Achasta

If you've never seen a Killdeer protecting her 'nest', it's a pretty neat thing to find.  The eggs, which are tan with black speckles, blend in to the dirt where they make their 'nest'.  Nest is an exaggerated term... it's essentially a little divot in the dirt that the eggs rest in. 

If you are at all interested in bird watching, now if the perfect time of year to stretch your legs and see some new families emerging.  From the bluebirds around the golf course to any number of other native species (like this little family at my house... they're Eastern Phoebe, a type of flycatcher), this is truly a great time of year to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.   

The last few weeks, I've spoken to numerous Achasta members who are having top rate fishing experiences right here at Achasta.  Our Trophy Rainbow's, like this one caught by Achasta member Billy Widis, are just some of the fish you might find at the end of your line. 

The Achasta River Park has undergone a massive overhaul in the past six months.  With the addition of stone planter gardens, interpretive signs, swings, a horseshoe pit, angler accomodations, camp sites, wildlife habitats, and a parkside grill with seating for 20, there's no shortage of outdoor entertainment.  The OutBound program (which initiated these changes), is not even a year old and we're really excited to continue to grow the program in 2010.  Once the summer hits and the flowers we've planted really begin to bloom, it's going to be a site to behold!

This spring is the perfect time to get your hiking shoes on and get out onto the new trails at Achasta.  As you see from the pictures, spring has brought out the daffodils and put the forest into bloom.  Take an afternoon to stretch your legs on whichever trail is to your level and liking... we have several of each to choose from.

In case you missed it, we had a PHENOMENAL speaker in last week to talk about the many ways of attracting different species of birds to your property.  Georgeann Schmalz walked through a number of different topics and gave out some great information, including info on her Birding Adventures trips to the National Forest in our area.  In the event you missed it, I have some a free pdf I will be happy to email you, as well as a poster (in pdf format) that is available for $3.  The poster is out of print, but includes a number of plants and birds and tells you what plants attract

We have successfully completed our trailblazing efforts this winter, adding approximately 1.8mi of new trails.  If you include some of the connection points, it's a solid 2mi.  Azalea Pass (0.5mi) has been added to the Miner's Ridge area to connect Black Forrest Trail with the hub where Creekside, Laurel Valley and Rocky Top all meet.  This is aptly named due to the number of native azaleas along the trail.  Tumble Rock Trail, is only 0.3mi, but is difficult terrain as it climbs up Bear Paw Ridge.  Lastly, Luhi Trail (1.0mi and code named "The Hurt" while

So it's been a while, but I've been very busy on creating the first of our new 2010 trails on Bear Paw Ridge.  We should be finishing the current trail this week and whoa-nelly, is it a doosie!  Most of our existing trails are fairly easy/simple, so we intentionally chose to make this one more challenging.  There's a great reward at the top though... after a tough climb up the mountain, you can rest on a bench with a year-round view that peers out to Mount Yonah in the distance.  The local wildlife have already taken a fancy to our trail...

Despite the 4in rain we had last week, the trout at Achasta are hanging on strong and were hungry this weekend.  On Sunday, Achasta member Billy Widis reeled in a 2lb, 15in rainbow trout using a green flashback bugger while float fishing on the property (pictured).  Billy, who currently lives in Alpharetta, says, "I'll definitely be back for more soon!"

Three Achasta members (Skip & Dixie Wilson, Shirley Christman) accompanied me on Friday for the first Mountain Bike Trip to Bull & Jake Mountain.  These two mountains are just outside of Dahlonega, only about a 10-15min car ride.  The four of us rode approximately 6mi on forest service road 28, which is absolutely gorgeous this time of year.  The uphills were gradual, but the entire group was able to make it all the way to the top of Bull Mountain.  The downhills were definitely the highlight of the trip for everyone...