Hiking Rabun Bald

A few weeks ago, we ventured up to Clayton, GA to hike the second highest point in Georgia, Rabun Bald.

The trail was rated moderate. It gave us a pretty decent workout as the first 1.5 mile is all uphill. The trail is 3 miles long total. 1.5 miles in and 1.5 miles out. When we started the trail, we accidentally took a wrong turn when the trail split to the left and to the right. We decided to go left since the trees were marked with yellow lines. It wasn't until we were half a mile in and going downhill that we realized we were definitely going the wrong direction. Lol, we knew this trail was an incline, not a decline. We had to turn around and backtrack. Just a few more extra steps! 

Kansas enjoyed his hike. I let him off his leash and he ran up the hill in front of me. When he rounded a corner, he would stop and wait until you rounded the corner too and then sprint off to the next corner. It was cute! He didn't want to leave me behind. I was amazed at how intuitive he was. He always knew where to turn and which direction to go. He led our pack on the way up the trail and back down the trail. 

One thing that was really neat about this trail was how the trees twisted and curved together to create a shaded path. For an April hike, the weather was nice. The temperatures were in the low 60's. I was glad I packed my long sleeve dri-fit shirt to protect against the chilly breeze. 

Kansas turned FIVE this month so this was a birthday hike to celebrate another year of dog life! I can't believe it's been five years. I vividly remember the day I got him. I was so excited to have my first apartment and finally be able to have a dog! I found him on Craigslist at a rescue shelter. He was the runt of his litter. I'm always a sucker for the runts.

This little runt gave me a run for my money! He was the biggest baby. He had major separation anxiety anytime I left home. He would whine all night long. I would wake up to a stinky and messy cage every morning. I thought to myself, "Ugh! What have I gotten myself into? This is so much work!"

At the time, I lived on the second floor of an apartment, with a flight of stairs right outside of my front door. I would block off the stairs with a baby gate and open the front door so we could get some fresh air inside. Kansas would leap over the baby gate and sprint down the stairs and tease me like, "Catch me if you can!" It's amazing he didn't get hit by a car! He would sprint right through the middle of a busy intersection. My heart sank every time like, "Oh my gosh, today's the day!" I would get so frustrated with him. One afternoon, I was walking out of the front door to leave for work and here comes Kansas, squeezing between me and the front door and sprints down the stairs, AGAIN! I had to call out of work that day because I couldn't catch him. He later ended up in the park and wore himself out, so and I was finally able to leash him and drag his butt back home. I have so much appreciation for the older and more relaxed version of him these days. I do not miss chasing his little butt all over town. Patience. That's what this dog has taught me in his five years of life. Happy 5th Birthday, Kansas!

We finally made it to the top! We had a clear and cloudless view from the top of Rabun Bald. The observation deck had a 360-degree view of the North Georgia mountains. What more can you ask for? Gorgeous! Our final elevation was 4658 feet. I think I set a new personal Fitbit record of 21,000+ steps that day. If you live in Georgia, this should be at the top of your trail hiking list! Highly recommend.