Blood Mountain day hike followed by wine tasting

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Blood Mountain day hike followed by wine tasting

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

Near Suches, Georgia

Date(s) & Time:

Sun, Nov 21 2010 9:45 am >> N/A (Carpool Departure: 8:00 am *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Thu, Nov 11 2010 9:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Sat, Nov 20 2010 6:00 pm

Event Duration:

per itinerary

Difficulty Rating:

D3: Moderate

Trip Leader(s):

John T
Brad

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You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.

Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

13 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

View from the top of Blood Mountain Join us for a fun hike of roughly 7 miles in mountainous terrain near Blood Mountain, followed by an optional wine tasting at the nearby Frogtwon Cellars winery.

The tasting room has beautiful vineyard and mountain views. The tasting costs $10 without tip. There is no dress code, but you'll feel more comfortable if you bring some spare clothes. Jeans and fleece are fine.

You should be in fairly good shape to do this hike as the elevation gain is over 1400 ft. If you are new to hiking in the mountains please e-mail the trip leader to make sure this is the right hike for you.

We will park at Lake Winfield Scott and hike a loop on the Jarrard Gap Trail (1.0 miles) to the Appalachian Trail (2 miles), returning via Slaughter Creek Trail (2.7 miles)

Required Items to Bring:
Hiking shoes or boots
2 liters of water to carry on trail
Lunch
Appropriate clothing - warm jacket, hat, gloves, etc for windy summit
$5 per car for parking at Lake Winfield Scott

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
Trekking poles
Gatorade or similar drink
Snacks for trail
Poncho – even if it is a clear day. Storms can pop-up quickly in the mountains.
Extra cash & clean clothes for optional wine tasting

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

To Lake Winfield Scott Parking Lot
Google Map from 1701 Mansell Rd, Alpharetta, GA 30076 to Lake Winfield Scott, Suches, GA 30572

GO RIGHT from the Mansell Rd Park & Ride
LEFT onto GA-400 North to dead end for 37.3 miles
LEFT onto GA-60N/US-19N toward Dahlonega for 5.1 miles
RIGHT on GA-60N/GA-9N for 8.0 miles
You'll see some sharp curves that slow down traffic, and you'll suddenly see an Indian rock pile in the middle of the road
LEFT FORK onto GA-60N for 7.3 miles
You'll be heading uphill
You'll go over a mountain
When you see T.W.O. (Two Wheels Only) Motorcycle Resort on your left, get ready
SHARP RIGHT at the old gas station onto State Route 180/Wolf Pen Gap Rd for 4.4 miles
RIGHT onto Lake Winfield Scott Rd

From Lake Winfield Scott to Frogtown Cellars
Google Map to Frogtown Cellars, 700 Ridge Point Dr, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Frogtown Cellars phone: (706) 865-0687

RIGHT onto State Route 180/Wolf Pen Gap Rd for 6.7 miles
RIGHT onto GA-11 S/US-129 S/US-19 S/Gainesville Hwy for 10.9 miles
RIGHT at Turner's Corner onto GA-9 S/US-19 S for 2.2 miles
LEFT onto Damascus Church Rd for 3.0 miles
RIGHT onto Ridge Point Dr for 0.4 miles
Destination will be on the right

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

145Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

8:00 am

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $58.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

Click for a larger, printable map.

Will this event occur rain or shine? We will cancel the hike if it looks like there will be medium to heavy rains. I’ll e-mail everyone the day before the hike if the weather looks questionable.

We will group people together at the carpool according to their preference for attending the optional wine tasting. The wine tasting will involve only light consumption, due to the hard hike and the drive home.

Difficulty Ratings
Here's a little spiel on difficulty ratings. :) I listed this trip as a D3 because I think that other trip leaders practice "grade inflation" where everyone gets A's, and every trip becomes a D5. Nobody wants to put a hiker in a situation where they have difficulty completing the trip, but if all trip leaders inflate the difficulty ratings, the ratings become meaningless.

Here's the description from the AOC site.

D3 Moderate:Approx 5-9mi with gentle elevation gain

D4 Moderate to Difficult: Greater distance (over 10mi) and more challenging elevation gain.

Based on this, I would say this trip is a D3.5. It definitely falls in the 5-9 mile range, but the elevation gain is more challenging. My advice to people who are new'ish to the AOC is to start out on hikes that are one level below what you *know* you can achieve. That way, you can enjoy the hike and make friends, rather than being the out-of-breath person who's barely making it up the hill.

If you have any doubts about your fitness, think about whether you can hike Stone Mountain up and down 3 times. That puts you at 7.6 miles, but the terrain is easier than Blood Mountain. If you feel ok with that, then definitely sign up for the event!

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

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