ICL: Outdoors & Hiking in Southern Appalachians: March 31– May 19
2025-05-12 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | In the ICL classroom, 862 Main St, Young Harris, GA.
Course Instructor - George Owen

Again, for the third year George Owen is presenting his course, "Outdoors and Hiking in the Southern Appalachians" for the spring ICL season. The two-hour 10 a.m. Monday course for eight weeks is open to a wide audience beginning March 31 for adults ranging from newcomers to our area who love the outdoors to those seeking to broaden their Southern Appalachians outdoor and hiking knowledge. Beginners to experts in hiking are welcome. George has spent over a half-century creating and leading outdoor adventures in this area, ranging from northern Georgia to the Smokies and beyond. Everything from Southern Appalachian animals to weather and much information about hiking trails and far more will be presented. He will have many free handouts, and several of his hours will feature guest experts from our area on related specific subjects. One such presenter will be an expert on photographing mountain wildflowers, perfect for spring.

Instructor George Owen has over decades served as president of three Appalachian area hiking clubs. He is a co-founder and former president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, former maintenance and construction director for the GA Appalachian Trail Club and just retired from the longest presidency of the Mountain High Hikers club. He grew up spending much time in the wilds of his native state Florida, and while in college ran the nature lore program of one of Florida's largest youth camps. He married and moved to Georgia with his wife Sandy where they became parents of two sons and now have four grandchildren. In Georgia, beyond his two careers, he became noted over decades for laying out and supervising the construction of over 125 miles of hiking trails on the Chattahoochee National Forest, including all the Benton MacKaye Trail of 82 miles, and several side trails of the Appalachian Trail (AT) including four miles of the 8.3-mile AT Approach Trail. After retirement he was a guide for an American company for ten years in the Swiss Alps. He in his senior years continues to lead hikes for trail clubs and groups and work on existing and proposed trails.
