Hiking has become my new passion. Those who have known me for years will find this quite amusing. After all, I was the one who agreed to co-lead my daughter's Brownie troop if -- and only if -- I didn't have to camp in a tent or hike. Used to be the thought of hiking conjured up images of bugs, crawly things, and most dreaded of all, sweat. Today it brings me peace, joy, and most welcomed of all, sweat.
I never cease to be grateful to live in an area that has such a wealth of 
natural beauty, and, thanks to the U.S. Forest Service, so many opportunities to immerse myself in that beauty.
Most of my recent hiking has been on the Aska Trails, a 17-mile system of trails in the heart of the Aska Adventure Area in the North Georgia mountains Chattahoochee National Forest, accessed off Aska Road. A hiker can opt for an easy 2.1 mile hike, or a strenuous 3.6 mile hike, or moderate hikes ranging from 1 to 5.7 miles. Or, link them together in any combination. In other words, there is something for every hiker. These trails are also open to mountain bikers.
Trails ascend to over 3,200 feet, and dip to the shoreline of Lake Blue Ridge. Take the Flat Creek Loop, and for most of your journey, you will be serenaded by the soothing sounds of Flat Creek. A hike on the Stanley Gap Trail will reward you with transcendent views of the surrounding mountains, especially in the winter.
One cautionary note...any time you engage on a hike, make sure you know where the trail goes. My husband and I started hiking the Aska Trails using the Flat Creek Loop, which, as its name implies, is a 5.7 mile trail that makes a large loop and drops you off where you started. We have subsequently hiked the loop many times. One afternoon, with my husband away for the day, I decided to try a new trail--the Stanley Gap Trail--by myself. After hiking over 5 miles in the July heat, I was quite ready to get back to my car and head home to my air-conditioned home and a cool shower. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Stanley Gap was not a loop, and that the end of the trail brought me to a dirt road that was many miles away from where I had begun (when I finally figured out where I was). In my naivete, I had assumed that all the trails in the Aska Trails were loops. Being too pooped to walk all the way back, I hitched a ride with some fellow hikers who had been smart enough to have a car at both ends of the trail. Even though they were very nice about it all, I felt like a complete jerk--as I should have. Lesson learned...I can assure you, it won't happen again!
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