Sure Foot Adventures

Photography Day Hike:
We've teamed up with Nature Photographer David Foster for a Nature Photography Day hike.
October 30, 2010
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Len Foote Hike Inn Day Hike

June 13th, 2010 Day Hike

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On Saturday, a group of Sure Foot Hikers met at Amicalola Falls State Park for a Leave No Trace-themed Educational Day Hike to the Len Foote Hike Inn, a LEED-certified green building in the Blue Ridge near Springer Mountain.

The group was composed of first-time hikers, returning hikers, and well-seasoned hikers and was led by Sure Foot’s Catie Beaulieu.

The group began the ascent to the Inn as Catie told the history of Len Foote Hike Inn and explained its application of Leave-No-Trace (LNT) principles. While LNT was a theme throughout, the hiking group quickly bonded through telling stories, cooling off in the stream crossings, observing snails basking in the sun, and identifying flowers about to bloom.

Pacing and patience were key to our success: pace in our stride and patience in our pride. Despite having never met, we were talking like old friends by the time we reached the Inn. After being welcomed to the Hike Inn with ice cold tea and chocolate, pecan, and peach cobbler pies, we relaxed and ate our lunch. Next we took the sustainability tour at the Inn, which introduced us, first-hand, to the creative and innovative ways the Hike Inn has developed to recycle everything— food, water, energy, and humanure (seriously!)

The hike down from the Inn was peaceful as we were content, happy, and more aware of our surroundings. We observed several bright green and blue dragonflies flying through the tunnel of rhododendron and butterflies landing on petals right in front of us.

In all, we conquered ten miles in seven hours. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

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Kingfisher March Day Hike

March 25th, 2010 Day Hike, Kingfisher Academy

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Though most of our Kingfisher programs this year have included rain (mainly because it’s been such a wet year in general), our March day hike couldn’t have been better.

A group of seven 7-9 year old, their teacher, Lili, and I took a 4-mile day hike along the Chattahoochee River. This trail is superb in so many ways. It starts out flat along the river, the uphills are only in the middle of the hike, there are several scenic overlooks, there is an awesome bamboo forest and rock ledge overlook at the far end of the loop, and the hike ends with a downhill. Because this was a younger group than I often hike with, it was important to design a hike that would push the kids physically, but that included lots of opportunity for play, exploration, and varied terrain. This trail was exactly that, and the kids had a great time.

Learning on these day hikes comes in several forms. We look at the plants around us and do some identification - hickory trees, trillium flowers about to bloom, river cane.

On another level, we promote the idea that the woods are for exploring, rocks are for climbing, and fallen trees are for balancing on. We facilitate the kids learning to connect to nature on physical level. I believe that physical connection leads to love of nature and good stewardship.

The biggest growth I see is in their confidence. I believe that the ability to walk up a mountain is partly physical, but primarily a question of confidence. During the March hike, this was clearly evident. Several children were struggling to walk up a steep hill, so they decided to trade backpacks (even though no one’s pack was significantly lighter than anyone else’s). Upon switching backpacks, they declared how “light” their packs were, and proceeded to motor up the hill. The smallest girl on the trip even asked to switch backpacks with me. I told her mine was way too heavy (containing first aid kit, extra clothes, extra water, etc.), but she insisted, took my pack, and powered up the hill none-the-less. In learning to be confident in their physical capabilities, the kids gain the strength of knowing that “they can, even when they think they can’t.” It is for this reason that I lead hikes.

On this hike, one young man in particular climbed EVERY rock, tree and dirt pile (left). However, all the students were adventurous. When I asked if they wanted to go the “crazy rock-climbing way” or the trail, guess what they chose? Luckily, I sometimes speak in hyperbole, so there was nothing crazy about it, nor any rock-climbing, just a good off-trail scramble.

Another young man started the hike saying, “I don’t want to go.” Since I knew he had a good sense of directions and could read maps well, I gave him my trail map and asked him to lead. He did a superb job and never took us the wrong way.

On every trip, there are many moments like this one in which a student feeling defeated, tired, grumpy, or scared. But fun, exploration, and contentment seem to regularly prevail!

I’m going to end this post with a series of photos, but you should really check out all the photos on Facebook, as the blue sky and photogenic kids made for lots of good pictures.

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Kingfisher Day Hike

February 2nd, 2010 Day Hike, Kingfisher Academy

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In January, I got to take a Day Hike with the Komodo Dragons middle school class at Kingfisher Academy. Though almost every outdoors program at Kingfisher has fallen on a rainy day this school year, our day hike was a beautiful blue sky day with temperatures in the 60s!

We decided to go to Kennesaw Mountain for three reasons: (1) It’s only a 25 minute drive from school; (2) The mountain provides a beautiful, difficult, and varied hike; and (3) The Civil War history of the park is particularly relevant to today.

Let’s start with (3): I thought the students would be intrigued by the query about the battle that I presented: “If the Union had not been able to win the Atlanta Campaign, Lincoln probably wouldn’t have been re-elected; and without Lincoln as President, the Confederacy may not have been defeated; and slavery may not have ended for another 20 or 30 years. How would that affect America today?” Of course, much of this is speculation, but what an intriguing question! Where would race relations be today? Where would our economy be? Would the South still be a separate nation? Could Obama have been elected?

Despite my interest in these questions, the students were more intrigued by the cannons and earthworks on the mountain. Luckily I’m not just a social historian and know a little bit about military history.

On top of the mountain, we were able to see all the way to Stone Mountain, Perimeter Mall, Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown. Buzzards circled in the sky. We even saw a hawk (though another hiker claimed it was an eagle).

One of my favorite aspects of day hikes is watching participants discover new things about themselves. I saw one young woman thrive in the outdoors and lead much of our hike. Another young man actually brought plastic zipper bags to collect “specimens.” He and I walked in the rear of the group much of the time, finding insects, rocks, and even some coyote feces (which I still have sitting on the desk in my office–I have to remember to bring it to school next Tuesday).

We even explored a small cave that we found in the “Pigeon Rocks” area of the park.

Though the group was exuberant and very competent, by the end of our hike, spirits were down and legs were dragging. I see this happen regularly on hikes and often wonder whether I should plan shorter distances. However, I see great merit in helping people learn that they can do more than they thought they could. Nevertheless, it’s always a balance between too “easy” and too “hard” of a hike.