Len Foote Hike Inn – Day 2

Saturday morning….

I’d been awake and waiting for others to start moving around.  At the first rustle and the glow of an i-phone showing over the edge of the top bunk – I knew it was time!  I get so excited about morning and especially this morning cuz we were going to hike again!

There’s a ritual at the Inn.  Just before sunrise, they walk by all the rooms gently beating on a drum.  It’s really a nice mellow sound.  This is to let everyone know that the “show” is about to begin and if you want a front row seat, then you better get moving …

And what seats we had!!

Nothing like morning faces for early morning pictures,

and a flash doesn’t help either 🙂

Lauren and I were reminiscing about her Senior trip to Maine and the morning we were up at 4am to hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.   At 1532 feet, it’s the highest point along the N. Atlantic seaboard.

I love watching the transformation of all the beautiful mountains and…

…within minutes, the scenery changes.

Amazing….

So soul quenching….

We began to take guesses as to where the sun would first peek into this new day.

Right smack in the middle of those two mountains!

The colors were phenomenal!

The hues on the horizon changed so quickly…

The illumination spilled over into the valley….

Good morning, Dahlonega!

The experience of watching such an incredible sunrise is truly indescribable…

Watching the landscape and the ever changing shadows…

As the sunlight seeps into all the nooks and crannies….

Stretching her light to the heavens….

It was absolutely breathtaking…

 

And we were so grateful to be able to share this moment with one another.

When the sun was well on her way to her zenith, the breakfast bell rang!

Megan got creative in identifying her mug 🙂

After a breakfast of biscuits, garlic grits, scrambled eggs and sausage, we headed back to our room to get ready for the hike back to civilization.

First, we had to strip our linens and put them and our towels in the hamper on the porch.

Let me explain these canvas bags….I thought  it was a brilliant idea.

When we checked in, they handed each of us a canvas bag and inside was a set of sheets, bath towel, and washcloth.  It was great for use when we needed to go to the bathhouse and didn’t want to carry our whole back pack or fumble around trying to contain in our arms all the various items we would need to use.

And they got washed right along with the rest of the sheets and towels.

When all the housekeeping had been taken care of, it was time to get ourselves ready to head out.

Lolo had started to get a blister before our hike.

So I had gotten special band-aides for blisters.  These had a gel-like pouch on them which went over the blister.  The heat from the body helped it to form over the blister and kept it from anymore friction.

And just to be sure, we added some extra protection.

Time to hit the trail!

Another glorious day in the woods….

Even overnight, the trees seemed to have changed, a little bit brighter.

Lolo and I commented how different the trail seemed going the other way.

We talked about all the hiking we did together when the kids were small, laughing at some of our favorite memories.

Lolo and I ended up hiking together and we had the most wonderful conversations!

In the quiet and peacefulness of the woods, we shared our hearts without any disruption from people or cell phones.

It was a perfect day for hiking, the perfect place for quality time with my daughter, and the perfect moment to tell her how much I loved her…

Precious time together which happens less frequently as they grow older.

As we continued walking, I found myself slowing down to enjoy all the subtle sights…

The colors of the leaves were just too difficult to ignore!

All the creeks were filled with leaves, making the water hard to see.

Some of the leaves decided to hitch a ride 🙂

And just when I thought I could restrain myself from taking another picture….

I’d find another leaf…

And I just had to stop….

I never worried about losing my way.  The green blazes were everywhere

and so were the people who were headed up the mountain.  We met quite a few people who were going to hang out with the trees and the colored leaves.

And in way too short a time, we began to hear the voices from crowds of people and motorized vehicles.

Admittedly, we were tempted to turn around and quickly head back into the woods.

Our time on the way back out?  2.5 hours in 5 miles, slowed by a camera-happy, picture-snapping hiker.

See the shirts the girls are wearing??  You can only purchase them from the Len Foote Hike Inn!

So next time you see someone wearing a shirt from Len Foote, ask them how they enjoyed their hike!

…or where the Goodwill is where they shop 🙂

We were just a little ready for lunch by the time we reached the bottom and by the time we took off our packs, we were really hungry!  We decided to brave the crowds and head to Dahlonega to find something to eat.

Did I mention how hungry we were?

We enjoyed a quiet ride home as we chatted about our hike and the fun we had during the last two days.

Conclusion?  We’re going to do this more often.

Next hike?  The day after Thanksgiving!

A New Day Dawns…

Last year, Dave missed the big snow we had March 1.  He was in San Diego while I was here with 8″ of snow and a 48 hour power outage.  He always misses all the fun!

Being the photographer he is, he set his alarm to be outside before the sun came up.  He actually was up earlier hoping for a cloudless night, but alas, no such luck.

There is a mood in these early morning shots…I love the farm at this time of day.

If you can sneak out a door without the cows seeing you, it will remain quiet.

Of course, Dave had to sneak stealthily  past the goats to the orchard.

I noticed that the deciduous trees here in our back pasture have snow on them all the way to the ground.

So beautiful – unlike the evergreens which form a canopy and keep the snow from falling below their branches.

Jack was Dave’s ever faithful companion during this picture shooting romp.

Um, I guess I forgot to put away some of my gardening tools before the snow came…

These, however, were purposefully left outside.

Our little cabin in the woods – I love how it looks in snow!

All we need is a wood stove inside with a wisp of smoke coming from the roof top.

And the sun is beginning to rise…

Ahh – there is something about snow that makes even an untidy garden look wonderful and inviting.

(see former blog “Confessions of a Vegetable Garden” for a full disclosure)

I love the changes of the color blue in the sky as the rays of sun illuminate…

And as the sun rises, so does the activity of the farm.

Molly checks on the chickens – of course several were out because the netting fell down from the weight of the snow.

A chicken’s view of their house and the snow and that pesky dog!

The feeders were full of hungry little birds.  The activity is entertainment in itself!

Squish thought she’d give the laundry basket sled a try once again…

Jack, however, was not impressed.

Rosie – oh, what to do with that mop of wool on the head after it’s snowed!

Sawyer – waiting patiently for someone, anyone, to toss a snowball for him to chase….

Colonel was ready for a chase!  The snow and sun certainly made him feel lively.

Since no one was available to throw snowballs, Sawyer thought he’d harass Misty.

Not sure he’s realized yet that she is much bigger than he is!

I love this picture…

Yep, the pony has an attitude and it’s certainly evident in this shot 🙂

Thanks, Dave, for enduring the cold to capture these beautiful early morning moments on the Lazy B.

Your photos say so much more than words…

To see Dave’s video of this morning, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/LenscapeVideo