the hike. A lot of people were outside at the park, both on the trails and on the water. About half way through, we took a side trip to the lake’s shore for a lunch break. Many commented on how I had forgotten to mention to bring a swimsuit on the hike. One member of the group had dressed appropriately and went for a quick, cold, yet refreshing swim, while the rest of us looked on with a bit of envy. Nonetheless, it was an amazing day and relaxing as we sat in the sunshine by the water enjoying each other’s company over lunch. A little reluctant to leave the water’s edge, we headed back to the main trail. We stopped at the Lodge for a brief moment, before joining up with the Sweet Gum trail and headed back to the visitor center.

At the carpool meeting place, fellow AOC trip leader, Susumu Komatsu, had just returned from a hike. Several of us enjoyed a very nice Brazilian BBQ dinner, shared information about the AOC, and worked to recruit some new members to the club. Thanks to everyone for such a great hike and I look forward to many future events.


Written By: Don Hayes
Photos From: Denice Fischer

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