Sunday, July 5, 2015

Brasstown Bald, Georgia

Parking lot at Brasstown Bald...where is everybody?
 
Brasstown Bald is Georgia's highest mountain with an elevation of 4,784 feet.  On a clear day, you can see four states...on a cloudy day, you MIGHT see four feet in front of you!  
 

The name is really from a Cherokee word that means "place of fresh green' but since it sounded similar to the word used for "brass", it was called Brasstown Bald. 
There is a fee of $5.00 per person.  This includes a shuttle from the parking lot which takes you to Brasstown Bald.  Now, if you don't want the shuttle but prefer to walk the trail instead, does this mean you don't have to pay? Fat chance, you pay anyway!  Oh well, we need our exercise and if it helps to keep it as a park, it's worth it.  Here is how it is described on the Georgia Trails website...

 It would probably be better to call this footpath up and down instead of in and out. Although difficult, this is an excellent hike for most people. Frequent stopping places along the path make it achievable for most hikers. As you climb from the parking lot to the summit the change in flora is the equivalent of walking a thousand miles further north. 



There is a large observation tower on the top of the bald and it is so big that it feels as if you are on a ship at sea.  On this day, like a ship at sea in a heavy fog.  It felt very nice to us though, it had been in the 90's but look at this....


We enjoyed the cooler weather!  There is a museum at the top telling you about the history of Brasstown Bald and it is well worth a visit. Remember my post about the trout and I mentioned Arthur Woody?  Turns out, HE is the man who is also responsible for the Brasstown Bald observation tower. You may read more about this one man who made such a difference to this area just here. 




  We were there for two hours hoping that the clouds would blow away.  When we decided it was time to go, we left, watching some people arrive dressed in bright Hawaiian shirts wearing leis (they were there for a wedding) and we started back down the very steep path. 
We had walked for about 200 yards and the sun came out! You know what we did.  We promptly turned around and raced back up!
(I say we raced, we walked back up as quickly as we could. We did not want to miss seeing the views!)

                         It went from this...


 
 
 
To this!
 



 

You can see that it was still quite hazy with cloud but at least we could see the valley below and a bit of blue sky!  We want to go back and hopefully see it on a clear day.  That Georgia Trails website said that in the autumn, "it is a wonder to behold".  I believe it! 

We couldn't stay much longer, we had to get back to our hotel and get gussied up for the wedding that night.  Great day on a mountain and that evening, a lovely wedding beside a mountain stream!


In March, 1997, the Hale- Bopp Comet was photographed from the top of Brasstown Bald.  We were in England at the time and we saw it there, but not as clearly as this!



 

44 comments:

  1. This looks like a fabulous hike, even in the fog! Glad it cleared a bit for you. I'm wondering how far the hike is to the top?

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    1. They said it was half a mile but we think it was closer to 3/4 of a mile. Not long but it was steep! It was a paved trail which we were grateful for since it was so damp and muddy. It was nice and we hope to go again soon.
      Thanks for your comment!

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  2. Kay, That looks like a great place to visit. I would have loved seeing the comet up there. Wow. Great photo of you and your husband. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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    1. Hey Susie!
      Come to Georgia and we can climb up together! Think of all the stars you could see at night in that area, it is quite a long way from city lights.
      I had to work on that hair of mine after being in that misty cloud for hours!
      LOL! xx

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  3. What a fun place to visit! Great shots, too. And I love that image of you and your husband!

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    1. It was great, you would love it!
      HA! Our son took that photo and I kept telling him to back up, not to be so close to take it! :-)

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  4. Spectacular - both the foggy and the sunny pictures! How much more interesting a place becomes when we see it in different light and atmosphere, isn't it?
    Your dress is lovely!

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    1. It really is a gorgeous spot. Nothing but nature! (Well, the nice observation tower, nice gift shop with lots of parking and clean restrooms but you really do want all of those!)
      That dress is a dress that I bought for a wedding a couple of years ago, and I couldn't find another one that I liked as well as I do this one! It has a lace overlay and the color is a bright coral which by a coincidence, I notice is a popular fashion color this summer. Lucky thing, I would wear it anyway! :-) Oh, and we were told it was "semi-formal" so Richard had a nice English tie with his bright color shirt, but since only about two other men were wearing ties, he took his off!

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  5. I have visited there but it's been a few years, and I didn't go all the way up. Glad you had a nice time even with the fog!

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    1. We have so many nice spots to visit in Georgia! Have a great week!

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  6. It's a shame that you have to pay but it looks like a really awesome place. It must be amazing to stand up there on a really bright and sunny day and look around.

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    1. I know, we want to see it when it is clear! Oddly enough, they told us it had been a clear morning, but hey, we were driving up there in the morning! Oh well, hope to catch the views next time.

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  7. It is a beautiful place and I can only imagine how lovely the sight would be in autumn when the leaves change.

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    1. We noticed that it was mostly hardwoods, so that means a spectacular show of color in the autumn!

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  8. An impressive height and what beautiful views, even in this still a bit foggy day. I'm so glad the sun came out for you, but I bet it will be wonderful in the fall. I hope you make the hike and share some photos!

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    1. Yes! That sounds like a plan! If we are able to get back up there in the autumn, look out for Richard's photos!

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  9. I just looked up the highest point in Ohio and discovered it is Campbell Hill, only 1,550 feet...Not much higher than a place near me in Summit County which is 1,329 feet.......Apparently the ice age glaciers flattened a lot of Ohio!

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    1. Our Stone Mountain, here in Georgia, is only 825 feet high but it has some fantastic views!

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  10. Never heard of it before. If we make it back up to the Georgia mountains we'll have to go.

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    1. We drove there from Helen, on our way to Hiawassee. And if you drive from Hiawassee over to Clayton, don't miss the Popcorn Overlook. Not sure why it is called that but it has some amazing views!

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  11. You look very pretty in that pink dress.

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    1. Thank you! You know I thought of you when I saw those folks dressed up in their leis for the wedding! ALOHA!

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  12. I'm so glad the sun came out for you - the view was stunning. Lovely photo of the two of you. x

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    1. YES! We were tickled to finally see something other than cloud! And thank you! We were a wind-blown mess when we got to our hotel, you do NOT want to know what my hair looked like! LOL.

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  13. Looks a nice mountain. Sometimes the fog can feel special as well, especially on a hot day. Intriguing how so many different cultures have stories of a great flood in their history, reading your link. The melting of the glaciers during the last ice age perhaps carried down in oral tradition?

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    1. Being from the mountains of North Georgia, I have a fascination about the Native Americans. Interesting to me that they revered Blood Mountain more, which is not as high as Brasstown Bald. Having said that, Blood Mountain is another truly spectacular mountain, so perhaps that is why!

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  14. It was fun going along on your excursion. I hope you take me when you go the next time.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it! Wish I could show you photos of the wedding party, both the men and women were all so good looking and the colors that they wore were perfect for an outside wedding!

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  15. The days that follow fogs once they've lifted are usually beautiful. We have our share of morning fogs up here on the mountain; as do the valleys below. I love seeing the fog hugging the valleys when I drive along the ridge when I'm off to the local supermarket in the early morns. :)

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    1. Yes! We noticed that the next morning, the fog hugging the valleys, just like you say! You live in such a beautiful part of the world!!

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  16. Love that observation tower . I hope there was a ghost hiding in the mist. Or at least a pirate.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. I made the comment that it would be a perfect spot to film a horror movie, in all that misty cloud! xx

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  17. Such a lovely place, i think the Cherokee gave it the perfect name! You have the same attitude as i have about the charge to see such places -- it's worth it, because the money goes to keep it open for everyone.

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    1. I know, but then, too bad it sounded so closely to the word for "brass"!
      We found it strange though that there is not a single word about the fee on the Brasstown Bald website, which we looked at before we went there/1

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  18. Hi Kay! I spotted your blog title listed on Lee's blog (Kitchen Connection) - I had to go all the way to Australia to find another blogger in north Georgia!

    You and I were in the mountains at the same time. This past weekend I was at my sis's vacation home in Hayesville, North Carolina. (Not far over the Georgia / North Carolina line.) I pass the entrance road to Brasstown Bald on my way there.

    Lovely post. That is a lovely spot and I haven't been there in 20 years or so. My sisters and I are converging from three different states (Georgia, Florida and Virginia) in August for a weekend at the house - I think I'll suggest an excursion to Brasstown Bald.

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  19. Hello, Lynn! Happy to meet you! That is so great that you found me at Lee's blog from Australia, that is what I love about blogging!
    We were really there the week of Father's Day weekend but I am just getting around to writing about it. I hope you do get to Brasstown Bald and I hope it will be clearer for you and that you will enjoy great views!
    Thanks for your comment. You have made my day! :-)

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  20. I am so glad it cleared a bit for you (and us) to get an idea of the view.
    While it was fairly obvious what 'gussied up' meant I thought I'd look it up since it has never appeared in my British English dictionary! I think it's a great expression.

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    1. I don't usually use that phrase but then, I don't have a reason to use it very often!
      You would love the area, it's really lovely. :-)

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  21. Very Edinburgh like photos there!
    That looks a good place.

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  22. What a fun looking hike. It is good to know the terrain your are hiking. Dressing for 90 degrees and getting 60 degrees could make for a chilly time. Can't wait to see you all post photos when you climb it in the Autumn (hint), Haha.

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    1. Oh, people were even wearing jackets but if you walked up the trail, no jackets were needed!
      I hope to go back and see the autumn colors. You will see photos if we do, I promise!

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  23. And that would be another comet that we didn't get a good look at... sigh. I love that photo of the two of you. Hawaiian shirts and leis in Georgia? Now that's interesting. I do love fog, but that was really, really thick fog.

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    1. I thought of you, Kay and also, Gigi from Hawaii when I saw those leis!
      It might seem funny but it was wonderful to see the bright colors amidst all that greenery and fog! And it WAS a thick fog!

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