Section Hike in GA?

[Morning Glory]

A friend and I are planning to hike from Dicks Creek Gap (U.S.76) southbound to Springer in November. Is this too much to bite off in 5 days for guys that average about 12-15 miles per day on the AT in Tennessee? Is the terrain similar, easier or more difficult?

[Pole Climber]

I hiked that section a few years ago, best I can remember you have some good walking in that section and a lot of ups and downs like most of the trail. Very do-able in 5 days if you are in good shape, 10 miles can be a long ways if you're not! Have a great hike.

Pole Climber

[Dances with Mice]

Mr. Clean - You'll know by the end of the first couple of days if you're up to it or not. If not you'll have an opportunity at Neel's Gap to arrange for a shuttle. Be aware that you can also resupply at Neels, so don't start from Dicks Creek carrying all your food.

So it's a win-win situation: if you can do it then all's well, if not then there's your fall-back plan. Go for it and have fun!

[Youngblood]

Mr. Clean,

I refer folks to a general post I wrote about the GA section of the AT < http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=42397&highlight=Georgia+section+hike#post42397 > a while back.

A few specific things for you on a 68 mile hike in November will be:

1- Remember that you have limited daylight, probably around 9 or 10 hours. Most folks need an hour of daylight at the start and end of each day for cooking, setting up camp, taking down camp, etc, so you need to figure how many miles you can do in 7 or 8 hours of daylight.

2- Your only chance for trail-side resupply will be at Neels Gap and I would call them and verify their operating hours because it changes during the year. They also operate a hostel. I would advise you to take advantage of resupplying there as that will probably cut your initial pack weight by around 5 pounds.

3- There are lots of climbs in GA. The big ones are about 1000 ft elevation change over a mile or so. Most of them are not that bad but you will get a few climbs each day. The toughest part of the trail is on the northern end, but IF you get overly tired it is all tough and you won't likely have an easy enough day to recupperate if you are hiking full days every day.

4- Keep an eye out on the weather. The mountains of north GA are high enough to be problem if an early season storm develops. The winds will be much higher on exposed peaks, ridges and gaps, so keep that in mind when you select your campsites.

5- Take a list of shuttle operators for Georgia in case you need bail for one reason or another. A cell phone can offer piece of mind and coverage is spotty with your best bet being at the higher elevations.

Have a great hike, my list is intended to get you to think about things and hopefully not to discourage you. It is a great hike and the vistas are typically primo in November, especially after high winds have cleared out the haze!

Youngblood

[Kerosene]

I did this section, NOBO, back in April of this year. We left a food cache and stayed at the Blood Mountain Cabins just "east" down the hill and around the first big curve from Neels Gap (not sure if they're open in November or not). We left a second food cache in Hikerhead's car parked at Dick's Creek Gap, where the resident mice had a field day when they got into his trunk!

Starting from the Amicalola Lodge, we did three 12-mile days to Neels Gap, followed by two 18-milers to reach Dick's Creek Gap in 5 days. Personally I found the hike to be quite a bit easier than everyone was making it out to be. For me, the hardest climbs came once you hit the NC border on the way up to Muskrat Ridge Shelter.

The SOBO climb out of Dick's Creek Gap is very long but nicely graded. Here's a possible itinerary to consider:

Day 1: Dicks Creek Gap to Tray Mountain Shelter (10.9 miles; 3 big climbs)
Day 2: Low Gap Shelter (14.9 miles; 2 big climbs with a nice 5 mile stroll to end the day)
Day 3: Woods Hole Shelter (14.7 + 0.5 miles side trail; 2 big climbs; re-supply at Neels Gap)
Day 4: Gooch Gap Shelter (10.5 miles; 2 big climbs)
Day 5: Springer Mountain Summit (15.9 miles; 3 big climbs)

[Youngblood]

... We left a second food cache in Hikerhead's car parked at Dick's Creek Gap, where the resident mice had a field day when they got into his trunk! ...

Hey Kerosene, when you say "resident mice", do you mean they live in Hikerhead's car or do you mean they are locals? :rolleyes: You guys wouldn't be bringing mice down this way to stock the shelters would you? :) I thought I had been detecting a little bit of an accent lately.

Youngblood

[Hikerhead]

Funny :D If they talked like me you wouldn't be able to understand them. They had a good five days playing in my trunk. I had mousy comdos everywhere from the paper towels I had left in there, along with all the food they could eat.

They even had a lookout, nobody was home when I popped the trunk.

They even knew when I came back down to Standing Ending a month or so ago. They got in there too. :confused:

[Rain Man]

... Personally I found the hike to be quite a bit easier than everyone was making it out to be. For me, the hardest climbs came once you hit the NC border on the way up to Muskrat Ridge Shelter.

I agree on both counts, especially on the climb up "Sharp Top" (if memory serves me correctly on the name) NOBO out of Bly Gap just past the GA/NC state line. I was cursing NC trail designers the whole way up. LOL

Rain Man

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[Morning Glory]

Thanks for all of the valuable advice. I didn't realize that Georgia had that many steep climbs...which is o.k. I may hike this section in the other direction also, really haven't decided yet. I was hoping to also hike the approach trail down to the sp, but I'm thinking that may be too much to do in 5 days, especially with limited daylight.

[Nightwalker]

Mr. Clean - You'll know by the end of the first couple of days if you're up to it or not. If not you'll have an opportunity at Neel's Gap to arrange for a shuttle. Be aware that you can also resupply at Neels, so don't start from Dicks Creek carrying all your food.

So it's a win-win situation: if you can do it then all's well, if not then there's your fall-back plan. Go for it and have fun!
I only consider Neel's Gap a short-term re-supply point. YMMV, however, and the folks at Mountain Crossings are really nice. They'll hold a box mailed there for only a buck, so that'll work pretty good for ya.

:D

[Nightwalker]

1- Remember that you have limited daylight, probably around 9 or 10 hours. Most folks need an hour of daylight at the start and end of each day for cooking, setting up camp, taking down camp, etc, so you need to figure how many miles you can do in 7 or 8 hours of daylight.

I picked up the trail-name of "Night Walker", so you might guess that I'd say: "don't worry so much about daylight. Night hiking is just a different kind of beautiful."

The only place in GA that I had trouble with at night was the north side of Blood Mountain, and it was nasty in the dark. LOTS of false trails and lesser-marked or un-marked sections.

Have a good-un

[Youngblood]

I agree on both counts, especially on the climb up "Sharp Top" (if memory serves me correctly on the name) NOBO out of Bly Gap just past the GA/NC state line. I was cursing NC trail designers the whole way up. LOL

Rain Man

.

I think you're right, nobo out of Bly Gap is Sharp Top and then Courthouse Bald before you get to Muskratcreek Shelter. For some unexplained reason they take you around a huge 5000 foot mountain before you get to Deep Gap... they could have really finished me off if they had taken the trail over that one.

Youngblood

[Morning Glory]

I picked up the trail-name of "Night Walker", so you might guess that I'd say: "don't worry so much about daylight. Night hiking is just a different kind of beautiful."

The only place in GA that I had trouble with at night was the north side of Blood Mountain, and it was nasty in the dark. LOTS of false trails and lesser-marked or un-marked sections.

The only experience I've had of hiking in the dark was this past Feb. We started off at 9 p.m., attempting to make it from Hwy 91 to Iron Mtn. shelter (only 4 miles), here in Tennessee...when we reached the top of Iron Mtn, we were knee deep in snow, and it became very difficult to see the trail. Snow had blown on many of the trees, so it was difficult to see the blazes. Needless to say, we never made it quite to the shelter that night. Instead, we were content to pitch a tent behind Nick Grindstaff's chimney...the only dry spot we could find. So, i've had my experience with night hiking...which is fun, as long as you aren't wading through snow at the same time.