Sun, Oct 10 2010 - AOC 10th Anniversary: Hike at Sweetwater Creek (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Nancy L Participants: Nancy L, Rick M., Irina P, Allen M, Susan Johnson, jason, Courtney H, Tom H, p b

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Write Up:
AOC 10th Anniversary Hike - 10/10/10 at 10:00 a.m. - Sunday's weather was great for our hike in the Sweetwater State Conservation Park, which sits atop the Brevard fault. The terrain was steep in some areas along the creek, and we enjoyed some Civil War history as well as plenty of wildlife sightings. Nancy led our initial group of 6 that was later joined by a group of 3, and we finished up our hike with Rick, Irina, Allen, Susan, Jason, PB, Tom, me and Nancy's Aussie mix Ripley.

We started on the white trail along Jack's Hill and Jack's Lake and continued on the red trail along the creek. We passed the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War, and then took the blue trail to the Visitor's Center, the most environmentally responsible building in Georgia (LEED platinum status).

During our hike we were pleased to spot two types of lizards (an anole and a five-lined skink), a white-tailed deer, a red-bellied woodpecker, an American or Fowler's toad, garnets in the rocks along the creek, a great blue heron, some ducks gliding on the lake and turkey tail mushrooms on several tree trunks. Fall leaves and late-blooming asters provided beautiful pops of color along our hike. Please be sure to check out our event photos.

Respectfully written and submitted by Courtney Harjung (thanks for a great hike Nancy!).

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