Shorter than expected: East Palisades

Towards the end of the week before Earth Day, I as itching to get away from my hectic life and spend some time in the outdoors. Work has really picked up, and I am often staying until 7PM on the days that I am not in class till 9:15. I'm not complaining, I am really enjoying growing in my role at Coca-Cola. Also, there is a reason I am doing my MBA. Challenging my mind in work and school is very rewarding. That being said, my life is so hectic I feel like I don't have time to clean, do laundry, and forget cooking dinner. That week, I was feeling more of the pressures of my busy life style and I knew that a hike would be just the fix.

Luckily, my roommate was willing and able to attend a hike with me both days of Earth Day weekend. The first hike was expected to be 4.5 miles. We were ambitious and hoping to get a good workout in that Saturday morning, April 21st. We packed a sandwhich, I brought my SLR camera and we headed out to East Palisades. Unfortunately, the directions in my favorite book, 60 hikes within 60 miles of Atlanta, were lacking and it took us about an hour to finally reach the trail head. Then, the hike ended up being only 2.5 miles, and a total of 1:21 hours to complete. So, by the end of the day we were in the car about as long as on the trail. However, we had a great time, and Brandy appreciated the chance to run free.

Difficulty

The hike is rated as moderate by GeorgiaTrails.com and trails.com. There were a few spots that were uphill and got us to sweat a little bit. I think I would have rated it a little higher in difficulty had we infact hike 4.5-6 miles. As on par with most of the Georgia hikes, there was a map at almost every fork in the road. We stuck to the outside loop of the trail system. Perhaps, if we did a little more zig zagging we would have gotten up to the higher mileage.

When we arrived, it was easy to find the trail head. At one point there was a pretty steep section, pictured here. However, it was not too long and it didn't slow Brandy down. Because the maps were prevelant I would say that it was easy to follow. On the contrary, we thought we would be hiking for double the ground we covered. Therefore, perhaps its more difficult to follow the exact route outlined in the hiking book. I was definitely able to go out for a drink that night, and I did. I got all dressed up for Business School Prom and danced the night away.

Natural Beauty

  For being inside the perimeter, it was very quiet and secluded. We didn't pass too many people on the trail, and it overlooked the Chatahoochee River for most of it. Everyone knows the river is not the cleanest most pristine body of water, but it was still lovely to gaze at. 

Throughout the hike, we definitely felt the presence of Spring. We saw baby ducks, baby cows on the drive in, and baby children every once in a while. Melissa, as a kid used to always eat the nectar from the Honey Suckles and they were in full bloom that day. As a kid I would take, what i called purple buttercups, and rub them on my nose. The sweet nectar of honey suckles is much better. As we walked along the trail, Melissa would gather honey suckles for use to enjoy.
Dog Friendliness

 This trail was wonderful for a dog. Other pet owners had their dogs off leash. It was far away from roads most of time. Except for the home stretch before finishing the hike, she was off leash during the hike.

This next anecdote could also fall under Natural Beauty. As we walked along the Chattahoochee, we came across a family of ducks and some geese swimming in the water. Brandy went ape-shit and leapt into the water in an attempt to grab them, I guess. She then started swimming out after them. Even though Brandy is half lab, she is the WORST swimmer. It looks like she is trying to leap around in the water but there is no ground for her to from which to leap. Its quite entertaining for us, but presumably frustrating for her. Alas, she was unable to snatch the baby ducks from their mother, but she did offer great entertainment. 


Picnicability
There was nowhere great to have a picnic. We ended up sitting on a rock next to the road that lead to the parking lot. It was definitely anticlimactic. I think there


Mental Enrichment: 
You can eat the syrup from a honey suckle.