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Len Foote Hike Inn |
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For something entirely different, try the Len Foote Hike Inn at Amicalola Falls State Park. This is the only backcountry inn in Georgia. The inn is one of the newest and most unique of Georgia's state park facilities. If you enjoy wilderness hiking but prefer a soft bed, hot showers, and great food instead of camping, the Hike Inn is for you. You have to hike to the inn (Being sure to take everything you will need - except for food as they prepare the meals.) over five miles of easy-to-moderate trails. What follows is a narrative of a visit my daughter, Diane Volzer, and I made to the inn during the summer of 2002.
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The morning was overcast with a definite threat of rain. There
had been thunderstorms overnight and the ground was wet underfoot. The North
Georgia mountains were shrouded with a light fog making visibility about 25
yards. But still, even with the ominous threat of getting quite wet before
reaching our destination, we began our five mile walk up the mountain to the Len
Foote Hike Inn in Amicalola Falls State Park.
My daughter Diane and I had been looking forward to this day for several months as we had to make reservations a long way in advance. We were hoping for nice weather, but it appeared that was not to be the case. The Hike Inn is a "backcountry inn" located in the scenic beauty of the mountains of North Georgia. The "rules" we received when we made our reservations seemed simple enough – the inn was a smoke-free environment (no problem); it is a "Pack it in, Pack it out" facility so you have to take what you believe you might need with you; and several items were not allowed at the inn including beepers, cell phones, radios, and electronic games. All of this was to add to the advertised, "Leave your worries behind! Relax & enjoy your wilderness retreat!" |
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We registered at the Visitors Center at the park, took one
last "pit stop" at the restrooms located there, and drove to the top
of the falls where there was a parking place. We strapped on our backpacks and
headed up the trail.
I had read that it was something like 36,000 steps to the inn. I had also read that the trail was "moderate" and that it should not be a problem for anyone who is in reasonable good shape. As we both were, even although I am a diabetic, this did not seem to pose a problem. And, it didn’t – that is except for those few places where the trail did get a little steep for periods of a couple hundred yards or so. The trail was pretty easy to navigate with most of the trail covered with pine needles and leaves. There were areas with some loose stone and much of the trail was covered with exposed roots. But, with careful navigation, the trail was fine and as advertised. |
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We were lucky as we did not get any rain. However, as the fog was very thick, we could not see much further than a few feet off of the trail. As we got to higher elevations it began to clear a bit and we did find a few areas where there were some nice vistas. About an hour into the walk we came upon a doe and her fawn just a few feet in front of us on the trail. With the fog we were able to practically walk right upon them before any of us noticed. The trail continues through the trees and along side and over small streams and along the side of the mountains for about five miles. After a little over three hours we were above the fog and walked the last thirty minutes in rather clear air. Getting a little tired, we were quite happy when the inn became visible at the end of the trail. Upon arrival we checked in and met Eric Grant, who is the General Manager of the Inn, who assigned us to our room. |
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The room was very small with no
window, bunk beds along one wall, a shelf and several pegs along another, and a
small "cubby hole" with another shelf and a hang rail. The only piece
of furniture was a small wooden stool. However, as we would only be using the
room to sleep, it suited our needs just fine. The room had a small wall heater
for cooler weather and was cooled with a small fan and the open door (there was
a screen door also), in warmer weather. After hanging our backpacks on one of the pegs and changing our shoes and socks, we went to the bath house to clean up a bit and change clothes. The bath house was very nice with not showers and sinks. Shampoo and soap, hair dryers, electrical outlets (there were not any outlets in our room), and mirrors were also provided and the bath house was spotlessly clean. The bath house also contained the "odor-free, eco-friendly composting toilets" we had read about. We then headed to the dining hall where there was iced tea, lemonade, coffee, and fruit. I opted for some ice water and a cup of black coffee. |
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With my coffee and my always handy book in hand,
I headed to the porch that
surrounded the "Sunrise Room," a sort of community room and gathering
place, to relax in one of the rocking chairs, read a chapter or two in my book,
and look out over the valley that spread all the way to Dahlonega. One of the
things that impressed me most was the quiet.
Just before dinner, Eric took all of the guests on a tour of the property and explained all the rules to us |
| It was not long before we heard the dinner bell and it was
back to the dining hall for dinner. Meals are served family-style and, having
done a little more exercise than I normally do, the salad with home-grown
greens, roast beef, fresh vegetables, and fresh-baked bread was wonderful. This
was followed by dessert and another cup of coffee. For those who were still a bit on the hungry side, there was plenty of left-overs for a second plate. And then, after all had finished and the dishes done, bowls of fruit were placed on the table for something to snack on later than evening. Also put out were some cookies that were left from the meal. |
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After dinner we were treated to an educational experience that
was a first for me – Vermiculture. I had never even heard the word before. All
of the waste at the inn is used in the vermiculture program. Heather McKee
explained, "The program here at the Hike Inn began with ten pounds of red
wiggler worms (which ate about 5 pounds of kitchen waste each day) and now
consists of somewhere between 70 and 80 pounds of worms that consume all of the
organic waste at the inn. The kitchen waste (which is placed in blenders and spread out over the worm beds), and even all of the office and paper waste that is shredded and placed into the beds." She went on to state that, "From November to January of this past year almost 600 pounds of waste was taken care of in this manner and then used as fertilizer in the vegetable garden." |
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After our "class" we gathered back in the Sunrise
Room to get better acquainted with the other guests, play some games, and relax.
Before long it was time to turn in for the night. When we checked in we received our "sleep sack" of sheets, a pillow case, towel and washcloth. We made our beds and fell almost immediately to sleep. |
| In the morning I found the Sunrise Room to be aptly named. I
was greeted with a colorful sky while I enjoyed a fresh-brewed cup of coffee.
After a couple of cups of coffee, and a few chapters in my book, it was
about time for breakfast. By the time the breakfast bell rang everyone was up and about and eager to enjoy the county breakfast that was offered. And, after a good breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage and bacon, biscuits and toast and grits, we set off for a walk along some of the trails leading from the inn to other areas of the mountains in an attempt to walk off the huge breakfast. We had asked for a trail lunch the previous evening and found it waiting for us in the morning. We walked several of the trails, including a section of the Appellation Trail that passes close by the inn, and then found a nice spot to enjoy our lunch on the trail. Arriving back at the inn in the early afternoon we enjoyed again the rocking chairs and found ourselves taking a little nap on the porch |
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Afterwards we walked to the rear of the inn
to sit for a while in the wooden chairs that gave us a view of the valley
below. It was quite clear and we could actually see the sunlight gleaming off of the golden roof of one of the buildings at the college in
Dahlonega. The evening dinner was again nice, thanks to Ryan who was cooking the evening meal, and the sharing of stories about the days activities by all of the guests was most enjoyable as we played cards in the Sunrise Room. We were all up a bit late as we enjoyed the fun and fellowship, and the fresh-baked cookies and coffee. Finally, the activities of the day seemed to set in and it was off to the showers before going back to our bunks for a good nights rest. |
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The following morning, after another good
breakfast, cooked by Kris, the breakfast cook, we cleaned our room up, turned in
our dirty laundry, said our goodbyes, strapped our backpacks on again (with what
little "garbage" we had accumulated that we had to "pack
out" in a small plastic bag), and headed back down the trail. The weather was perfect and at places we could see for miles across the North Georgia mountains. The trip down was much easier than the one up and in a little over two hours we were back in the car heading home and already planning our next trip to the Hike Inn.
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