September 3, 2024
Lake Russell Loop Trail
Near Mount Airy, GA
It seemed like fall with beginning cloudy skies, a light breeze and temperatures between 67F and 73F. The trail was in very good condition with no obstructions. At the beginning of the hike, Heather lead us on a new section of the trail that kept us on a wooded trail above the Lake Russell entrance road prior to the boat ramp and off that paved road. Unfortunately, no progress has been made on replacing the bridges below both the Nancy Town Lake and Lake Russell dams, but that didn't hinder the hike. We did not encounter many wildflowers except those on the earthen dam of Lake Russell. This is an easy hike with enjoyable views of Lake Russell along much of the trail. Our thanks also to Jim Sullivan, resident, naturalist and skilled botanist at the Tugaloo Bend Heritage Park, for his identification of some of the unusual plants we spotted on this hike.
Today's Hikers: Angela Evans, Debbie Griffin, Allyson Aldrich, Jessica Hancock, Lynn Steele, Gita Patel, Bobbie Broussard, Beth Hawkins, Rich Brown, Jane Brown & Squirt, Claudia Pardue, Ken Pardue, Gerald Richardson, Pam Hembree, Jim Driggers, Heather Wall, Rex Wade, Vic Robson, Carey Estes, Edwin Pruitt & Mike Bell
The route
6.0 mi · 499 ft climbing · 3h 38m out, 3h 5m walking · 2.0 mph moving
Elevation
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- Steepness
- Gentle under 5%
- Moderate 5–10%
- Steep 10–15%
- Very steep over 15%
18 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.
Photos (18)
Just one of the many scenic views of Lake Russell from the trail. Today's Hikers (L-R) Back: Angela, Debbie, Jessica, Gita, Beth, Rich, Claudia, Gerald, Ken, Jim, Rex, Carey & Edwin; Front: Mike, Allyson, Lynn, Bobbie, Jane & Squirt, Pam, Heather & Vic. We've got a large group of hikers today. Let's get started. A cloudy start this morning, A bit later, it looks like the sky might clear up. Generally some nice trail signs, but not much blazing. Check your GPS or map if you are not familiar with this trail. A easy hike, but there are still a few hills. Almost at the top, Debbie. We saw this tree with eye-catching fruit just before crossing the spillway. Jim Sullivan confirms this is Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum). Crossing the Lake Russell Spillway is not difficult, just an inch or two of water. Wildflowers on the Lake Russell Dam- clockwise from 10 O-clock: Butterfly Pea, Mountain Mint, Partridge Pea & Carolina Horsenettle. Jim Sullivan has also identified this as "Buffalonut, Pyrularia pubera in the Sandalwood family, an uncommon shrub. It is parasitic, via roots, on other woody shrubs and trees." Lots of Joro spiders along the trail. Thanks to Gerald for clearing these out. Heather says the little guy is just that, the male spider. Not sure what happened, but this beaver dam was breached. Some Flowering Spurge towards the end of the hike. Carey had to remind us this was the fruit of Red Buckeye. Red Buckeye are quite numerous in the Lake Russell area. Nope, not Trillium, but Jack-in-the-pulpit. Gotta love the uniqueness of the branching of these Sourwood trees. Our thanks to the NE Georgia Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA)for their maintenance of this trail.