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cneill13
01-19-2016, 16:41
I noticed on my topographical map that the old Gooch Gap shelter that was torn down in 2001 (I think?) was still shown on the map.

So I went looking for it this past weekend on the Georgia AT. I heard one of the reasons it was torn down was that it was too close to a public road and frequently used by locals to throw a party in the woods.

I started out at Gooch Gap hiking south on the AT but could not find any old trails. So I went back to Gooch Gap and started looking around again.

In one corner of the gap between two Rhododendrons I noticed a faint trail so I followed it up and out of the gap.

After a few blow downs and about 1/4 mile I came to the old shelter site which still has the original foundation in place. It was a really small shelter.

On top of the shelter, a huge tree has fallen. Good thing the shelter was moved or someone could have been killed.

A nice spot on the side of Gooch Mountain. I saw one blue blaze and tried to follow it down to the water source but couldn't find it.

Carl

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Uncle Joe
01-19-2016, 16:44
That's cool! Thanks for sharing!

FatMan
01-19-2016, 19:10
I used to go up there all the time and circle around to the water source you were looking for. But after 15 years things are now pretty well grown over. The water source you were looking for is right on the AT. It is the spring where there is a foot log over the spring about a quarter of a mile from Gooch Gap. The path can still be followed this time of year but it is pretty steep near the end.

Mountain Mike
01-19-2016, 21:35
It was small & it leaked.33303

Rain Man
01-20-2016, 11:36
When I hiked that section in summer '03, the Gooch Gap Shelter was still there. I think it was a couple of years after that before it was torn down. We stayed at the then-new Gooch Mountain Shelter. As I recall, the Gooch Gap Shelter was pretty close to a gravel USFS road.

Here's a photo I took:

Cotton Terry
01-20-2016, 12:42
Very cool history (and pictures). Thanks for sharing, everyone.