whitefoot_hp
01-29-2007, 13:03
Hey, I remember mentioning I was doing this hike several weeks ago, and some said they would like to here about it, so here it is...
Friday morning, My fellow hiker and I left from the GA/SC border where the trail crosses the Chatooga River. hiking into GA, the trail follows the Chattooga River and some of its tributaries, and is EXTREMELY beutiful and scenic. the hills are small, and here you are slightly east of the bigger mountains in GA, and after 15 miles starting at noon ending around six we thought we had kicked our hike in the a** (total section hike was 37.7 mi) with saturday and sunday still available
Then on saturday, after employing my friends GPS, we discovered my truck was really one access point further than we had assumed, adding 10 miles to our 37.7, so we thought no big deal. However, the second half of our hike involved veering away from the Chattooga (which we were hiking sobo), curving to the west, and heading north into the bigger mountains of GA (so our section was like a horseshoe in shape). Saturday was mostly following ridgelines constantly uphill, always in a very roundabout way, i think we knocked out 15 more miles again but with twice the time available, even doing a little night hiking. not very many thrilling views, just gently uphill terrain.
Sunday, we woke up from camp at wilson gap, which is five miles from our biggest climb of the trip, Rabun Bald, (second highest peak in GA, amazing view) which we summitted at 11 am, but in the most frigid conditions i have ever been apart of (not saying too much) but still pretty frigid. i had initially shed some layers early in the morning only to expose my self to wind as we climbed higher, and after feeling woosy and very odd (i think i was experiencing early signs of hypothermia, but i am not sure) i decided to relayer. after rabun bald, it was four miles to where we wanted my truck to be, but in reality it was 14 miles away. so we hiked three miles up the road and got rides from these freindly people, one couple in a subaru outback gave me a ride and their friends behind them in the exact same model gave my friend a ride and alas we were at my truck.
hiking is one of the few endeavors where you say thank god at the beginning and at the end. and i have much respect for winter conditions, even in a "mild" GA winter.
Friday morning, My fellow hiker and I left from the GA/SC border where the trail crosses the Chatooga River. hiking into GA, the trail follows the Chattooga River and some of its tributaries, and is EXTREMELY beutiful and scenic. the hills are small, and here you are slightly east of the bigger mountains in GA, and after 15 miles starting at noon ending around six we thought we had kicked our hike in the a** (total section hike was 37.7 mi) with saturday and sunday still available
Then on saturday, after employing my friends GPS, we discovered my truck was really one access point further than we had assumed, adding 10 miles to our 37.7, so we thought no big deal. However, the second half of our hike involved veering away from the Chattooga (which we were hiking sobo), curving to the west, and heading north into the bigger mountains of GA (so our section was like a horseshoe in shape). Saturday was mostly following ridgelines constantly uphill, always in a very roundabout way, i think we knocked out 15 more miles again but with twice the time available, even doing a little night hiking. not very many thrilling views, just gently uphill terrain.
Sunday, we woke up from camp at wilson gap, which is five miles from our biggest climb of the trip, Rabun Bald, (second highest peak in GA, amazing view) which we summitted at 11 am, but in the most frigid conditions i have ever been apart of (not saying too much) but still pretty frigid. i had initially shed some layers early in the morning only to expose my self to wind as we climbed higher, and after feeling woosy and very odd (i think i was experiencing early signs of hypothermia, but i am not sure) i decided to relayer. after rabun bald, it was four miles to where we wanted my truck to be, but in reality it was 14 miles away. so we hiked three miles up the road and got rides from these freindly people, one couple in a subaru outback gave me a ride and their friends behind them in the exact same model gave my friend a ride and alas we were at my truck.
hiking is one of the few endeavors where you say thank god at the beginning and at the end. and i have much respect for winter conditions, even in a "mild" GA winter.