Kevin Bae: Bae, all right. So cold, crisp morning, we're at
Bearden creek falls. Bearden creek falls, Bearden Yeah,
Bearden creek falls, that's right. So we're gonna
figure out where the trail head starts, and then get hiking.
How's the water? Is it cold? Should be I gotta get across.
There's a lot going into the drink when it's 35 degrees out.
It's
not good. Hope we don't freeze to death. I took a dip in the
creek for nothing because I went in the wrong direction.
This is the way to go. So this is our first hike of 2025, we've
been here before. I picked it because I remember it's kind of
easy until we get to the end by the falls, because Godfrey is
getting a little bit stiff in his old age. So gonna try to
keep choosing some easy trails, even if they're familiar,
familiar trails that we've been down before,
even when the stick is very nice.
So it is a brisk late morning, probably like 34 degrees. I
think it is 35 degrees, little bit breezy, and I think this is
the first time I've gone out with Godfrey when it's this
cold. But not I mean, as a hike. We used to live in Chicago, so
we would walk regularly, walk in this weather with no problem,
even in the in the deep snow. So it's not like he's not
accustomed to walking in the cold,
but his first time here in in Georgia makes it very easy. He
almost did the splits on ice.
What's nice about this trail is that it is easy, but there's all
these cool
little streams and stuff you gotta cross. It's just really
nice. All right, this one seems a little bit difficult to pass
without getting my feet wet. They're already wet now, but
let's see how well I can do. I'm trying to find a way across. Cut
me some slack. Think I need to do more, more winter hikes. I
like them because I don't really like sweating an awful lot,
which you do in the summertime here. Well, really all year
round, except for winter, it's kind of nice. I made it through
the stream and I'm gonna kill myself just walking somebody
left their dog shit. That's just not nice. Okay, we've got
another stream crossing. I don't remember crossing at these
places. We've been here before. Just one time. Looks like I
gotta jump across over there, let's go.
So much of this, I just don't recall. We just we went, like a
year ago, so I thought some of it would be a little bit more
familiar, but it ain't. But they did paint some nice new blue
blazes on the trail. Another hard to get across crossing. I'm
going to go this way and see if there's another way to go
that'll get my feet wet. All right, I think I found my stream
crossing. Let's get to it. I'm. Another complicated stream
crossing for me, but not for Godfrey. Think I'll go up there.
Easy for you. I'm going across here. Let's go. Let's go.
I finally got sufficiently warm I could take off the jacket. I
don't know if the temperature went up, which I'm sure it did.
It's midday now, or if just the physical activity finally got my
body temperature up to where it needs to be,
tight, comfortably without a jacket coming up to another
stream crossing. This one looks to be one of the easiest. Thank
goodness. It's tough finding a safe place for me and him as he
gets old, we made it.
We're not gonna go all the way Godfrey for you'll never make
it. We'll stop here. This is good enough. So what do you
think of the one?
People now the exciting trip back down should be easier on
you. So
I'll take the easy ones now. This
is like the perfect day for this hike. Tomorrow won't be at this
point in time, there's supposed to be a few inches of snow
coming through North Georgia, which, if it does fall, it'll be
the most snow that I've experienced here since I've been
here, which is coming on five years, and it won't last long
anyway. It usually snows, and then a couple days later,
whatever has fallen is gone. Most of the times, the next day
it's gone. But if we get three inches with snow, then I suspect
it'll be it'll be gone by Monday. Today is Friday. Friday,
Thursday. Today is Thursday. So tomorrow supposed to snow, and
then it might stick around Saturday, because supposed to
stay cold, but then going to get up into the 40s on
Monday and Tuesday, so it'll be gone by then, I think. Plus, you
know, it's only been in the 20s, so the
ground isn't really that all that cold right now here, but
it's interesting to live in a different place where they don't
get the snow for harsh winters, because everybody's getting All
excited over a few inches of snow. And you you know, when
you're from the Midwest, it's like, it's old hat, it's not,
it's like a taste of winter, not not quite, not quite winter,
just a taste like, right now Chicago is in the middle of,
like a 10 day, 14 day Deep Freeze where it's not going to
come above freezing at night or during the day. That's what I'm
used to at least once or twice during the winter. Not like
this.
Still a good time, though, nice all year round. This is, this
is, like, beautiful.
I'm very glad I didn't make him scramble all the way up to the
falls, because he's still moving pretty good. I know he's going
to be really sore tomorrow, but
still moving pretty good, considering on the activity he's
had, just got to watch him, probably help him up and down
the stairs tomorrow or tonight. Even
crossing. We came across before, and I went over those logs, but
I couldn't see this. This is so much easier. So we're getting
close to the bottom again, back to the trailhead, and it's
weird, we cross one stream and it's like five degrees colder
here than the other side. I thought it would get warmer the
lower I get. That's cool off a bit, still nice, though. And
just like that, we're coming to the end of the first hike, 2025,
short and sweet, but it's a this is a nice, entertaining hike
because of all the water crossing And the falls again, we
can get up there. You