Tuesday evening, just before sunset, my hiking buddy Laura and I tackled Stone Mountain again, and this time, it was a much easier climb than our last attempt-when we braved snow flurries and a brutal 17-degree windchill. The weather this time was perfect, making for a far more enjoyable trek. I can also tell I’m getting stronger as the hike just felt easier (although still hard), and I made far less stops to rest than last time, which is the goal–to be able to do the whole thing without breaks. Eventually, I’ll be hiking the walk-up trail multiple times in a row.
This leads me to a mistake I made–I accidentally took the easier route up the final ascent! I didn’t even realize I was following the wrong trail markings until it was too late. While it was disappointing, the breathtaking sunset at the top made up for it. Watching the sun sink behind the Atlanta skyline from that vantage point was absolutely stunning and something I never get tired of seeing.
As usual, Laura and I chatted a bit at the top while chugging water and admiring the sunset. We talked about our last freezing hike and how much better this hike was. We talked about the beautiful sunset and we caught up on what’s going on in each other’s lives. Find you a hiking buddy like Laura, she’s the best and always pumps me up when I’m feeling like I can’t push through. Don’t know where to find hiking buddies? I met Laura on the friend search app Bumble but have met several people in Meetup groups. Speaking of meetup groups, if you’re local to Stone Mountain/Tucker, GA and identify as female, we’d love to have you join our Meetup.com group, TrailblazeHER.
Next time, I plan to add some extra distance by walking to the park from Stone Mountain Village before starting the climb. It’ll be a great way to push myself a little more and make the experience even more rewarding. My goal is to one day walk from home and back! Wanna hear more about why I hike and why I’m training to hike the Appalachian Trail? Click here to learn more and help support my dream.
Photos of the sunset or it didn’t happen!
Here’s a shot of the incredible sunset we caught at the summit:
