My husband and I have been very fitness oriented lately. As of the 1st of the year we made the chronic resolution to lose weight. It's one we've made before. It's also one we've broken before. This year, something snapped in both of us. We've stuck with it and have lost a combined weight of 50 pounds so far! We frequent a small local gym and have recently started hiking.
As a reader of my blog would know, the first hike was a bust! Big Trees Forest Preserve was downright disappointing. So, I kept my expectations low as we headed to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield in Marrieta, GA. The drive wasn't promising. The road leading in runs right through an industrial area. But let me tell you, as we rounded the corner and caught our first glimpse of the park....my spirits lifted!
Our first view was of a large open field leading up to a heavily wooded mountain. To the right a huge hibernating tree stands watch, heavily armed with Civil War cannons. We entered the Visitors center first, hoping for a map. The attendant was very friendly and we got to see a few Civil War artifacts and items found on the mountain. There is also a small museum in the gift shop, which we didn't go into. He handed us a map and we were on our way.
Initially, we entered the woods and the sharp mountain trail loomed ahead. A few hundred feet up we stopped to read a sign that stated the trenches we were seeing all around us were actually rifle trenches, used by the Confederate Soldiers that guarded this direct mountain path to Atlanta. I had though the terrain was naturally uneven, as it is covered in leaves and foliage. At about .2 miles up the mountain, we were completely enveloped with mist and barren trees. Looking up the hills, I imagined what it must have looked like during the Civil War. Men hiding in trees and shadows.
The mist definately added to the haunting feel of the woods.
Another aspect of the mountain that I found amazing was the amount of bright green moss covering just about everything the eye could see. Rocks and trees and fallen branches had been taken over by this sea of amazing green, which contrasted with the black and white of the winter forest.
At our first overlook, once I finally caught up to my husband (I'm not quite in hiking shape yet!) I rounded a corner and found him stopped, silent and staring into a mass of trees. He shushed me as I approached and I tiptoed to where he was standing. He had spotted a deer. She was grazing quietly just a few feet away from us, completely unaffected by our presence. I was exited of course. You just don't see that in San Diego! I saw perhaps 3 deer the entire time I lived in California, and they were always up in the mountains and usually out at night.
I snapped a ton of pictures and we moved on. Together we rounded the next corner and there were 4 more deer grazing on the path, right there in front of us! Again,
they were not disturbed by us and continued nibbling. They kept a close eye of course. We watched them a while longer. I especially enjoyed watching one deer stretch her neck and head way above her body to nibble on a leaf hanging above her head.
While I was taking pictures of the deer, I looked down to see a huge centipede gliding along near my feet. It was neon pink and green and had what looked like hard plates all over it's body. I'll never tire of seeing these beautiful creatures.
After plenty of huffing and puffing, we finally reached the top of Kennesaw Mountain. The point has been made into a memorial to the Georgia born soldiers who lost their lives in this place. There are several more cannons at the top, surrounded by "earthworks" created again by the Confederate soldiers. From the top of the mountain there is a 360 degree view of surrounding areas, including downtown Atlanta. However, on this day you could not see anything past the edge due to thick fog.
I did some research after leaving the park. I'm drawn to the history of the place, because I felt what I can only describe as a connection to the place. The top of the mountain has been dubbed the "Dead Angle" because the battle at that spot turned into hand on hand combat. Many men lost their lives. 4000 or so, in fact. I can't help but believe that there has to be something left of those souls on the mountain. It feels like a cemetery. Not creepy, necessarily...but mournful.
Needless to say, the place is beautiful. It's serene, calm, isolated and peaceful. I imagine it's even more amazing in the spring and summer. I've read that there are several birds that live in the woods and one hiker claims to have seen a bald eagle at the top. I felt emotional when I thought of all the souls that had been lost in this place.
This hike is a bit difficult. It's steep in most places and you have to climb between rocks and roots. But the prize at the end of the trail is something you will keep with you forever. I know I will always keep Kennesaw Mountain in my "amazing file".
As a reader of my blog would know, the first hike was a bust! Big Trees Forest Preserve was downright disappointing. So, I kept my expectations low as we headed to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield in Marrieta, GA. The drive wasn't promising. The road leading in runs right through an industrial area. But let me tell you, as we rounded the corner and caught our first glimpse of the park....my spirits lifted!
Our first view was of a large open field leading up to a heavily wooded mountain. To the right a huge hibernating tree stands watch, heavily armed with Civil War cannons. We entered the Visitors center first, hoping for a map. The attendant was very friendly and we got to see a few Civil War artifacts and items found on the mountain. There is also a small museum in the gift shop, which we didn't go into. He handed us a map and we were on our way.
Initially, we entered the woods and the sharp mountain trail loomed ahead. A few hundred feet up we stopped to read a sign that stated the trenches we were seeing all around us were actually rifle trenches, used by the Confederate Soldiers that guarded this direct mountain path to Atlanta. I had though the terrain was naturally uneven, as it is covered in leaves and foliage. At about .2 miles up the mountain, we were completely enveloped with mist and barren trees. Looking up the hills, I imagined what it must have looked like during the Civil War. Men hiding in trees and shadows.
The mist definately added to the haunting feel of the woods.
Another aspect of the mountain that I found amazing was the amount of bright green moss covering just about everything the eye could see. Rocks and trees and fallen branches had been taken over by this sea of amazing green, which contrasted with the black and white of the winter forest.
At our first overlook, once I finally caught up to my husband (I'm not quite in hiking shape yet!) I rounded a corner and found him stopped, silent and staring into a mass of trees. He shushed me as I approached and I tiptoed to where he was standing. He had spotted a deer. She was grazing quietly just a few feet away from us, completely unaffected by our presence. I was exited of course. You just don't see that in San Diego! I saw perhaps 3 deer the entire time I lived in California, and they were always up in the mountains and usually out at night.
I snapped a ton of pictures and we moved on. Together we rounded the next corner and there were 4 more deer grazing on the path, right there in front of us! Again,
they were not disturbed by us and continued nibbling. They kept a close eye of course. We watched them a while longer. I especially enjoyed watching one deer stretch her neck and head way above her body to nibble on a leaf hanging above her head.While I was taking pictures of the deer, I looked down to see a huge centipede gliding along near my feet. It was neon pink and green and had what looked like hard plates all over it's body. I'll never tire of seeing these beautiful creatures.
After plenty of huffing and puffing, we finally reached the top of Kennesaw Mountain. The point has been made into a memorial to the Georgia born soldiers who lost their lives in this place. There are several more cannons at the top, surrounded by "earthworks" created again by the Confederate soldiers. From the top of the mountain there is a 360 degree view of surrounding areas, including downtown Atlanta. However, on this day you could not see anything past the edge due to thick fog.
I did some research after leaving the park. I'm drawn to the history of the place, because I felt what I can only describe as a connection to the place. The top of the mountain has been dubbed the "Dead Angle" because the battle at that spot turned into hand on hand combat. Many men lost their lives. 4000 or so, in fact. I can't help but believe that there has to be something left of those souls on the mountain. It feels like a cemetery. Not creepy, necessarily...but mournful.
Needless to say, the place is beautiful. It's serene, calm, isolated and peaceful. I imagine it's even more amazing in the spring and summer. I've read that there are several birds that live in the woods and one hiker claims to have seen a bald eagle at the top. I felt emotional when I thought of all the souls that had been lost in this place.
This hike is a bit difficult. It's steep in most places and you have to climb between rocks and roots. But the prize at the end of the trail is something you will keep with you forever. I know I will always keep Kennesaw Mountain in my "amazing file".
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