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Beat-the-Heat! Cool Sunday Morning Hike at Mason Mill Park




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: NE Atlanta near Clairmont Rd & I-85   Hike: Beat-the-Heat!  Cool Sunday Morning Hike at Mason Mill Park  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Jun 21 2015  7:30 am >> Sun, Jun 21 2015 9:30 am
Registration Opens: Fri, Jun 19 2015 3:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Jun 20 2015 10:00 pm
Event Duration:2 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:15
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 7 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Itinerary:

EVENT PLAN:  This weekend our afternoon highs will likely be in the sweltering mid-90s.  Beat the heat by joining us at 7:30 this Sunday morning for an easy-to-moderate 2-hour hike on the lovely trails that connect Mason Mill & Medlock Parks here in NE Atlanta near Emory.  It's expected to be in the comfortable mid-70s to low 80s with mostly sunny skies and little chance of rain or thunder.
  We'll gather just inside the Mason Mill Park entrance by the stone restroom building and the kids' playground.  (See detailed Directions below).  After introductions we'll hike together to Medlock Park and back, stopping often to regroup and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.  Our total distance will be about 5 miles with just one or two steep spots.  We'll target being back at the cars by 9:30 AM  Feel free to "split" early from the group if you must - it'should be easy to direct you back to the parking lot.
  Bring your well-behaved dog if you like, but please make sure that he or she is leashed and under your control at all times.

ABOUT the PARKS & TRAILS:  Mason Mill and Medlock are two pretty DeKalb County parks located just east of Clairmont Road near Emory University and the VA Hospital.  They conveniently connect with one another via a network of hiking/biking paths and boardwalks.  The mile-long South Peachtree Creek Trail is the main trail through this shady corridor, and like the better known Silver Comet Trail it was designed and built to the high standards of the "PATH Foundation."  The trail features a half-mile-long raised deck through the forest canopy above the rocky creek.  Another exciting portion of this trail takes us over the railroad track via a 3-stories-high wooden walkway and deck.  Hikers are treated here to aerial views of the restored ruins of the early-20th-Century Decatur Waterworks, and the high deck is also a great spot for viewing sunsets, the moon, stars & planets, comets and meteor showers.
  Lots of creekside spur trails branch from the PATH trail into the surrounding forest and are fun to explore on the return hike.  By fording Peachtree Creek we can access Ira Melton Park which features a half-mile-long white-blazed loop trail.
  Another option (but more suitable for a 3-hour hike) is to walk a few blocks beyond Medlock to lovely Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve and include a short "wetlands" loop there before heading back via Medlock to our vehicles at Mason Mill.

FOR a COLOR MAP of SOUTH PEACHTREE CREEK TRAIL and its interconnecting DeKalb County parks (Mason Mill, Medlock, Ira Melton & Clyde Shepherd) click on this link:  http://pathfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/south-peachtree-creek-trail.pdf


Required Items to Bring:


• Wear comfortable well-broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots and Lightweight Clothing appropriate for the weather.

• Hydrate in advance and carry in your Daypack or Fanny Pack a filled Water Bottle or your "Camelbak" or other hydration system.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.


-Consider bringing your Camera. Lots of nice photo-ops!

-Consider bringing some lightweight Snacks or Picnic Items in your fanny pack or daypack.  We can enjoy these at a couple of scenic stops along the way and share any extras.

- If you have Trekking Poles, consider bringing them - a few spots along our route may be a bit steep.  A simple shoulder-high Hiking Stick works about as well to improve stability and to let your upper body reduce the burden on your legs and knees.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

FROM the I-85 CLAIRMONT ROAD EXIT in NE METRO ATLANTA to our MASON MILL PARK Meetup Spot:   (For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of this spot and its vicinity click on the square blue & green "Event Location" near the top of this article.)

1. From the I-85 "Clairmont Road" Exit (Exit #91) in NE Atlanta take Clairmont Rd southward (toward Decatur) about 2.3 miles to the traffic light at McConnell Drive.  (This is the next light south of the big Clairmont/ North Druid Hills intersection.  If you reach the huge VA Hospital you've gone a couple of blocks too far!)

2. Turn Left onto McConnell Drive, go just 0.1 mile, and turn Right at the stop sign to stay on McConnell. 
(Note the small "Mason Mill" directional sign here.)

3. Then turn Left almost immediately at the
 "Mason Mill Park" entrance sign into the large free parking lot.  We'll gather by the stone Restroom building near that main entrance adjoining the children's playground.

LAT/LON COORDINATES of the Mason Mill Park spot where we'll meet: (You GPS or Google.com/maps users may wish to augment my above verbal directions by entering these map coordinates as your destination address.)
  33.8080,-84.3066


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

Free Event with Free Parking!


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.