Mount Yonah afterwork picnic, sunset & stargazing hike

Ok this is one of the longest days of the year so we are going to try to squeeze in a sweet sunset hike to Mount Yonah after work.  We should have enough time to get up there...might get a bit slowed down by traffic, but hopefully shouldn't be too bad.   

Sunset is at 8:48.  Assuming we get on the trail by 7:15, that gives us about 1 1/2 hrs to hike the 2 mi to the top.  We aren't going to race up there but we will be on a somewhat strict timetable and going to keep a moderate pace.  So this will be a solid D4. 

Near the summit, we will take in the views and indulge in a self-catered picnic buffet (Be sure to bring something to share).   Hopefully we will have a beautiful sunset to enjoy.  Then we will hang out on and around the summit for awhile.  It should be comfortably cool up there as it gets dark.  We can do some stargazing too as it will be a new moon, so no interference there.  

We'll head down at around 10-10:30 PM...another 45 min to get down to the trailhead and then the drive back...we should make it back to the carpool by around 12:30 AM.

The carpool time is 5:30PM, so please do not sign up unless you think you can make it to Indian Trail Park & Ride by then...we won't have time to stick around too long afterwards.  Friday rush hour traffic is always a challenge, to say the least, so just try to be realistic with it.    

Total distance is about 4 miles with about 1450 feet of elevation gain.
This another in the Summit Sunset Series where we will enjoy sunsets from some of the finest scenic viewpoints in GA...all on or near mountain peaks.  If you've never had this experience, you don't know what you're missing, so time to find out...