Yellowjackets: 5 - Mapper: 0

That's one of the hazards of mapping in the summer, the yellowjackets. They build their hive in stump hollows in the ground. The slightest disturbance and they aggressively defend their home. Grab a sapling for balance, trip on a root, or step on a wobbly rock that is near the entrance to their burrow and they come boiling out. I've heard that they give a warning butt to the intruder, but there are so many deerflies and horseflies and who knows what else buzzing around that i would never notice it. Then the stinging starts. My reaction is to run, heart pounding and adrenalin pumping. I'd like to shake the hand of the man that could stand still or play dead in the face of yellowjackets.

I got stung five times, on each leg, each arm, and the side of my head. Nothing to do but accept that is going to hurt and suck it up. I think it's better to keep moving than to sit down and cry about it. But I am not allergic to bee stings.

I finally mapped the boulders that are the banner image for the web site. I first photographed them over a year ago, on my very first recon trip to the park. Have they changed any?

From Chattahoochee Bend

Cicadas Sing at 9:45

All is quiet, at least from the cicadas, at seven, and eight, and even nine. But at 9:45 they burst out with their incessant singing. I'm no expert, but it must be the temperature. They sing in the day, they sing in the night, so it can't be the light. Once the temperature gets up to about 80, they sing out, and don't stop until it cools off late at night. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Mapped more of the area around the high point today. Lots of little bare rock areas and boulders. It should be interesting terrain for orienteering. I also found a hollowed out spot on the top of a rock that looks suspiciously human made. A grinding stone?

From Chattahoochee Bend

Lots of dead tress in this area, still standing. Why? I have no idea, unless it's the shallow soil above the granite outcropping.

From Chattahoochee Bend

I only do half days in this heat - more tomorrow.

High Point

I mapped the highest point on the map today. How high is it, you ask? Twenty-nine three meter contours above the river. That's about 280 feet. Sounds like a lot, but it's not, since the climb is spread over 2.5 kilometers. The new park road circles around to the east and north of the high point. A very nice oak and hickory forest covers this hill, and it's dotted with bare rock and boulders.

And at it's foot, a very wet beech bottom:

From Chattahoochee Bend

From Chattahoochee Bend

Twin Raccoons

Down in a stream bed west of Flat Rock Road I surprised twin raccoons playing and romping. What they were actually doing was hunting for slimy, scaly, creepy, and crawly things to eat, and then squabbling over them. But they were cute anyway. It was very dark down in that hole, but you can see their ring tails in this photo:

From Chattahoochee Bend

Anytime you see raccoons or foxes in the daytime in the hot summer, your first thought should be rabies. But even though they didn't notice me quickly, I think they were just adolescents. I also surprised a spotted fawn, but it bounded away when I almost stepped on it - no picture.

I worked the area just west of Flat Rock Road, the southern boundary leading down to the new Visitor Center. Lots of boulders and bare rock areas here. This will probably be well used orienteering terrain in the future, since there will be parking nearby.

From Chattahoochee Bend