State Highpoints Numbers 4 & 5:


GEORGIA (4)
Date: Thursday---November 4, 1999
Peak: Brasstown Bald
Height: 4,784 feet
Vertical Climb: 400 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 1 mile
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #25 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #26 of 50

I continued the next day into Georgia and stopped on Blood Mountain at elevation 4,458 feet at a neat stone building located right over the Appalachian Trail---the trail literally went through a tunnel in the building. The store catered to trail hikers but the equipment and clothing were super expensive. The lady inside was real nice, though, and gave me good directions to Brasstown Bald peak.
Five miles further I caught Spur 180 and have 12 miles to go. Small two-lane blacktop road with more and more tourist-oriented businesses. Found the Brasstown Bald Visitor’s Center---the peak is run by the National Park Service---and they charged a $2 parking fee. On the way up the three-mile drive up the mountain, I stopped and took a beautiful picture of the tower. Stopped for a car that had overheated but they said they were going to coast back down to the bottom. When I parked, the attendant gave me a $2 bill, which I hadn't seen in years. They offered a shuttle up the mountain to the top but I decided to make the one-mile strenuous round trip hike.
At the top, there was a nice museum and I watched a short film about lumbering on the mountains and checked out the exhibits. The USGS marker is behind a locked door, but the ranger was glad to open it for me and let me take a picture. I shot some pictures from the observation tower and then had a couple take my picture by the vertical marker. Made the hike back down and talked with a lady from Cleveland. Looked through the small cabin selling souvenirs at the bottom but again it was too expensive and I didn’t buy anything.

SOUTH CAROLINA (5)

Date: Thursday---November 4, 1999
Peak: Sassafras Mountain
Height: 3,560 feet
Vertical Climb: 30 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.2 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #29 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #37 of 50

Continued on north to Pickens. Sun was setting. Pickens had an old brick downtown area that was real clean and nice. Built on a hill. Road turned into mountainous curves again---25 mph hairpin curves again and two lane blacktop.
Found Rocky Bottom but didn’t see Road 199 and went seven miles past town into North Carolina. The sun was really starting to set now. I was determined to find the peak, though, and turned around and worked my way along the curvy road back to Rocky Bottom and turned on the only road there. It went past a camp for blind children (which had a miniature golf course) and continued on for five miles. The road was completely deserted and blacktop but narrowed down to one lane at places. At the five-mile point I found a parking lot and continued on through a gate to a circle drive that was the summit of Sassafras Mountain.
I got out, the sun was still up but it was becoming dusk now. Surprisingly I found the USGS marker quickly and took some pictures. The time was 5:25. There was a trail marker pointing to two hiking trails but the area was completely deserted. Walked over to one of the trailheads and looked out over the bluff. The sun was setting and everything was gold in color and just beautiful. It was dusk on the summit and I am so glad I turned around and found this place---it would have bugged me for a long time if I hadn’t. The temperature was dropping and I was literally five miles from the nearest people. It was so peaceful and I hated to drive back down but I didn’t want to have to negotiate the one-lane road in the dark.