Reflections of a Sope Creek Novice
by Fay Swennes
I thought it was going to be just an enjoyable, relatively easy, “in-town” hike with several club members to jump start my Saturday’s list of chores. I was so excited to be experiencing a day of nice weather just perfect for hiking that I arrived somewhat early at the rendezvous site. Not wasting a minute of the glorious day, I sprang open the sun-roof and lowered the windows of my pitifully pollen-drenched car just to capture the energy of the outdoors. Shortly, I noticed our hike leader, Jim Norvill, arrive and begin to rummage through his Jeep, organizing things and checking his list of potential hikers. Within minutes, I recognized, Ellen Miller, another club member and I made my move to join them. Truthfully, I almost backed into Ellen as she drove into the parking lot, but she graciously overlooked my lack of driving skill and greeted me with a smile. The three of us waited a few minutes longer for stragglers to arrive or phone a cancellation, but when we heard from no one, we decided to begin.
We piled into Jim’s Jeep for the short drive to another entrance of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, passing through an incredibly beautiful residential area of Atlanta Country Club Estates. Arriving at our hiking destination, we took a few minutes to get our bearings and then proceeded to find the blue blaze markings to one of the many trail beginnings.
Following the well marked path, we quickly located the ruins of the old paper mill which General Sherman had specifically targeted with his “march to the sea” during the Civil War (or as we natives prefer, “The War of Northern Aggression”) Beautifully situated alongside the river cascading over mounds of flat rocks made smooth with time, the remains of the old buildings stand proudly as remnants of their past strength. Working our way along the water’s edge we observed more remains of the paper manufacturing complex so vital to the Old South. It was historic ground under our feet and it caused a momentary shift in my understanding of patriotic Georgians from another era building an industry and working to defend it in a time of war. Abruptly, I was called back into the present by observing a photographer quietly orchestrating what we determined to be a young couple’s engagement photo in and around the arches of the old paper mill. Not to be outdone, Ellen and I climb to one of the openings and posed for Jim’s camera as well. Not exactly the same concept, but “engaging” none the same.
Backtracking our progress a little to avoid intersecting the popular bike trails, we continued on our designated path, observing all the evidences of warmer weather just springing forth. I was amazed to discover two kinds of trillium in two different colors. For the first time, I was introduced to a beautiful plant called “May Apples” and another referred to as the “Buckeye Plant”. At the same time, I realized how deficient I was in my knowledge of the flora of my native state. My two companions were quite patient in pointing out these various beauties to my inexperienced eyes. Soon, I was actually seeing the tiny blooms beneath larger leaves of different plants hovered so close to the ground. I was reminded of that southern tradition of lazy Sunday afternoons spent with Grandmothers and Great Aunts inspecting their prized gardens.
This hiking experience was making me feel good, right down to my soul! Whether I was listening to the gentle rush of water as we approached the river, or the various sounds of squirrels going about their busy lives or even the good natured banter of two old friends with many shared hiking experiences, I was once again awakened to the beauty of nature and the sense of well being for myself as a part of it. Yeah, it was just the usual Saturday morning hike with the walking club……