View Full Version : GA sections
Looking for opinions on what is the most difficult AT section in Georgia. Realize there are many factors involved, but not looking for explanations of those factors...just what was the most difficult section for you.
Next, your opinion on the most difficult section on the entire AT.
Thanks.
Most difficult section in Georgia for me was the climb up Amicalola Falls. full pack, first steps taken, etc. My knees were trembling at the top of the falls. Not complaining mind you. Just a good dose of reality right at the start.
Footslogger
11-09-2003, 20:08
There were several spots on the AT in Georgia that got my attention on my thru-hike this year. But you have to put it all in perspective. When you start your hike in Georgia your legs are still getting in shape. Also, while some of the climbs are a tad steep they don't last very long.
I'd say the northern end was toughest. Unicoi Gap to Kelly Knob is a pretty tough one. I also found the short section between hiawassee and plum orchard to be a buster altho that coulda been because i was freshly resupplied with grub
Youngblood
11-10-2003, 11:21
In Georgia, the approach trail from Amicalola to Springer is a good average of the AT in Georgia, it is pretty tough. If you start from Amicalola, then the trail gets tougher the farther north you go, with the hardest section being the 16 miles between Unicoi Gap (GA75) and Dicks Creek Gap(US75). You have three pretty major tugs; over Rocky Mountain, Tray Mountain and Kelly Knob.
For the AT it would be the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
Youngblood
In Georgia, the approach trail from Amicalola to Springer is a good average of the AT in Georgia, it is pretty tough. If you start from Amicalola, then the trail gets tougher the farther north you go, with the hardest section being the 16 miles between Unicoi Gap (GA75) and Dicks Creek Gap(US75). You have three pretty major tugs; over Rocky Mountain, Tray Mountain and Kelly Knob.
For the AT it would be the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
Youngblood
Thanks for the responses. These do give me an idea of what to expect.
What do you think would be an average mile/hour in GA section?
Jack Tarlin
11-10-2003, 19:35
In truth, the Georgia section isn't that tough. Thru-hikers are likely to remember this 75-odd miles as tough for any number of reasons, most of which have little to do with the terrain:
In no particular order:
1. Thru-hikers hit this section as they're starting out their hikes......no matter what they might think, most of them aren't in that great shape, or at least aren't in "hiking shape," which takes several weeks. If these same folks covered this section after 4-6 weeks of backpacking, there's be no complaints.
2. Thru-hikers hit this section, for the most part, between 10 March and 10 April, where there is an excellent chance they'll run into cold, wet, miserable weather at some point. Lousy weather makes any stretch of trail seem tougher.
3. Thru-hikers hit this section when they're brand new to the trail; there are all sorts of psychological factors at work here, number one being that folks aren't yet used to the realities of being on, or for that matter, living on, the A.T. The first few days of a long hiking trip are difficult regardless of where you are, because it takes folks awhile to get their heads on right about where they are, what they're doing, etc.
4. Because it's late winter/early spring, people's packs are heavier than they will be on 90% of the rest of their trip----they're carrying winter gear (heavier tents, clothes, sleeping bags, extra stuff, etc., as well as carrying extra (in many cases, un-needed) food as well. Almost everyone is carrying items in Georgia that they shortly either discard, send home, or replace with alternate (i.e. lighter, more serviceable) stuff. This means that most folks are carrying from 5-20 pounds of stuff in Georgia that they won't be toting later on; this extra weight inevitably helps make Georgia harder than it really is.
5. For all of the reasons above, Georgia lives in many memories as a really tough section; truth is, except for a few sharp climbs, it's not that bad.
Lastly, I have to disagree with the poster who found the White Mountains to be the toughest part of the Trail. Sure, there are some tough climbs in the Whites, but for me, the toughest stretch has alsways been from Gorham, NH to Andover , ME; after that, it'd be Andover to Stratton ME. A lot of the Whites are essentially a ridgewalk, i.e. you have a tough initial climb to get to the top of the stretch, but after that, it's fairly moderate going. There's very little moderate hiking in the first half of Maine.
Jack...you must be right about the Georgia trails. I've never heard a SOBO complain about Georgia!!
max patch
11-11-2003, 09:29
The first mile of the approach trail is probably the hardest mile in Georgia (although the rest of the approach trail because of a couple relocations is actually no big deal).
Based on entries in shelter registers, many hikers complain about the section from Dicks Creek Gap to Plumorchard Gap Shelter being much longer than what the Data Book claims. These complaints probably stem from carrying a full pack after resupply in Hiawassee.
Youngblood
11-11-2003, 10:12
Jack...you must be right about the Georgia trails. I've never heard a SOBO complain about Georgia!!
I agree with Jack. The relative difficulty is a function of the total weight carried and the level of fitness of the individual. Some thru-hikers loss in body weight exceeds their total pack weight and a sobo is also an endurance athelite by the time he gets to Georgia while a nobo is probably not. However, for most folks the trail in Georgia is very difficult and is one reason why some aspiring nobo thru-hikers don't get very far. The original poster asked a simple and valid question: "what is the most difficult AT section in Georgia"? I believe that is a valid question and deserves a serious answer, not an explanation as to why it is not as hard as some people remember. If it is hard for you, then it is hard for you-- and going up & down all those mountains has a lot to do with why it is hard.
Youngblood
Youngblood
11-11-2003, 10:25
Thanks for the responses. These do give me an idea of what to expect.
What do you think would be an average mile/hour in GA section?
Chappy,
I would figure between 1.5 to 2 mph, but obviously that is very much a function of fitness level and the terrain.
Youngblood
gravityman
11-11-2003, 11:15
Doesn't look like this "Straight Forward" section is being taken seriously.
I think the point of this section is to "just answer the question"
Tough section for us in georgia was the climb to bly gap, probably because of the full pack. Don't really remember any especially notible tough sections.
Gravity Man
Chappy,
I would figure between 1.5 to 2 mph, but obviously that is very much a function of fitness level and the terrain.
Youngblood
Youngblood
11-11-2003, 15:35
Doesn't look like this "Straight Forward" section is being taken seriously.
I think the point of this section is to "just answer the question"
Tough section for us in georgia was the climb to bly gap, probably because of the full pack. Don't really remember any especially notible tough sections.
Gravity Man
Gravity Man,
You singled me out, but I did take the "Straight Forward" part seriously. Sorry you don't agree with that. I tried to answer the original posters questions (he did ask a second relevent question). I am happy for you that you are such a magnificant hiker that you didn't find any especially notible tough sections in Georgia, everybody is not that fortunate. I also felt that answering that Georgia is not hard enough to worry about is not a good answer and felt that should be challenged.
Youngblood
gravityman
11-11-2003, 15:59
Sorry Youngblood!
I actually didn't mean to single you out. I just hit any old reply button and didn't notice that your post was added to the end.
Looks like this straight foward section doesn't work too well. I can't even manage to keep myself from replying to this... (where's that self control? Must have left it in georgia!)
I am far from a "magnificant hiker." I was just trying to answer the question but I should have noted that my answer now is probably a lot different than my answer would have been when I just finished georgia.
Tennessee was by far the hardest state we did!
Gravity Man
Gravity Man,
You singled me out, but I did take the "Straight Forward" part seriously. Sorry you don't agree with that. I tried to answer the original posters questions (he did ask a second relevent question). I am happy for you that you are such a magnificant hiker that you didn't find any especially notible tough sections in Georgia, everybody is not that fortunate. I also felt that answering that Georgia is not hard enough to worry about is not a good answer and felt that should be challenged.
Youngblood
Youngblood
11-11-2003, 16:15
Gravity Man,
Yeah, the buttons are a little different. No damage done and you also have my apologies. Maybe we should be specific on the "Straight Forward" section about leaving our "ego's" on the front porch :) before we come it. Gosh, sometimes it sure seems like this site has a hard time holdin' all our "ego's".
Youngblood
Toughest section in Georgia, and I am assuming you are going NOBO.
Unicoi gap to Dicks creek. But for most starting out with the short days of spring it would be done over 2 days. So I would say the toughest single day would be Unicoi to Tray Mtn. LOTS of up and down.
Profile '00
hikerhostel.com
smokymtnsteve
11-16-2003, 22:48
Toughest section in Georgia, and I am assuming you are going NOBO.
Unicoi gap to Dicks creek. But for most starting out with the short days of spring it would be done over 2 days. So I would say the toughest single day would be Unicoi to Tray Mtn. LOTS of up and down.
Profile '00
hikerhostel.com
I agree profile..the hike out of unicoi is tough...but I really like staying at Tray Mtn shelter area...great views inthe spring and a great place for a full moon...I liek to get to the summit of tray and make dinner and then ease in the shelter after watchin the sunset off the summit,,,
the section over the nob between tesnatee gap and hog pen is steep climb but mercifully short...you gain about 350 ft or so in a quarter mile...heck it's no picnic sobo out of tesnatee...cowrock is pretty steep too..
Rain Man
11-17-2003, 05:36
Looking for opinions on what is the most difficult AT section in Georgia. Realize there are many factors involved, but not looking for explanations of those factors...just what was the most difficult section for you.
Just hiked Neels Gap to Deep Gap, NC this past weekend (and did Springer to Neels Gap in August).
Hardest NOBO section (highway to highway) has to be Unicoi Gap to Dick's Creek Gap).
Now, on a thread drift note, I did decide two things about "the hardest mountain in Georgia." That is, the hardest climb was always the one I was doing at the time! And, the hardest climb in GA is from Bly Gap north to the top of Court House Bald (which means it's in NC). Man, was I cussing those sado-masochistic trail layer-outers as soon as I hit NC!!! :)
Finally, the reason the GA mountains seem easy to the SOBOs is because they are all pumped, all grins ear-to-ear, because they have SUCCEEDED and are completing their thru-hikes. It was a joy just to spend a very few minutes chatting with each as we passed. They were practically giddy.
Rain Man
Finally, the reason the GA mountains seem easy to the SOBOs is because they are all pumped, all grins ear-to-ear, because they have SUCCEEDED and are completing their thru-hikes. It was a joy just to spend a very few minutes chatting with each as we passed. They were practically giddy.
Rain Man
Not to mention they are in prime physical condition. Much more than the person who is starting at Springer.
Many thanks to all who opined and stayed true to my question. Info will help me with decisions.