Guest Blog Post by Nick Staggs - Jacksonville, FL
Being outside is one of life’s greatest pleasures and my girlfriend and I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. With a hiking trip in Colorado coming up, and knowledge that the elevation change from our hometown in Florida may hinder us, we decided to do a few practice hikes to try and ensure our readiness. We traveled to Northern Georgia with our packs (and flask) filled, ready to take on a new adventure.
The ascent was somewhat challenging, starting with a mostly uphill trek, but we were able to hear the promise of waterfalls in the distance. They did not disappoint. We spent a solid hour enjoying the views, setting up long exposure shots and wading into the cool waters of the pool below the falls.
Once we started back towards the peak, the real challenge began. The hike was a relentless few miles of uphill climb with an incredible payoff. The trail ends at a rocky overlook with a view of endless stretches of green, tree covered mountains. After a quick walk through the tree line, we set up camp at the mountain's true summit and celebrated making it up by taking a few swigs from our Verde flask.
Nightfall was approaching and we headed to the rocky edge to cook dinner. Some fellow hikers were setting up for dinner as well and we ended up having wonderful conversations around the campfire. We all took in the beautiful sunset together, thinking that nothing could top the gorgeous view.
The following morning the clouds rolled in like waves, enveloping every hill until they were out of sight. As the sun rose, the white “smoke” became pink, blue and purple, reminiscent of cotton candy rolling across the sky. The sunrise was even more beautiful than we could have imagined. After taking it in and finishing our breakfast we started our descent from one of the most beautiful views we’ve seen.
If you are a frequent explorer and a Jacob Bromwell® aficionado, we'd love for you to do a guest publication, please email us here.