Hiking Georgia's Mount Yonah

  We pulled up to the parking lot for the Mount Yonah trailhead about 8:30am that morning. It was cool and overcast, having rained heavily the day before. Our third day of our 2022 vacation, and we had only been able to hike Anna Ruby Falls so far, thanks to wet weather. These double falls near Unicoi State Park are easily viewed at the end of a paved trail approximately one mile in length, but we were craving something more challenging.

  The drive up to the clay and gravel parking lot was a mild incline and rutted out in places. Could my Nissan Versa make it? My anxiety set in, recalling our foolish endeavor of pulling a Uhaul up to Redington Canyon in Tucson over a decade ago - we bottomed out several times and narrowly avoided being stranded. Thankfully this time it was just us and the dog in a hatchback, and we made it all the way up without incident.

  There was only one other vehicle in the parking lot when we arrived, with no humans in sight. As I climbed out of our car, a deer fly immediately buzzed me. I wondered if this was going to be one of those miserable hikes when you have to stay in motion, arms flailing, to avoid being eaten alive. But as we walked over to the trailhead restroom, the deer fly moved on, never to return.

  I started up the trail with Turtle by my side. At ten years old, I wasn't sure if my couch potato had it in him to make it to the top, but we were prepared with plenty of water for him, and thankful there was no sun yet. As we moved up the trail, the trees became less dense and we could see further into the forest. Rocks on the trail forced us to pay more attention to our foot placement though, and I had to watch Turtle closely to make sure he stayed safe. In places, the trail leveled out and gave us a break, but soon we were traversing clumps of boulders, damp and slick from previous rainfall. Dave, being the West Coast mountain goat that he is, had no problem moving along the trail, even in his Vans. I, on the other hand, was glad to have my trail running shoes, especially on the more slippery patches of clay.

  Once we began encountering boulders, I was thankful I had made Turtle wear a harness with a handle on the back. It made it easier to assist him in spots he felt too trepidatious to traverse. The boulders also meant we were starting to see chipmunks, rodents far cuter than Florida's gray squirrels. The trail grew rockier and rockier until finally we reached a plateau - an open grassy area with a great view, the first open view of the hike. Remnants of a few campfires suggested this would be a great place to camp, but no one was here today. We stopped to hydrate ourselves and Turtle, and grab a few souvenir photos.

  From here, the incline became pretty challenging for this Florida girl. Just above the plateau, we stopped again to rest, as much for me as for Turtle. As we were catching our breath, a young man we had seen previously in a group at Anna Ruby Falls appeared, trudging up the hill like he was late for a meeting. We said our 'hellos' and watched him pass. Turtle was still panting pretty hard, so Dave and I stayed seated on a boulder, letting him drink some more and cool off. Moments later, another man we had seen at Anna Ruby came along, white t-shirt soaked in sweat, asking us, "How much further?", to which we responded that we hadn't made it yet. He struggled on up the hill, telling us if we saw any other guys coming along behind him to "tell them they suck!" Once he was out of sight, we decided we did not want to also suck, so we stood up and began our ascent of the steep clay trail leading to an Army training field near the summit.

  At this next plateau, there was a concrete structure housing a row of about five outhouse-style toilets, and a grassy area under a few big pines with ample room for tents and campfires. A metal sign posted by the trail indicated that the area might sometimes be closed to hikers due to Army training maneuvers. Today the field was empty, so we pressed on a little further until the trail spilled out onto a well-maintained gravel road. We could turn left and follow the road down the mountain, or turn right and continue to climb. So climb we did, only to discover that this gravel road was a harder hike than all the clay and boulders we had encountered thus far. Well worth it though once we found the next lookout.

  After taking time here for more photos and to let Turtle rest and hydrate, we got back on the gravel road and immediately met a group of four hikers coming back down, two of which being the guys that had passed us at the halfway point. "You got this!", one said in encouragement as we pressed on. It felt good to know we were almost there, and sure enough, the tree-lined gravel opened up to a grassy field in the center of the mountain top. Immediately off to the left was another rocky outcrop beyond a short drop through the trees, and given Turtle's lolling tongue, we decided to make this our final stop, although the trail went on wrapping around the field, surely to reveal some other breathtaking views.

  After several more photos and hydration for all, we hopped back on the trail and started our descent. Once we had returned to the winding gravel road, we quickly met a couple on their way to the top. I smiled and said 'hi' to the girl. Her sweat-drenched companion panted, "Please tell us we're almost there!" I assured them they were close, and Dave and I continued down the access road, appreciative that our struggle was over. I know Turtle was glad, too.

 

  This was a fun hike, and truthfully not too difficult for a couple of 40-somethings and a senior dog. I definitely recommend bringing plenty of water though, and going when the temperature is not too warm. And if you need a place to stop for a drink and a vegan brat afterwards, make the short drive to Helen, GA and pop into the Konig Ludwig Biergarten. Tell them Turtle sent you.