Gear Review: REI Flash 52 Backpack Women's

I ordered the REI Flash 52 Backpack for our recent trip to hike about 60 miles of the Appalachian Trail since mine was getting old and there were so many newer, lighter packs out there.  I read a lot of reviews for different women's packs and decided to go ahead and order this one.  Because there are no decent stores that carry hiking equipment in South Florida, I went ahead and ordered it from rei.com.  I checked their measurement guide and found that I fell right in between the medium and large sizes.  Since the large offered more cubic inches, I went ahead and ordered that one.

It arrived pretty quickly in the mail and I was excited to open it.  I loved the number of pockets as well as their placement.  It's a pretty light pack at around 3 lbs.  I was also able to use the rain cover from my old REI backpack so that saved me from having to pay for another one.  I then made the mistake of not testing it out before hitting the trail.  When I reached GA, I ripped the tags off the new backpack before filling it with my gear.  On the first day of my hike when the shuttle driver dropped us off he commented on how my backpack looked way too big for me.  Uhoh.  At this point I was committed and didn't have a choice.  The first day of hiking with it was fine but after that my back started hurting a lot from the straps not being properly positioned since the pack was just too tall for my torso.

Other than the size I still loved everything else about the pack.  On our drive back to Gainesville, FL we decided to stop at the REI in Atlanta.  Can I just say that REI has an amazing return policy?!  They took back my wet, muddy, used backpack and gave me a brand new one in size medium with no questions asked!  One of the employees even took the time to load it up with some weight so I could walk around the store with it to make sure that the medium was the correct size.  When I returned it the backpack was also on sale so they gave me a credit for that which I used to buy a new orange mesh camping chair.  So now I have another new backpack, a mesh chair, and REI will continue to get my business!

North Georgia Spring Break

Greetings from Northern Georgia!

Auz, Adelae, and I have had a wonderful week of hiking up here. We arrived last Saturday afternoon and are staying at my future in-laws cabin near Helen. Below is a brief summary of the trails we hiked while on our trip.

Sunday

Today we drove over and hiked the Tallulah Gorge Rim Trails (3 mi). The North and South Rim Trails were beautiful and allow visitors to view 4 different falls from 10 scenic overlooks from all around the top of the gorge. We were not able to hike the Hurricane Falls Loop Trail down into the gorge as pets are not allowed. That trail has many warning signs since it is a strenuous climb of 1,100 steps.

Tallulah Gorge

We then drove about 10 miles through a beautiful neighborhood of houses on the shores of Lake Rabun to reach the Angel Falls Trailhead. Because Rabun Beach Camp Area was closed this time of year (open April - October), we had to park alongside the road outside the gates. This 1.8 mile trail follows Joe Creek up to Panther and Angel Falls.

Panther Falls


Sunday Night - Old Bavaria Lounge

[AUZ]

This was such an excellent find for us. After a relatively long day of trails & exploring downtown Helen, Megan & I were wandering down an alleyway and came across a sign for Happy Hour at the local German Lounge. Being 2 girls that love trying new beer, we took up the offer and headed up a flight of stairs in that alley. We found ourselves in a smoky, German themed bar. We were quickly informed by our wonderful bartender that there was a free appetizer in the rear of the bar (shrimp cocktail, which was actually pretty good). Our bartender was dressed in typical German attire and was incredibly friendly and extremely knowledgeable about her imported German beers. There was nothing on tap, but all of the imports cost about $2.50 because of Happy Hour, how can you not love that? She suggested we try King Ludwig Weissbier (Megan’s favorite), Franziskaner Hefe Weisse (Auz’s favorite) and Erdinger, all of which we enjoyed thoroughly

After a couple of beers, we ordered the potato pancakes, which were perfectly cooked and a good compliment to the beer. After talking to our bartender for about an hour, we found out that she has been to the same Oktoberfest in Lantana, FL that I had been to. Small world! The only downside was that people were allowed to smoke in the bar. Everything else was entertaining, filled with tasty beer and good times.

Helen, GA


Beer Menu at Old Bavaria Lounge


Monday

[MEGAN]
We started off our morning on the Raven Cliff Falls Trail (5 mi). Dodd Creek follows this gorgeous trail for the majority of the time. Parts of the trail were slightly muddy due to the melting snow. Even in the off season, this trail was fairly busy with other hikers and 2 large groups of campers. We saw quite a few gorgeous camping areas along the trail. When we neared Raven Cliff Falls, the trail turned into loose gravel on a steep incline and finding our footing became difficult.

Auz at Raven Cliff Falls

We then drove down the road to the Dukes Creek Falls Trailhead. This 2 mile trail is very popular and quite easy. It follows fairly flat switchbacks down to Duke's Creek Falls where hikers have an option of viewing the spectacular falls from 3 platforms.

Part of Dukes Creek Falls

Our last stop of the day was at Anna Ruby Falls in Unicoi State Park. This 1/2 mile trail runs parallel to the creek and is paved the entire way up as it is a popular tourist attraction. There are 2 viewing platforms under the falls. This is a pet friendly trail and there is a $2/person fee. This trail also connects to Smith Creek Trail (4.8 mi one-way) which we did not have time to do.

Anna Ruby Falls


Tuesday

We had planned on doing a 5-mile portion of the Appalachian Trail today but were unsuccessful in finding the correct road to reach it. We abandoned this idea and headed back over to Unicoi State Park. We hiked the 2.2 mile Bottoms Loop Trail, which was not the most scenic trail we hiked. There was an extraordinary amount of downed trees and just not much to see in general. This trail connects with Helen Trail (3 mi. one-way) which takes you into the town of Helen.

Auz and Adelae on the Bottoms Loop Trail

We then headed over and hiked the flat 2.5 mile Lake Trail. It winds around the 53-acre Unicoi Lake. This hike would be beautiful in the Fall when the leaves are changing color. Adelae was also able to enjoy a quick swim in the lake at the beach.

Unicoi Lake

Megan and a giant tree on the trail



That evening, Auz, Eric (my fiance), and I ate at the Old Bavaria Inn, an authentic German restaurant, in downtown Helen. Auz decided to purchase a 1-Liter boot filled with Warsteiner Beer! The food was delicious but our server was annoyingly eccentric. We were the first patrons in the restaurant and were ecstatic when other people came in to eat so she could bother them instead.

Auz and her boot

Wednesday

Due to the forecast of rain, Auz and I decided to visit a few wineries. We first stopped at Habersham Winery in Helen. Our uninterested server begrudgingly poured us 4 samples each. The wines were okay but not worth purchasing. Our next stop was at Blackstock Winery in Dahlonega. The knowledgeable sommelier told us about his midlife crisis which included quitting his job, hiking 1/2 of the Appalachian Trail and then accepting a position at Lakeridge Winery in Central Florida, which we were both familiar with. He poured us each 8 samples for $10. The wines were dry, but they offered uncommon varieties. Our favorites included the ACE Family Reserve (a red blend), the Cabernet, and the Viognier Reserve. We purchased a bottle of the latter two.

Blackstock Winery


Thursday & Friday

Rain, rain, go away!!! Thursday morning began with rain, which continued until late afternoon. When it finally let up, we took a quick 1 hour walk around the community. This morning we hiked in a light drizzle up to Grimes Nose, one of the tallest mountains in the community. We walked along the road the majority of the way. The trail was covered with slick leaves which made hiking difficult.

Trail up to Grimes Nose

One our way back to the house, the rain picked up and we got back just in time for the afternoon thunderstorms. We are now lounging in the living room with the heat on, writing our very first blog post. Stay tuned for more adventures...

Recommended reading:
50 Hikes In the North Georgia Mountains by Johnny Molloy