Kevin Bae: I am at Fort Yargo State Park is March 14 people
calling it Pi day wanting to get on with the nerds. I was here a
couple of years ago, two, maybe three years ago. With my dog by
the way, this is the first time I'm going on a hike without my
dog Godfrey. So I don't know how this is gonna go. He usually
keeps me entertained, if not annoyed, but you know, what am I
gonna do? But anyway, they built this bridge across across the
water near the visitor center, which I didn't know existed. So
I'm kind of I should have walked across that bridge, and instead,
I'm walking down the road. But I don't know, maybe I'll check out
the bridge when I'm done. So the reason I'm without Godfrey is
that I was dropping my wife off somewhere in Winder, Georgia.
And it's about 40 minutes from our house. So I just told her I
was like, Well, if you want to hang out at the place that she's
going, you know, I can always go on a hike. This is just 10
minutes, not even 10 minutes away from where I dropped her
off. And this loop that I did a few years ago, about six miles
long. So it should only take me a couple of hours at best. I
don't know I don't know I've since I've never been hiking
without Godfrey. I don't know if I will hike faster or slower
it is a perfect day. For a hike though right now. It's gonna end
up being a little bit warm. For me. I like it when it's colder,
but it's about 60 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky. And as I
remember from a few years ago, this trail is rated moderate,
but it's easy. It's a walk in the state park. So without
Godfrey, you will hear no barking. No shaking. No random
weird stuff from him. It's brand new bridge, that's for sure.
Looks beautiful.
I just walked a little ways out on it. I don't have to come back
to it. I've seen it. It's nice bridge. Looks cool. It's the
time for me to mention that this is a value for value. Podcast. I
need a modern podcast app. To take part because things like
that I'll show I'll have pictures that will show up in
the podcast in Chapter images if you're using a modern podcast
app. So you can go to the casual hike.com And I'll have some
links to modern podcast apps, or go to modern podcast apps.com.
Check those out. So you can clearly hear I think it's loud
enough. This is one one week before the first day of spring.
So last week of winter. And you can hear the birds a lot more
life. Even more spider webs even here. So I guess I can expect
that over the next couple of months when when I get back out
with Godfrey. We head back up into to the north Georgia
mountains. So this loop goes around this little lake. It's in
the middle of the State Park. People camp here overnight.
There are a yurts can also be Rent campsites pitch a tent so
it's sort of like camping light pouch I should probably watch
where I'm going right now look down at the map
so it's more like camping light because you're near civilization
you know you've 510 minutes outside of a town but it's state
parks pretty big. It's fairly rustic. So it's it's kind of
nice especially if you've never been backpacking hiking is a
good place to get your feet wet with it don't know if I'm on the
blue trail or the Gold Trail So anyway, the reason I didn't
bring Godfrey I forgot to mention I mean he's not here
obviously. Is that I like to go hiking with him earlier in the
morning because he doesn't like other dogs. And if I'm hiking
later in the day, there are more people out on the trail in
general and you know they're allowed to have their dogs
because I'm allowed to have mine there's just less commotion when
I go super early in the morning now if they were all allowed off
leash he would have no problem because you know he would just
kind of go go his own way he might bark at him or something
but he just pretty much just ignores them and leaves them
alone because he doesn't he just wants to keep going on the
trail. But you know in places like this where
you supposed to keep them on leash? He hates being on leash
doing that they just don't know what it is drives them nuts
so I left them at home because I'm out here later in the day.
It's like I think it was 1030 when I started probably maybe
Heart Attack Hill this is called the me I don't remember anything
I think these are all new signs don't remember this let's see
can I get this at an angle where you can read it
how's it going
there's another reason for not bringing Godfrey at this hour
said this trail also use for mountain biking and while he
wouldn't have a problem with mountain biking
I do let them off leash from time to time even in places
where I'm not supposed to so just make sure we don't have an
accident well I suppose if I brought him here at this hour I
would not let them off leash just because I know there's so
many more people well if that was the heart attack version of
heart attack Hill you got to be severely out of shape for that I
said to say I don't think it'd be faster without Godfrey
because I tend to walk at the same pace anyway and he doesn't
like to stop so we pretty much just keep going we'll stop at
some streams and stuff because he likes to run through those
and pick up giant logs but it may afford me an opportunity to
stop at some place that might look interesting or or even take
a break when I'm with Godfrey I never really take a break at all
because he has not relaxed. He can only relax at home. I tried
before to take them on hikes and then just kind Ah linger about
for half an hour and on location where we can stop and take a
rest but he never really lays down he only did it at one place
where we went on was the bull bull moose Babylon bull mountain
loop where it's like I think was 11 or 12 miles and I took a
break somewhere in between and he did settle down for like, I
don't know three four minutes at best and he just went right back
to crying and barking at the world wanted to get moving so we
kept moving so that's why I don't I don't think I'll be any
faster or slower with or without I've just
never taken well i i did take a hike without him a long time ago
is one of the first ones I did when I decided to pick up some
hiking back when I lived in Chicago I took a trip out to
Salt Lake City and you know they've they've got the
mountains there the Wasatch Mountains so I went up into
Cottonwood Canyon pick the trail and just went up there which I
don't know if Godfrey really he can't do it today. He's too old
now. He probably could have done it back then. But I wasn't
bringing him with me on those trips back then. We went I went
to the top of Granger peak so since the last time I was here,
they've done quite a bit of work on this trail I don't remember
these benches All right now I find out which is the trail I'm
actually following I am following the Gold Trail the
blue trail goes in a different direction starting to get warm
that's another reason why I go early. I just forgot for you but
I like the cooler temperatures of the morning to anything me
midday especially late afternoon in Georgia that's when we hit
the daily highs so 5pm Something like that we hit the highs where
that's that's been an adjustment for me moving from Chicago
because the heat of the day in Chicago is around one 2pm and
then starts to cool off we're here it's like the coldest part
of the day seems like it's around 8am or so. And then the
hardest part is almost 12 hours after that you know around five
6pm So the earlier the better for me I like a cooler and it
feels to me like the temperature probably already went up to 65
where I'm at yeah some developments happening just
beyond the boundary of the state park I can't tell what it is a
lot of construction equipment crews they also put in a frisbee
golf thing here oh maybe this is part of the state park that
they're doing construction I wonder what it is detour I guess
this part is newly blazed. How about I try a little selfie
video while walking see if I don't trip over a route kill
myself so I'm not sure what there is to take pictures of
really just the woods. There remember it was it was a little
bland. This trail that's why I'm back. Because once I discovered
the trails going up into the mountains. I've been
concentrating mostly up there because That's something on
that's still very new to me and I'm enjoying walking up in the
middle of nowhere where there's no cell service no nothing I'm
sure you can hear the construction trucks intermingled
with the birds but yeah that construction is part of the park
so whatever they're doing they're developing more of this
park but we've only been in Georgia for a little over three
years now and the amount of development in our area and
places like here Japan crazy sit around and talk with my wife and
you know we talk about that if we didn't move when we moved we
probably wouldn't have been able to because it just the cost
would have been too high so I'm glad we did we moved when we did
we got in at the right time and you know I I'm doing my best to
just fit in for Perkins some people on the trail
Hello
Yes, I'm doing my best to just blend in not change things
this is a cool little point
if I had Godfrey with me he would be taking a swim no doubt
about it. There's like a beach here. tiny tiny little beach
go out to the edge take a picture looking back
Yeah, he definitely would jump in the water there
you know Godfrey just turned nine couple months ago so I'm
not sure exactly how much longer he's gonna be able to do the
hikes that we take I just have to make them shorter I guess
because while he's he handled it fine out on the trail but he's
pretty sore afterwards in the next day, you know just like
anybody who gets older you're just not in the same shape you
were when you were younger even though he's he's in pretty good
shape for a nine year old dog he certainly has plenty of energy
All right, we're heading across a paved road to continue the
trail
that's another reason why I like to go in the north Georgia
mountains you just kind of disappear into the mountains
guess all these things changed
coming up to some campsites on my left. People have their
campers parked.
The alltrails map says I should be going a different direction
but I don't see it. I think it's because of the construction.
Big children's playground now for the campers
so we're the normal trail route to where the lake is this new
path for whatever reason takes you around that campsite instead
of walking through it.
Maybe they closed that part of the trail off
that's still open I think probably could have gone that
way maybe they just want to keep hikers away from the campers
don't know but if you've been hiking for any period of time in
the woods you kind of never want to leave the woods you want to
stay you don't want to hit the paved trails
coming up to other parts that I definitely remember there's a
bridge probably the next five minutes or so will cross that I
remember when it came with Godfrey before we came super
early in the morning it's probably 7am And there were like
a high school team of runners remember that there's like I
don't know maybe 2030 Guys that's how you know this is also
not a particularly difficult trail that people use it for
running as well. Oh, there's a turtle see you I can snap a
picture of a sunbathing turtle Nope, he's gone already. I
didn't get close to him yet. And he abandoned ship
there's a guy out there with his two dogs or a woman it's a woman
don't want to miss gender people these days. Although I perhaps I
would have to ask her what she is. Or he is I don't know what
to do anymore. I'm too old for this crap I'll edit that out so
I don't offend people
Good morning Good morning Hello Nice glasses Thank you
get some people fishing and some kayaks which is cool
you know you could do fishing off a kayak it shows you what I
know All right, which way do we go
we break left
this may end up being a short episode. I don't know I usually
don't have much to say that I've got for him. Although I've been
talking quite a bit. Contradiction I
guess I'm just speaking whatever's in my head. I feel
like I talk more with Godfrey around because I gotta yell at
him. Tell him not to eat stupid things. Oh, the grass ball he
coughed up the last time man oh man just taking a picture of the
high tension lines. electric lines that kind of cut through
here gosh, we could have played fetch there. I'm going to be
talking about my my dog that I'm not with the entire time because
I'm so used to having them with me. One thing I like to about
hiking up in the mountains versus most of the state parks
or at least the ones that I've been to other than other than
Don Carter State Park. Is that these The trails are just more
friendly to casual hikers. And there's a lot of open space not
too much sun.
Morning
everyone wetlands there's just more shade or trees it's more
densely covered so walking through this area that looks
like a tunnel because the way the tree brush has grown over
the trail on both sides create a tunnel effect I know for sure I
took a picture of this when I was out here a few years ago I
think I repeat everything partly why I don't like to hike in the
same place all the time
I'm a bit like a robot where I see the same things that like
the same thing so I'll take a picture of the same things
okay, we're sticking to the inner loop which means we go
left
you know, the funny thing is, as I was just thinking about what I
was saying earlier about they're more casual hikers because I
like to be alone. The primary reason I like to go hiking is I
just like to be just out and away from everything and
everybody and my podcast is called the casual hike. The
website is called the casual hike. Well I don't mean to
denigrate other people going on hikes The reason it's called
casual is because I don't do anything special to go hiking. I
use my normal shoes you know I've just got jeans and a T
shirt on I don't have any special equipment other than the
backpack with a water bladder inside it's carry water that's
all I have you know I have more stuff for Godfrey than anything
else because I need to have emergency stuff for him. If
something happens you know I have a small first aid kit for
myself you know and for him but in general it's for you know,
for him if he gets hurt, I have to be able to carry him out you
know plus I carry his water with me if there's no water anywhere
that he will drink on the trail and his water bowl so I made it
sound like I'm some serious, hardcore hiker when I don't want
casual. I didn't want to be around casual hikers but I just
don't want to be around people in general. This is why I go out
here I'd rather hear the sounds of the birds although we're so
close to civilization that you hear all the airplanes like to
hear the sound of my feet sometimes the wind through the
trees my feet on the trail and I do hear that when I'm not
yammering I just cut all the sections out of for most of it
out of when it's just me walking with silence If that's something
people would like to hear just the entire walk it would be like
six miles is gonna be a couple of hours where most of it will
be silent you know or if I take a 12 mile hike for sure most of
that's going to be silent. But you can hit me up at mail me IO
at the casual height.com
And while you're there at the site if you like what you hear
if you'd like anything to do with this podcast or the YouTube
videos or whatever I've got a donate button on that page would
help to finance the hikes not just and it doesn't cost much to
get out here but the website space the server space for my
mp3 files it does take time to edit whatever you think is worth
you. Would be great a buck or two fine anything anything you
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nature. Here's our first actual incline
seems like they shortened a trail again
instead of going up and around kind of cutting across
really nice breeze coming off the lake
now I'm almost directly across that construction area. And it
really does look like they're putting in a new beach tax
dollars at work. I don't mind it for stuff like this. That
everybody can get out and enjoy their time out in nature. Plus
it probably makes the other beach less crowded. Be better
for everybody. One lone guy fishing. I don't know if we'll
be able to pick that up on a phone cell phone camera. When my
kids were little we used to go fishing all the time. My father
had a lake house in Apple River, Illinois. And when my kids were
I think when my son was like three four years old and up,
which means my daughter was five and up. We'd hit out there every
weekend. And I take my daughter fishing. My son was never really
into it. My daughter like to fish and she could catch the
biggest large mouth bass. She was always the first one to
catch fish. I would set up her line and she would put it in the
water and by the time you know before I was even finished
setting my own line up. She was already bringing in a fish she's
very good at it she had a good feel for it was a lot of fun. I
miss fishing
coming up to the dam, the dam that made this Lake Dam this dam
probably next five minutes
then after that I know there's some camping areas. Here
remember going through here with Godfrey before and it was an
area where we could take a break with him and he could play some
fence because it was an open area with grass on
the side of the lake is nice. Not a whole lot of people here.
Nobody wants to walk all the way over here I guess
this little platform are out in front of the dam that makes a
sucking sound I don't know what that is sounds like a vacuum
see it's kind of looks cool and I bet you I took this picture
before but so what
now it's a long stretch in the sun to walk the top of this damn
nice breeze up here though
so what they did was no I know what that is that pumps the
water out or keeps the flow going out of discharge. It's at
the bottom of the dam on the other side I didn't see it the
first time I was at the state park it looks like an industrial
waste outlet what they should have done instead is create some
space through here with a bridge over the top and have a nice
waterfall or something that goes through there it's even get a
picture of the industrial waste site
it just looks bad
they seem to be doing some controlled burns or something
here some underbrush. Which is a good thing. There were some
wildfires last year up in north Georgia I don't think around
here but over the nice part looks like they've already also
burning some of the grass here everything and I've turned that
into woodland
another hiker guy out here. He's more serious than I am. He's
geared up
definitely burning the underbrush and also keep any
fires away from campers I suppose from rushing into
campers. If you clear all that stuff away they have some of the
cabins here to up on the hill here or you can rent out
just taking a picture of some of the controlled burns
still smoldering in some spots
don't know if they'll come out in a picture
must have just started some of this morning because still
smoldering over there and you can smell it here walking
through the woods. Freshly black ash
those are the sounds of spring coming up to some of the yurts
count like five of them. Six, six, I think you can rent out I
think the dogs are allowed inside the yurts. And then
there's open campsites here where you can pitch a tent,
bring a camper
and enjoy the lake
means we're going to get off the trail again and hit some more
paved areas. Through the campground area. That's what I
remember at least And until we get back off of it and back on
the trail
this trail I think they move this trail to I remember being
on a different part coming through this campground there's
an area up here where it's a guide for you to get a drink but
I don't think we walked this way to get there. Butterfly first
butterfly I've seen I must have taken me through that same area,
there's no other way I could get around this little code. So my
aging memory is just faulty just nothing new. Now I'm coming up
to the place that I remember well this is what I was thinking
of when I was thinking of the area with the yurts. This gravel
road that kind of cuts through a campground
this guy's got like the Taj Mahal of campers called the
solitude
I think that's as big as the house I grew up in school
squirrels here see far too many people they don't run away until
you're right upon him. At one just stood there sat there
eating a nut fill that was less than six feet away and then he
took off I think this is the only other incline here and it's
pretty pretty mild. The trail here across the entire park, all
of it very well worn. Very well marked and not very strenuous.
So even on some of these inclines where you might hear me
huffing above I think it's because I'm going uphill but
compared to some of the other hikes I've done if you go back
through some of the other episodes some of those were
pretty steep and pretty rough that's what makes them enjoyable
really. It's like the challenge of getting up some of those
inclines. This one here you've got the incline the steep the
grade isn't that steep but the trail is like really nice and
flat and even very few routes and things clogging the trail
so I would say this is the biggest elevation of the entire
the entire trail near the end and they put a nice bench up at
the top now. So if you're tired from climbing that hill you got
a place to take a break Oh consider it
there's a sign
memory of Dr. Pet Stevens. A friend of this friend of this
park who worked it wrote it and hiked it nice
Rhododendron tree sprouting
we came down into a valley and we're gonna head back up I don't
remember this at all. makes it worth worth the trip. To know
that you're just not doing a straight walk
What the heck is going on in my shoe? I can feel something my
sock bunching up or what it is. That's making my right ankle. A
little uncomfortable. I don't know why.
Here's where I have a tired boy just start feeling it now who
knows, yet less than we are a little bit over half a mile to
go so I'm not gonna sweat it well, I'm sweating. I'm not
gonna sweat my foot at this point the next time I swear I
swear I'm taking Godfrey he knows when I bring out this
backpack where I'm going so he was getting all pumped up that
he was gonna go out on a hike and I had to leave them behind
even knew it when I left my backpack up in my office and
then took out the water bladder and went downstairs fill it and
I just filled it up and left it on kitchen counter. He smelled
the water bladder and knew right away so I gotta take them on as
many as I can. While he can still can't so that'll mean
shorter and slightly more boring hikes for me but good for him
get out in the woods are the sights sounds and smells
I drink so much more hiking later in the day
is almost like an early summer hike. With the temperatures the
way they are
I would say this park offers at least on this this loop kind of
the ultimate and a casual hike. You don't have to be of any
special fitness level and you can walk it coming up on another
hiker
reason I say it can be like the ultimate casual hike like I'm
on, I'm on a six mile loop you don't have to do the six mile
loop. I would start like if you just want to do with some small
portion you can easily do it out and back. Start off at the
Visitor Center and you start on this loop counterclockwise
that's the easier portion just go as far as you feel and then
go back. If you go clockwise it's the most it's the more
difficult side and again just go out as far as you're comfortable
and go back you know you can easily turn it into a two mile
one mile out and back instead of doing all six that's big dog
Hello
was one of the biggest German Shepherds I've ever seen I
suppose it was fitting as a tall woman, tall woman Big Dog I'm
glad I didn't have Godfrey with me for that because Godfrey
would have barked and she would not have been able to control
that dog like Godfrey will, you know will bark at the other dog
and get all agitated. But he's you know not very difficult to
control. He's not going to get away from me or be able to
overpower me but she just had that dog on a standard collar
Don't think I don't think that dog wanted to charge anybody she
could stop it
comes a trail runner. First one I've seen today. Thank you
So apparently this is the stretch for the trail runners
however they might go in the other direction
fallen trees here I believe I'm getting close to the end you
can't really tell though. That's what's also cool about some of
the state parks here in Georgia. They're not like the ones in
Illinois except for the ones that are further downstate,
Illinois, in all of Northern Illinois, they're almost like
Forest Preserves. Like up in the Chicago area we have forest
preserves. You know it's really just a manicured lawn with some
woods and picnic sites. Here I think I'm just a few minutes
from where the visitor center is and you would never know
just out in the woods
Okay, crop myself out of this turn take a picture of a bridge
but my shadows in it and I don't want it but you feel like crap
myself out later
got a tiny little babbling brook. Now we're about to leave
the wooded trail back to a paved trail. Which tells me we're very
close to the end. Got this little pavilion that juts out
into a cove. But yeah, right near right behind the visitor
center area. Now are these glamping sites I can't tell. You
want to be glamping sites. I see the bridge that I initially saw
that he didn't walk over might be Kevin's Yep, there's the
visitor center off to my right with the bridge. So we're just
about done. Some of the steps on this little ramp need to be
replaced. You can hear it they're dead rotten. And so with
that, we approach the visitor center and the end of the hike
may remind you to go to the casual hike.com The casual
hike.com hit up the Donate link if you want. Send me a note at
mail ma il at the casual hike.com got any suggestions?
Some other way you want me to do this podcast? I'm open to
anything. Until the next time I'm out there with Godfrey go
take a hike away