Two loops at Stone Mountain State Park

Score another one for the magnetic personality of Stone Mountain: I had just finished a fine loop hike of just under 6 miles on the Blackjack Ridge and Wolf Rock trails. I sat on the grass near the base of Stone Mountain, eating my lunch and trying to listen to reason, which saw no practical advantage in one more hike to the top of the huge granite dome. Listen to reason, or listen to the rock? I went with the rock. The Stone Mountain Loop hike was only another 3.5 miles and 1,000 feet of ascent. The skies were as blue as they get on this side of the United States, the temperature was in the mid-70s. The park was crowded, for sure, but why wouldn’t it be on a day like this? I’ve developed a crackpot theory that massive expanses of exposed rock create their own gravity, and somehow the human subconscious responds to the rock’s gravitational pull. Our susceptibility to the attraction (some might say seduction) determines our urge to get out there amongst the mountains. Utter rot, no doubt, but I have no better explanation. I also ran into Chris Berrier, who joined me on a hike [...]

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