Toccoa River and Benton MacKaye Trail

The weekend after we adopted our sweet black lab, Hampton, we decided to spend Easter in the best church out there - the great outdoors. 

Just a two hour drive from downtown Atlanta, we got to the trailhead around 9pm. Once off the paved road, we took a nice climb with switchbacks on a rough road for about 4 miles to reach the trailhead. 4 wheel drive is definitely required for this portion. A small car with 4 wheel drive would likely have clearance issues. Truck or SUV is your best bet. 

Hampton was all ready to hike in with his new dog pack, stuffed with his food, water, treats and toys for the weekend. At 75lbs, his supplies for the weekend ad an extra 15lbs to our pack and he's more than able to carry his share.

Hampton and his new pack!

Hiking in with headlamps, we made sure to have bear mace handy and talked loudly. After calling the ranger station earlier that week, we knew that there had been some bear sightings in the general area and we weren't going to take any chances. Scraping our feet in the dead leaves on the ground and shouting the occasional, "Hey! Hey bear! Hey-o!" ensured that we wouldn't walk up and surprise a bear. 

It was a short walk, about 7 minutes in the dark or 1/4 mile, until we hit the Toccoa Swinging Bridge. It was hard to really get a good scope of things in the dark, so we crossed the river, headed down the bank to the left and scored a beautiful level campsite right along the river. We set up camp on a cushy bed of pine needles and found a great tree further up the river to hang our bear bag. 

Victor and Hampton enjoying camp in the morning.

Waking up shortly after sunrise, we could finally see the bridge in all its glory. 270 feet long, it's the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River. The Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River is part of both the Benton MacKaye Trail and the Duncan Ridge National Recreation Trail and is located in Fannin County, GA.  

Victor took the opportunity to get some fly fishing in before we decided to take a look around. 

Can't I go fishing too?

 We did short day hikes up and down the river for fishing spots and took in the bridge during the day. The bridge is stunning and it's amazing just to see how it's supported.

Amanda and Hampton on the bridge.

After exploring, we came back to camp for lunch and a quick nap. We were rudely awakened by a few groups of people that had come in for a day hike to check out the bridge and had set up their family chat time less than 4 feet away from our tent, even though there were hundreds of feet of empty space behind us. We quickly broke camp and hiked further up into the trail to get some personal space and away from screaming children. 

Our second campsite was also right on the river and a great spot for fishing. Even though we matched the hatch perfectly, we didn't get one fish on the line. 

Upriver, a group of guys were fishing with spinner rods and caught a few small fish. They asked us what we were using and laughed when we said we were fly fishing. "You should use Cheetoes!" they told us, and it was our turn to laugh. "No, really. Use Cheetoes." Apparently, fishing guides upriver were chucking junk food into the river, getting fish hooked on junk, to ensure that their fishing trips always ended up with catches and the non-guided trips came home empty-handed. 

Enjoy the scenery and have fun fishing, but don't expect to catch much, unless you're using Cheetoes.

Second Campsite

It was really wet that weekend and we had a rough time getting a campfire going. With the tree cover most of the ground stayed wet, even after a day of sunshine. If it's been raining recently, be prepared to have an issue with fire, or no fire at all.

After enjoying our Easter Sunday in the sun and among the stunning forests of North Georgia, we headed back to the truck. It wasn't until we were all the way back in the parking lot that Victor realized he left his multi tool back on one of the rocks where he was fishing. He grabbed the bear mace and headed back down to the river to search for his brand new $80 tool. Across the river from where he said he would be, the tool was sitting out in the middle of the river on a large boulder. He jumped out to grab it, turned around and caught sight of a 300 pound black bear less than 150 feet away. Victor immediately grabbed his hiking pole, threw it up above his head and yelled out, "YARRRRRRR," in his loudest, most pirate-y voice. Like racoons, black bears are often scared away. This bear was not amused and stood his ground. Again, Victor summoned his inner Cpt. Jack Sparrow and let out another loud, "YARRRRR" and the bear scampered off into the woods.

On our way home, we attempted to stop in downtown Blue Ridge to check out the cute shops and grab some lunch. Unfortunately it was Easter Sunday and everything in town was closed, save a gas station with (ironically) Cheetoes and sodas. 

For the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge and Benton MacKaye Trail, remember: 

1. Drive a large 4 Wheel Drive vehicle to the trailhead. A low-clearance 4 wheel drive will not do. 

2. Don't camp right by the bridge unless you plan on breaking camp early. 

3. Call the Ranger Station (Toccoa Ranger District 706-632-3031) to ask about bear problems and any special regulations. 

4. Fish with Cheetoes if you're dead set on catching something. 

5. Bring bear mace and make noise when moving quickly, through heavily wooded areas or near loud water. You don't want to surprise a bear. 

Have fun and let us know in the comments below how your trip goes!!

Tough Mudder GA

The half-marathon from hell!

We went on this adventure with Ian, April and Caroline.

After training for months, we were ready to take on the 10 mile course we had been preparing for. After checking in, they told us it was an 11 mile course and during the pre-race pep talk, they said their GPS tracked it to just over 12 miles. Just 2 miles more than we trained for - no big deal...right?

April, Amanda Ian and Caroline getting pumped up. And Victor's not paying attention.

Victor, Amanda and Ian before leaving for the Tough Mudder. Mud free!

We signed up for the latest wave possible because the event was a 90 minute drive. Mistake. By the time we'd gotten to a lot of the course, big pits of mud had dried up, the huge flames had become smouldering piles of ash and all the professional photographers were gone. If you're a good drive away, either camp out near the race or spring for a hotel. You'll have a much more authentic Tough Mudder experience.

After the first half-mile, we'd crawled through drainage pipes with a mud/ice floor, took a 25 meter swim in icy cold lake water that maintained its temperature thanks to diligent Tough Mudder employees dumping ice buckets into the water and got a nice jog in to help us warm back up. 

We bypassed the first water station and dove headfirst into The Smokehouse. The smoke was awesomly thick and we couldn't see the huge mudslide we were about to fall down. The mudpits awaiting us at the bottom were thick and got us entirely covered. 

Us emerging from The Smokehouse.

Just for fun, we took some dives into the mud outside The Smokehouse. 

This was obviously still within mile 1. 

Amanda takes a dive for the camera.

We did two small loops on the inside of the motocross track, sprinkled with small obstacles, before the Tough part really kicked in. That's when we hit the tree line and began the climb. Rollercoaster Run was an obstacle that took up 4 miles of the course. These rolling mountain hills left us sucking wind and one climb required us to get on our hands and knees and grasp at small saplings to stay on the trail. 

Up in the mountains was Hold Your Wood, an obstacle where you or you and your team sling a huge log across your shoulders and jog it around a half-mile loop. 

We came out of the mountains for a mystery obstacle before heading right back up into the hills. 

Here we were SO thrilled that we not only brought Gatorade in our Camelbacks, but that we brough carbohydrate gel chews. At this point, we were at mile 10 and we started getting some muscle twitching. (We also didn't have an appropriate race day breakfast, which was another mistake.) Amanda had Sharkies and Victor had some Hammer Gel and we quickly recovered our energy. We were also really glad that our training not only included distance running, but interval training. Spiking your heart rate with a sprint and then actively recovering while jogging was probably the most important aspect of training.

Besides cardio, lower body workouts were crucial, especially for all the hill climbing required in the Georgia Mudder. Upper body was important, but specifically for the Monkey Bar portion. Grip strength, which can be defined by rock climbing, was just as important as upper body strength on this obstacle. We both made it all the way across!

Victor dominates Funky Monkey!

After Funky Monkey it was - that's right - back up into the mountains again. 

Group posing before heading back up into the mountains.

We did quite a few more up and down sections of the trail, before finally coming out for good. At this point, Amanda had dislocated her left knee (but didn't know it until the next day) and everyone was slowing down. 

Us taking a few minutes to rest up before the next obstacle

The balance beam came right before the run through fire. If we had come through earlier, we would have caught the fire in all its flaming glory. Unfortunately, we hit it near the end, as a smouldering mess. There weren't any flames, just heat and smoke to catch in your lungs. 

On the way to Walk The Plank, a 20 foot jump into a frigid lake, we passed a pile of shoes. People had been removing and throwing away their heavy, muddy shoes to make their upcoming swim easier. Luckily, we were wearing Vibram five fingers and didn't need to get rid of our shoes. We were so muddy, it was a welcome dip to clean off.

Look closely and you'll see us almost hitting the water.

After running more than a half marathon, we were hot and sweaty. Hitting the ice cold water was a total shock and shot our hear rates through the roof. Amanda had such a shock, she couldn't catch her breath, swallowed quite a bit of water and was assisted out of the lake by a lifeguard.

Dripping wet, just out of the lake and right when we thought we were about to cross the finish line, Electroshock Therapy stood in our way. We could see the finish line through the dangling live wires and just went for it. With power ranging from 10-10,000 volts, the big hits dropped a few of our group to the ground.

As we stepped away from the last wire, we crossed the finish line and were awarded the coveted Tough Mudder orange headband. 

We missed out on the after party because our start wave was so late. They had begun packing up and most of the free items were long gone. The firefighters were still there to hose us off, but we opted for the emergency blankets and headed to the car. On our walk back, three people behind us were comparing the results from their GPS watches. The trail that was originally 10 miles, then was 11 and 12 miles ended up being 14.2 miles when it was all said and done. 

1.1 miles more than a half marathon and one of the most fun trail runs we've ever done.

Definitely do a Tough Mudder, but remember: 

1. Do an early-ish wave. You'll miss the after party and the giveaways, plus the course won't be as well maintained later in the day. 

2. Interval training, strength training and distance training. We did a half-marathon plan for distance, threw in some sprinting with jogging for active recovery and then some weight training. 

3. Bring fuel! Water won't suffice for 14 miles. Carbohydrate gels and Gatoraid is a good bet. 

Did you love the Mudder? Are you planning on one? 

Tell us in the comments below!

Smoky Mountains National Park: Chimney Tops

Never again will our waterproof hiking boots be under appreciated! 

December 3-5, 2010

Drove up to Gatlinberg, TN on Friday, December 3rd. The trip took 2 hours more than anticipated due to icy conditions and the Christmas/Holiday parade in downtown Gatlinberg. If you're going in winter, check out what's going on in Gatlinberg before you plan your arrival so you have a more accurate guess on arrival times.

We took this trip with three friends - Carolyn from FL, April originally from FL now from Atlanta, and Ian, from Michigan.

Our weekend adventure group!

We stayed at "BETWEEN HERE AND THERE," a super cute 3 bedroom/2 bath cabin with hot tub and fireplace. Jackson Mountain Homes was a great place to rent from. Their selection of cabins is pretty wide-ranging and the people there are very nice and accommodating. 

Saturday morning was wet, cold and overcast but we decided to go on with the hike anyway. We took a look at the topo and were ready for our 4 mile round-trip adventure. 

The Visitors Center right inside the park was incredibly helpful. They had ponchos for purchase (which ended up being insanely useful) and suggested that we not try to summit Chimney Tops if the rocks at the top were wet.

Carolyn, Amanda and Victor checking out the topo

We got to the trailhead ready to go and it started sleeting. Despite the 33 degree weather and now the rain, we decided to press onward. 

The trail was beautiful. A wide trail, it was large enough for us to walk two across in most spots. With icicles dangling off of the trees and rocks and a light dusting of snow and ice over the trees, it really was a winter wonderland.  Keeping the riverbed to our right for most of the hike, we used the rocks on the left side of the trail for support as we slid over icy patches. If you're going to Chimney Tops after Thanksgiving, I recommend bringing hiking poles. Those would have helped immensely with ice-related balance issues. I think everyone in the group took one good fall on ice. 

Icy trails

When we got towards the top, the trail became even more slick. Dirt and leaves gave way to rock and stone. Luckily, a set of cables had been installed and made crossing this spot much easier. 

We stopped to admire the icicles and take a short breather, as hiking uphill with dropping temperatures and fighting against ice patches seemed much harder than regular uphill hiking. 

Amanda posing with a fallen icicle 

Once past the cables and a few more switchbacks, we had made it to (almost) the summit. Remembering the tip from the Visitors Center, we decided to stop hiking and eat lunch here before heading down. The views from Chimney Tops are said to be remarkable. Gusting winds and storm clouds rolling in not only blocked any view we may have had, the sleet and ice stopped us from scrambling the boulders and making it to the actual summit. But look at these rocks. Would you want to climb over these while they're wet and covered in ice and you're wearing a pack? Didn't think so. 

So we headed back down the trail after a short break for water and delicious turkey sandwiches. Our timing couldn't have been better. The wind started picking up and snow began to fall intermittently. 

We stopped for a quick shot on our way back.

When we were almost back to the car, dropping down into the rocks by the riverbed proved to be a great windbreaker. Victor pulled out his small propane stove and boiled some water for hot chocolate. It was an amazing treat after the cold, wet hike and everyone enjoyed their mug of warmth while taking in the beauty of the river. 

Victor making backcountry hot chocolate

The drive back to the rental cabin was only about 20 minutes and we took advantage of the washer-dryer to get all of our wet, dirty hiking clothes clean. Putting on warm, dry pajamas to enjoy the fire and a night of movies was a great end to an even better trip. 

Despite the weather, we all had an awesome time. The scenery was beautiful and the hike was just strenuous enough to leave us feeling like we did some kind of exercise. 

We want to go back sometime in the future when it's not raining so we can actually get to the top and see the beautiful views that we missed out on this time!

We are always looking for great trips. 

Please comment below if you have any awesome trip suggestions!