NOTE:  Preregistration is required with trip leader, trip limited to 18 attendees. Please email: rich.reaves@att.net

Meet At:   9:30 am (note early start time) at Pinhoti Trail Parking Area on FS90.

Description:   We will drive along the Forest Service roads stopping to look at flowers along the way.  There will be several short excursions from the cars, always along the road. We can expect to find cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum), yellow and orange jewel weeds (Impatiens pallida & I. capensis), Appalachian gentian (Gentiana decora), kidney leaf grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia), and other early fall flowers. We will stop for lunch somewhere along the road.

Directions:   Take I-575/ GA 515 north to East Ellijay and take GA 52 west (toward Fort Mountain/Chatsworth). Stay on HWY 52 through the square in Ellijay. Approximately 5 miles west of the square on GA 52, turn right on Gates Chapel Rd. When the pavement ends, the road will fork, take Wilderness Trail/FR 90 (dirt road to the right). After approximately 0.9 mi do not turn left at WMA sign for Pinhoti Trail. Continue past this sign another 0.1 mi to Pinhoti Trail Parking on right on FS90.  Carpooling (from the get-go, not at meeting site) is encouraged to minimize our parking footprint on the narrow unpaved roads.

Walking:   Easy, probably all within 500 feet of cars.

Facilities:   Only what nature provides.

Bring:   Lunch, water, bug spray.

Leader(s):   Rich Reaves, 770?827?5186, rich.reaves@att.net (cell will be on the morning of the hike, reception may be poor).