Although my travels for my auditing role were basically stopped in November due to budget constraints, I was “called up” to help out on a new product innovation at a co-manufacturer outside of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, GA. Several missteps happened in this project and by the time the project team had a chance to recover and set a new production date, all the QA folks on the project were on vacation. So, the mad scramble started in Battle Creek to find a body to help out on the project. I think I was the only one in the group that had no more vacation left for 2014 so I was asked to help out.

To make a long story short, multiple delays ensued and instead of sitting in my hotel room over the weekend while the plant was shut down, I decided to make lemonade out of the lemons I had been handed. Driving NE from Stone Mountain, GA, I was able to hit the South Carolina Highpoint – Sassafrass Mountain, in a couple hours. The highpoint sits at 3,553′ and is about a 100 yard walk from the end of the paved road and the parking lot. Once on top, I could see nothing – fog and drizzle totally enveloped the summit. There is currently an initiative to set up some kind of tower on the summit in the future but right no there is a bench and a plaque on a rock. Not one of the most exciting highpoints but a beautiful drive up on long, winding roads.