The Route
The hike is one we often do in mid-winter -- the Cloudland Canyon Falls walk and and the Canyon Rim loop.
We will leave the Language Institute at 8:00 AM and drive to Georgia's Cloudland Canyon State Park, near Chattanooga. We'll park our cars at the lot (there's a small fee) and walk along a trail to the point where two sets of stairs diverge. We'll follow one set of stairs down to a large waterfall, then we'll come back up out of the canyon and go down the other set of stairs to see another large falls.
After we come back up from the second falls, we'll head along the side of the canyon to a bridge that will take us to the main Canyon Rim walk. We'll then start along the rim, stopping for the great views from the edges. About noon, we'll break for lunch before continuing on the rest of the loop.
We should finish the walk by late afternoon.
Requirements
There are only two requirements for this trip.
First, hikers need to be in fairly decent physical condition. The total hike is only 8.5 km of walking, but it is quite different from a visit to Stone Mountain or a picnic in Piedmont Park. There are many, many stairs into and out of the canyon on the trails to the falls, and there is a small ascent with switchbacks as the access trail mounts to join the Rim Loop. Furthermore, there are no sidewalks, vending machines or bathrooms for most of the hike. This trip is an outing in a natural area. Hikers don't need to be athletes, but they should be in decent physical shape.
The second requirement is that all hikers attend
the announced orientation
meeting. This is a very IMPORTANT requirement as I will try
to
arrange car pools for students at this meeting so participants won’t
have
to rent cars for transportation (though if several people from a class
want to go on the hike, they sometimes rent a car together
anyway).
The meeting is also important because all hikers must sign a liability
waiver there that releases Georgia Tech from responsibility in case of
an accident on the hike. No one may go on the hike unless they
have
signed this waiver.
What to Bring
1. Trail snacks--Many hikers like to have hard candy or chocolate on long hikes for a little energy boost from the sugar. If it's cold, a small thermos of tea or coffee could taste good, too.
2. Lunch--No food is available in the wilderness area. Americans bring fruit and sandwiches, but it seems there are different traditions in different countries. Your lunch only needs to be nutritious.
3. Water--There is no water available along the trail, so you must bring with you whatever water you think you'll need on the hike.
4. Walking shoes--The trails are a bit uneven and often rocky, so you may need shoes with good ankle suport and soles to protect your feet. Any hiking boot or especially good canvas shoe will be fine.
5. Clothes--The weather is very
changeable at this time
of year. It may start raining, and it may turn cold. It
will
certainly be colder in the morning than in the afternoon, and it's
always
colder if the sun goes behind clouds. Most people dress in layers
with sweats and remove or add layers as the temperature changes.
It's a good idea to have a windbreaker, cap and gloves, too. If
there's
even a small possiblility of rain, it's good to have rain gear and a
second,
complete change of clothes. It’s always nice to have dry clothes
for the trip back to Atlanta.