Amicalola Falls Hike

This hike was quite a bit different from recent hikes. Instead of being isolated in the woods, I was at a location with lots of people. Instead of working my way through overgrown brush and switchbacks, I climbed a bunch of stairs.

Although the site was quite nice and the exercise was good, I doubt I would do this hike again. It simply lacks a lot of what I'm looking for when I set out to hike. The impact of a large number of visitors was clearly visible with litter, graffiti, and short cuts aplenty. A staircase is obviously needed when there are so many visitors but I'd much prefer a rougher setting.

This particular hike was relatively short at less than 2 hours with plenty of stops for photos. However, it was definitely challenging because of the huge number of stairs. The route up follows closely along the left (West) edge of the falls and offers some great views. There was an alternate route back down which didn't offer a view of the falls but did offer a few nice vistas and much more peace and quiet since most people take the same way down as up.

When you first start the climb you are greeted by the following sign. No big deal 175 steps doesn't sound too bad.


But by the top of those 175 I was feeling it. I was hot and bit winded. From this stop a nice view of the falls appears.
I was stopping here. My halfway point was at the top of the falls. The following sign is a LOT scarier after climbing the first 175 steps.


The next 425 weren't easy at all. About 2/3s up I thought I was going to puke my guts out. A brief rest did a world of good and I continued to the top. There isn't much of a view of the falls from the top because they drop really quick. The following shot is from the start of the trail heading back down the other side.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Concert Review

I've seen tons of concerts in my life but as time goes by the number I attend from year to year drops off a bit. During the spring I thought this might be the first year since I was 16 that I didn't attend a concert.

Things changed due to the generosity of few friends/family. Last night was the first of my gifts. I was given seats to attend the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss concert at Chastain Park in Atlanta. This is one of my favorite venues in the area because the sound is generally good, its relatively small and intimate, the atmosphere is terrific and its outside. I figured it was about my 8th time seeing Robert Plant.

Each and every Plant concert is a little bit different. I've seen ones where he did only solo material. I seen ones where he played only Zeppelin material (with Jimmy Page) and I seen ones where he played a bit of both. In all these cases he's sounded great and been the undisputed front man.

This concert was a little different. With Allison Kraus a legend in the bluegrass genre they both had a significant impact in drawing fans to the venue. But this wasn't two greats trading the stage. Instead, it was two greats working together and sharing the limelight. I have to admit it was odd seeing Plant singing backup but I think that added to the charm.

As I wrote in my review of Raising Sand, their music and especially the combination of their two voices has a haunting quality. A unique blend of blues, bluegrass, rock and swing that is very entertaining as is mesmerizes. Kraus has an unbelievably strong voice and it comes forth with almost no effort. While her solo material doesn't really appeal to me, there is no denying she's very talented.

The concert consisted primarily of the two performing all their tracks from their Grammy winning album. Each track was performed exceptionally well with just enough ad-libs and rearrangements to surprise the crowd. The two took their turns on lead vocals leaving the other to sing backup, play maracas or simply dance around. Both artists look like they were enjoying themselves and they had great chemistry.

Both artists did have a chance to perform some songs from their solo/past careers. Krauss played about 3 songs while Plant mostly rested. Even T-Bone Burnett had a chance to play a tune of his own. Both singers sung together doing a great rearrangement of Zeppelin's "Black Dog", a spot on version of Zeppelin's "Black Country Woman" and Plant's "In The Mood". My personal highlight was their duet performance for Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". Although there were a few high notes Plant wisely adjusted, his and her voice were superb.

In the end it was a marvelous night. I know many in attendance would have like more Zeppelin tunes but that wasn't Plant's intention. He obviously enjoys working with Krauss and had no intentions of overshadowing her. I have a ton of respect for what Plant has done professionally post Zeppelin and I'll continue to support his efforts since I've enjoyed each and every one of them.

Next up is Stone Temple Pilots in mid-August. Here's hoping the band members can tolerate each other long enough to put on that show.

Jarrard Gap - Appalacian Trail Loop Hike

07/04/08

Another hike in the North Georgia mountains. This particular one was not terribly exciting as it offered very little to look at after leaving the area around Lake Winfield Scott. However, the hike was longer than any of my previous ones clocking in at close to 6 miles. I might fairly good time despite some fairly challenging sections during the first half. This was also one my hotter hikes as the temps were in the mid 80s, high humidity and little breeze.

A picture of Lake Winfield Scott