Latest / Places of DK / Len Foote Hike Inn - Georgia

Transcript

Len Foote Hike Inn - Georgia · Places of DK

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Places of DK.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're gonna go to a place that is fairly close to where I live.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is a hike-in, hike out location.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: You can either spend one or two days there.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna go into what it is, where it is, what to expect, how to have a great time.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: This is about the Lenfoot hike in in Amaclola Falls in Dawsonville, Georgia.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Hope you enjoy.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: It was established in 1998.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: I've been there six times in total.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: First time was shortly after it was constructed, and then uh I've been the five times once or yeah, once with uh some neighborhood friends, I've been twice with one of our daughters, and then twice on a solo trip.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: It is an hour and a half to two hours north of Atlanta, probably closer to an hour and a half, but just uh depending on traffic.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: So uh when you get into it's it's located.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you have to go into Amiclola Falls State Park.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: So you would be driving in, talk to the uh to the guard shack, just tell them you're going to the Lenhoot Foot hike in.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I can't remember if they still charge you in cash, maybe just to park there overnight.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know what?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Bring ten dollars just in case.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I just frankly don't recall that part.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: When you go into the park, and this is fairly new, they have a a um a visitor center to the right when you go in, can't miss it.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Plenty of parking around.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: You will go into the visitor center, they will have your reservation, there's a designated little kiosk for the hike in.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Give them your name.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they'll give you, I think maybe an additional parking pass, and they'll just get you registered because they do want you on the path, uh, at least by two o'clock in the afternoon.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: We'll talk a little bit more about that because it is a five-mile hike on the way, on the way there.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: So they'll get you all situated, they'll tell tell you where to park.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, parking because it can be a little strange.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, this is where I want to give you some tips.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you they'll tell you to go up to the top of Amaclola Falls, huge waterfall up there, and there it are some signs for designated hike in parking.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've been there before, not a problem parking, and then we got it on the trail.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Other times I've been there, there's nowhere to park just from all the other activity going on.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: If that's the case, drive up a little bit further.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's a hotel, tons of parking up there, and you can park and get to the approach trail fairly easily.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so backtracking just a bit.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is not a place that you can just show up and be like, hey, we want to stay here tonight.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: You do have to plan ahead.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: The website over the years has gotten much easier to book a uh a bunk room.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: So go to the Lenfoot hike in.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: They now do have a calendar.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: You can see availability, you can see the prices, depending on you know, some of the the prices, if it's like on a Sunday through a Wednesday, much cheaper than a weekend.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: But again, we're not talking about exuberant costs here.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, these are all very small bunk rooms, and uh it's not a lot of money.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: So depending on if you're gonna go solo or if you're going to uh be with with another travel companion or a few other ones, it's easy to book this well ahead of time.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the hike, once you park, whether it's in the designated lot or at the at the lodge, very easy signage to see the approach trail.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: There, so you're you're gonna you're gonna see the approach trail to the AT, the Appalachian Trail, and it's going to split pretty quickly.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: You can either kind of go left-ish straight to the approach trail up to Springer Mountain.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk about that.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you want to go straight to the hike inn, which I would recommend, you go to the right.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: So the hike is about five miles, depending on your speed, how much time you want to take.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: It could take probably three to four hours, maybe even a little bit longer if you take your time.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: When I've gone in the past, we typically bring a sandwich in our pack.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we will stop off, and there are a few places and frankly, beautiful places where you can you can peel off to the side of the trail, which is very well maintained, by the way.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, I'm not saying that it's it is a moderate hike.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: There are some areas where it's a little bit more strenuous, but it is pretty much a moderate hike all the way.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you do want to bring the appropriate footwear.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: There are roots and stones, and so just depending on your level of fitness and how much you hike, just want to be prepared for that.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: But again, you can um you can bring you know a sandwich, water, just hang out for a bit, take your time, and this is why I also recommend maybe just trying to get on the trail around 10:30, 11 at the latest, so it'll give you enough time to enjoy your hike and uh get up to the inn.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so when you do arrive, you will walk into the the main lodge area.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody will be working there, they will check you in and give you a key to your bunk room.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: So when I say bunk room, it is a bunk room.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: It is very tiny, it's two beds, bunk beds, bunk room, um, pretty thin mattress, but they do give you your pillow, give you sheets, blanket, extra blankets if you need them during the winter months.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then they'll check you in.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: They also give you a bag with um, I was about to say toiletries, not really toiletries, just a separate bag with washcloth and a towel, because they do have showers that you will want, whether it is during the summer and you're a sweaty hot mess when you get there, or if it's freezing cold and you just want a hot shower.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so they they give you those amenities when you get there.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: You go into your bunk room, put your shit down, and then you're good to go to explore the rest of the inn.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: So there the there's 20 separate rooms that are sort of all around where the check-in area is.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: You walk down a few steps, and this is where the bathrooms are, separated by gender.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: So there's bathroom, or no, I'm sorry, showers are separated by gender, and then the uh the toilets are are gender neutral on each side.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: The toilets are fairly amazing.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: One thing I have not mentioned about the hiken is it is L E D certified.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: They're very big on environmentalism, on uh on composting.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: When you use the toilet and you can go through a a tour that they have every every evening and they talk about it, it's um you're essentially pooping down in a hole.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: It does not stink.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: It does not stink.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: And there's some air that comes up from these fans, nothing smells, and you get a little breeze.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: All your poop is going down to feed some worms in their compost.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's pretty cool.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Go on the tour.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Get there early enough to go on the tour, and they'll show you all the worms.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's pretty badass.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so then you walk through the facility where the uh the showers are and the toilets, you go back outside, and then you go to the I guess just the dining hall, where you're gonna have your dinner that evening, you're gonna have breakfast the next morning, depending on actually it doesn't matter what time of day you get up there.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, every time I've been there, they have lemonade, they have uh iced tea, and they have coffee.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: So then if you walk a little even a little bit further out, the last part of the hike in, they call it the sunroom.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think they call it the sunroom.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: You go in there and they have a small um stove for during the winter time.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then they have just games, there's a guitar in there, people hang out all around the outside of it.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: There's a deck with Adirondack chairs, some rocking chairs, and people just hang out there.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's a really cool spot.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then you can go down into um, you know, it's funny because I one time I was there and they had uh uh a bat house, so house for bats.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Next time I went there, I think I was still there, but it was more of a butterfly garden.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: So they just kind of like um rotate in and out some of the things that are down in the natural area.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: But there's there's also some nice uh stone places to sit, some other Adirondike chairs to hang out in.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's a great place for when you get there, if you have a little bit of time before dinner to read a book and hang out.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: One thing I will say that I have neglected to mention is they do not want you to bring electronic devices.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this was easier in the 90s when people just had flip phones and they're like, please don't bring those.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: They do understand that people have their let's just call them smartphones to make it a generality to take pictures and and whatnot.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: But they do ask people to be off their phones, and you know, it's just it's it's it's just one of these places you want to go there, you don't want to be seeing people playing Candy Crush.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: And is Candy Crush do people still play Candy Crush?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe not, but you know what I'm saying.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: They just don't want people on their phones.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: They do understand that people will have their phones taking pictures and stuff, but just be cool.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Don't don't try and make a phone call, don't be trying to listen to something loud on your phone.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is a place to disconnect and get away from it all.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, and then in the evening, they it's uh family style.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: They will provide dinner.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: I've had some that are great, some that are but it doesn't matter.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: You hiked five miles up, you're a sweaty mess, or you're cold, depending on the weather, and you just want something to eat.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: So the dinners have typically been like a turkey loin, pork loin, ham, uh, you have your starch, you definitely have a salad, you have some rolls and a dessert, and it's great.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I I will say the one year I went with my neighborhood friends, if they listen to this, they'll back me up.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: They had a cobbler.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it was blueberry or blackberry.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was blackberry.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: One of the best things I have ever put in my mouth.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: They will back me up.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: I've been backed three times since.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: They have not had cobbler.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: I want that cobbler.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: But they uh they are very much about limiting food waste.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: So they do ask, because it is family style, only put as much food on your plate as you're going to eat.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: And uh every evening and morning they give the crowd a grade, whether it's a smiley face or an unhappy face, as far as um how much food they had to either throw away or put into the compost.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: So just be mindful of that.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be don't be one of those people that just puts a ton of cobbler on your plate and then you don't eat it.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'd eat it all, but you know, just don't be that guy.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then every evening, I think it's about 30, 45 minutes after dinner is over, they have a a guest, somebody who's either there for the evening or is working at the hike in, and they do a little presentation based on a hike that they've been to or or a place is place that they lived in.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's great.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: I sat down, I've sat down for all of them.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Not gonna lie, some are better than others, but what else are you gonna do unless you want to play cards and uh you know look at some trees outside?
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a good place to, or a good time to to sit down, learn something new, talk to some um some people that are staying with you all at the at the hike end.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And um, yeah, it's uh I did a really bad job selling that, but uh do it.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so this ends up being one of those evenings where it's great because you go, well, I don't have my my technology in front of me.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh let's go into the little sunroom.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'll play some games, and you actually find yourself, you know what?
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm getting sleepy as the sun goes down, as nature intended.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: So uh typically when I've been there, hang out for a bit, maybe sit outside.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: If the weather's nice, uh sit on one of the Adirondack chairs.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: But honestly, I think every night that I've been there uh I've gone to sleep around 9:30, 10 o'clock at the latest.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh in the morning, at sunrise, they do walk around with a little drum, just sort of beating it lightly to wake everybody up.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to get up and see the sunrise in the morning, you don't have to, but get up to go see the sunrise in the morning.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: There's been probably two times I've slept in because I could hear it was raining and there was not going to be a sunrise.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: But every other time I've gotten up, went down to the dining hall, dining room, kitchen hall, whatever they call it, got a cup of coffee and uh and watched the sunrise.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: And on a clear day and on a beautiful day, it is worth getting up to start your day.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: So after that, uh wonderful breakfast, as you might imagine.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're in the mountains of the Appalachians, and they're gonna give you some bacon and eggs and sometimes hash browns, I think.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh definitely biscuits, biscuits and gravy.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I believe they maybe had waffles or pancakes one of the times.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, I'm not a big breakfast guy.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and some fruit, but um, it's great.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Again, the food is exceptional for what where you are and how you've hiked up to.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: So um just have your expectations and you're going to love it.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: You think it's great.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I had mentioned at the top when you get onto the trail, there is one spur to go to Springer Mountain.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So Springer Mountain is where the beginning and end of the Appalachian Trail is, obviously, on the on the southern part.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: What you can do if you decide to go to the hike in is book a room for two nights.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: And the second day you can hike up to Springer Mountain to the beginning of Appalachian Trail, check it out.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's actually a super cool spot.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: That hike, way more strenuous.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: I shouldn't say way, much more strenuous than the moderate hike from Amakalola Falls to hike in, but it's it's it's certainly doable as long as you're able.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a great hike, uh, a lot of up and down.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: But um, one thing I wanted to mention was at the hike in that evening when you're at dinner, if you're going to stay, whether you're gonna go to Springer Mountain or you're heading back down the next day, you can order a sandwich.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think they have a meat.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they certainly had a vegetarian one.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's the one I got.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I felt like they had one other option.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: But you get your sandwich, they give you some uh trail mix and a cookie, and it's pretty cheap and it's pretty great.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: So when I went with my neighborhood friends, um, most of us, not one of them, he had to get back for work or something.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: But um, we went up to Springer Mountain, had our had our lunch, hung out, spoke to a few people, and then hiked back and then rinse repeat for dinner.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: It was uh it was great.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Highly recommended if you can afford to be there, not afford, but just from your time-wise, to be there two nights and uh three three full days.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that's in a nutshell.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the things that you may be thinking before you go there, do I have to pack a lot?
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: No, you do not.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you're going for a night, just pack what you're just have what you you're gonna wear for on the way up there.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you're wearing it, and then what you want to wear that evening, and then on the way back.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty easy.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: I you don't need a huge pack.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: You can get a nice day pack, super, super duper easy.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: I would bring some snacks because if you do get up there and you you're like, uh the food isn't exactly what I wanted.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gluten-free, I'm uh keto, blah, blah.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just bring some snacks.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Just bring some stuff.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, when you're when you're in your bunk room, another question that I'm sure might come up is, oh, can I plug stuff in?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: No, you cannot.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: There's no outlets.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: That said, there is a fan up at the top of each of the bunk rooms.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if I'm not mistaken, last time I was there, the fan did have a little outlet.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: So you might have an opportunity to plug something in.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: If not, uh do bring a um do bring your your phone, uh, bring your charger because in the the the area where you check in, they do have a charging station.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: So you can uh you can plug everything in there so it's not all dead on before you uh you head back the next day.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: All right, what else?
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um for you guys that are all campers, booze and camping kind of go hand in hand.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: I would not recommend it for this location.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: That said, if you get on their website, it does say alcohol is highly discouraged, or at least discouraged.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think they're gonna give anybody a hard time, but if you want to bring like a little airplane bottle of something or a small little thing of wine, just be cool about it.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: Just be discreet, put it in a little cup, hang out.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't think they really care as long as you're not acting like a bunch of jackasses up there and being super loud.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: Again, everybody's gonna go to bed early.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: So if you need something for a nightcap, you know what, bring it.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Just be cool, be discreet.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's all I can say about that.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's pretty much it.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: When you wake up in the morning, uh, I typically like to have the breakfast quick to check out.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: You throw all of your linens in designated areas, they do ask for your help cleaning up your your bunk room, and then you uh you hit the trail.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: I have been down probably as quickly as two hours.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I've been down as long as like three, three and a half hours.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, if you're if you need to get going and if you're by yourself or if you're with somebody who can hoof it, you can get down in two hours easily and then get in your car, be out of the park, and you're in Atlanta in an hour and a half, at least, North Atlanta.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: So so that is a recap on the Lenfoot hike in.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you're into hiking, highly recommend it.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're a moderate hiker, like I mentioned, it's not that difficult.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: There are there, I I've seen people that are in their 80s, and I have seen families where their kids are probably nine or ten.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it is a it's a great location, it's super accessible to North Atlanta, to Atlanta in general.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's not very expensive, highly recommended.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna learn some things, you're going to have a great adventure, and I hope you all enjoy your time at the hiking.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you go, please let us know on this podcast.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: And as always, like and subscribe and tell all your friends.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks everybody.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: Bye.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, real quick, I've mentioned their common room as the sun room.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's the sunrise room.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: Sunrise room.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an idiot.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'll do better.