Our science lesson for the day: a monadnock is an isolated rock hill or
small mountain that rises abruptly from a plain. An exfoliation dome is a rock (like granite)
that is submerged under the earth and under great stresses. When the ground above wears away, it exposes
the hard granite but also releases the stress.
This causes layers of the rock to expand and break off over time. Stone Mountain is both of these things.
We
visited a smaller exfoliation dome in Texas (http://tandtrv.blogspot.com/2012/01/enchanted-rock.html). It was 425 high and a 0.6 mile hike. It wasn’t a difficult hike but certainly wasn’t
easy. Stone Mountain is 786 feet high
and the trail is 1.3 miles long. Add in
the 90 degree temperatures and I was sweating like a pig! The trail was full of people, mostly in their
20’s or young couples with children so I felt like an old timer. But we saw one older gentleman in a full
business suit walking with his family!
Frequently
there was graffiti on the path carved into the stone. Some of the carvings were from 1800’s and up
to 1970’s. It’s been a popular place to
visit.
Great
view of the Atlanta area at the top and worth the hike!
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