Day Date in Cheaha on the 4th of July

Elizabeth and I had 5-6 hours to steal away for a 140 mile road trip that would include a couple hikes and some cherished time together. Life has been busy lately and our rides have suffered because of it - it was nice to hit the road again. About midway through the trip we also realized that it was five years ago to the day that we moved to Georgia. So much has happened since then.


The day was perfect with temperatures in the 80’s and humidity low - for Georgia/Alabama. The only problem was that my left contact was bothering me and about 40 miles into the trip if left my eye and became a piece of refuge to be cooked on the hot Alabama asphalt. I was able to see with one contact but it did mess with my perception as we navigated the twisting roads and gained altitude in Northern Alabama.


Our first hike was a short, flat walk to a rocky overlook. With such a prize at the end it seemed as if you were cheating by having such an easy walk in.


The second was more difficult but one we have done many, many times. We hiked down the mountain to a lake and then back up. The trip down was difficult as it really bothered my knees. I thought of bringing my hiking poles, but I didn’t think that I’d need them because it was only a mile down and a mile back up. The beginning of the trail is very steep and rocky and my knees didn’t care how long we would traverse the trail, they let me know right away that they didn’t like it.



We took a couple breaks to enjoy some fruits, vegetables and water. The walk back was hot but we found a ledge with a nice breeze to hang out on to cool off.

This is the lake we hiked to.

This is looking up from where we started.

The time was special as it allowed us to talk about our past, present and future. There is so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.