Saturday

9:00 am.

Meet in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in East Ellijay (88 Highland Crossing, East Ellijay, GA 30540). We will review gear and discuss a few safety and logistics items. If anyone is in need of any last minute gear or food items you may purchase them at Walmart. This is also a good opportunity to get in a final visit to a real restroom before heading into the woods so you may want to take advantage of it!

10:00 am.

Depart Walmart and caravan to the trailhead. The drive will take approximately 1 hour and the road will be bumpy but is drivable by passenger car. There are a couple of places along the way that we might take a brief stop for some photos!

11:00 am

Arrive at the Conasauga River Trailhead at Betty Gap. Here will will load up, adjust our packs and get ready to hit the trail!

11:30 am

Hiking! We’ll spend approximately 3 to 3.5 hours on the Conasauga River Trail beginning with a steep descent to the tributaries. Once we reach the river we will cross the river 18 times before reaching Bray Field 5.5 miles later where we will set up camp. We will stop for a rest and some snacks along the way.

3:00 pm

We should reach Bray Field where we will find a suitable location for accommodate our group.

First things first! We will set up our tents and hammocks, collect firewood, filter water, and hang the food. Then we can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Sunday

8:00 am

Rise and Shine! Make your breakfast and have your coffee then get ready to break camp. We will refill water if needed, reload our packs, and get your trail snacks ready to go.

10:00 am

Hit the trail for the hike back! We will follow the same trail back to the trailhead stopping near the Chestnut Lead Trail junction for a final rest and snack break before making the climb back to the top! The hike back will take a bit longer due to the elevation gain.

2:00 pm

Return to the trailhead. Congratulation! You survived!

While there isn’t much privacy other than ducking behind cars you may find it refreshing to change into some dry clothes and shoes!

3:00 pm

For those interested in a clean bathroom, hot meal, and some more fellowship, we will caravan back into Ellijay for dinner at El Rey Mexican Restaurant - it’s a bit of a tradition.

NOTE: We will closely monitor the weather. If heavy rainfall is expected we will reschedule