Sponsors Journals Itinerary Gear List
Sunday–March 14, 2021
Trail Day–023
Trail Mile–16.7/265.3
Location–Rustic Cabin on Furnace Creek
A fine finish to a mighty fine day yesterday, supper prepared by Donna–leafy green salad, beef stroganoff, Texas toast, polished off with delicious homemade cookies!
A little resourcefulness needed, but plans did come together yesterday evening for our hike today, a 16-miler from West Armuchee Road to Keown Falls parking lot. Friends want to hike with me today; the Groves, Tim and Angela; and the Tates, Tim and
Donna. Logistics are working, vehicles have been parked, shuttles completed. We’re together, packs up (group photo) and we’re off to John’s mountain a bit after eight (time change last night didn’t trip us up).
It’s another glorious day, to add to the 22 others so far this journey. I’ve never hiked so many consecutive days without rain–ever! Climb, climb, then views 
down and across the nearby mountains–shrouded in early morning fog. Two large creek crossings today, West Armuchee, then East Armuchee. Both are at road crossings. Back where I was raised they’re called fords. Here, locals call them underwater bridges. A local, Mike Brannon, comes and hikes some with us, brings a copy of Ten Million Steps for me to sign. Lunch time after the East Armuchee crossing, then it’s climb time again, up, around and to the overlook on John’s Mountain. A stop at Keown Falls to watch the kids playing in the spray from the falls, then it’s down and down some more to the falls parking lot to end this delightful hiking day.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the neat old rustic cabin on Furnace Creek–and Leland O’Bryant…
It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
(Ernest Hemingway)
