Stone Mountain

Three-hundred million years ago the "pre" continents of Africa and North America collided,and yesterday I ventured 10 miles outside  of 285 to see one of the results.......Stone Mountain.  If you are from Atlanta you definitely know about, and have probably been to Stone Mountain. There are a lot of things to do for families, especially kids as noted here: http://www.stonemountainpark.com/ . But if you don't have a gaggle of kids there are still things to do. Get your fitness on and just go climb the great granite monolith!!!!

Lets get started!!!

Parking is 10$, but it is more economical to get a yearly pass for 32$ if you plan on coming more often.  If you want to work it out, you can walk up the mountain or run/bike the 5 mile path at the base. I have trotted around the base quite a few times this year, but this was only my second time on the walk up trail.

If you go in the summer you gotta get you a** out of bed before the sun begins baking the granite.  I got here around 8, and the temperature was in the low 70's.....perfecto!!!!  But of course the high temp reached 100 later on.



Which step should I take???? Decisions, Decisions

As I made my way upwards, I saw a few dudes running up with their shirts off.....of course that's always a plus. They were running soooo fast, I had no time for pics :(

What's on the bottom of that pole?

Ughhh, gum and bees....wonder who started this "tradition?"



Getting a little scared!!!

For those of you with a mild case of acrophobia (like me), this is the first place where you'll feel your heart rate rise and a little tingling sensation in the legs.  But just suck it up, grab the railings and go. FYI....that is not the top.

You can finally see the top off in the distance. Once you have conquered the "railing" you can take the yellow steeper way to the top or the white easier way.  Yesterday I took the yellow way up (without looking back of course) and the white way down.  Below is a panoramic view from the top.

At the top throwing a little shade to the "shades."

It took me 36 minutes to reach the top (over 1600 ft)...including a couple stops to sip on water and snap pics.  There were a lot of people of all ages making the climb.  So if you want to come alone, there should not be any problems.  I went alone and I was not abducted!!!  Its funny, the most black people I've seen on my ventures thus far just happens to be the birthplace of the New KKK back in 1915.  Oh, the irony.