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I'll be doing the Georgia Loop trail at the end of this month. I plan on taking a week to do it. ? I have read that water resupply can be an issue and am carrying extra bladders. Anyone have any general advice for this trip at this time of year? Anyone done this route recently? Is a bear canister requisite?
mt
I'll be doing the Georgia Loop trail at the end of this month. I plan on taking a week to do it. ? I have read that water resupply can be an issue and am carrying extra bladders. Anyone have any general advice for this trip at this time of year? Anyone done this route recently? Is a bear canister requisite?
mt
Which loop trail are you doing? BMT/DRT/AT loop? A bear canister isn't required but is an option given the amount of bear activity in N GA this year.
Sorry, yes the BMT/DRT/AT trail. Plan on starting and finishing at woody gap and going CCW. I am used to having to care a bear canister from backpacking in the PCT, glad to hear it isn't a must here.
mt
Water is pretty scarce most of the year on the DRT. You could always cache some water at some road crossings for the DRT section - I've done this in the past. Water on the AT section is not an issue.
I'll be doing the Georgia Loop trail at the end of this month. I plan on taking a week to do it. ? I have read that water resupply can be an issue and am carrying extra bladders. Anyone have any general advice for this trip at this time of year? Anyone done this route recently? Is a bear canister requisite?
mt
I just did it the first week of March... Started at Neels Gap and went SOBO. Wolfpen and Mulky Gap have pretty reliable water sources, but they are not on the trail, you have to go get it. Between Sarvis Gap and Licklog, its there but you have to do some serious bushwacking down the mountain to even find it. If you get water at Hawk Mountain Shelter, you should be able to make it to Toccoa River, then that should get you to Mulky/Wolfpen then Neel Gap should get you back to Woody... BTW, the bryers(sp) were already bad in some sections and that was in March...
Maybe we'll see you, a buddy and I are going clockwise from Springer.
Due to the interesting spring weather we've had, I'm expecting a lot of downed trees across the trail.
Az
We'll keep an eye out for ya azb.
mt
Did anyone finish this Loop? I am planning to do it also. How many days? I saw you were taking a week to do it. 7 days or 5? I am looking at the middle/end of July to go do this loop myself.
Shannan
along with these questions,
What trail map is the best for this loop? Do I need to reserve any campsites or just camp where I feel?
Did anyone finish this Loop? I am planning to do it also. How many days? I saw you were taking a week to do it. 7 days or 5? I am looking at the middle/end of July to go do this loop myself.
Shannan
It took me 4 full days to complete it... This is the map I took... There are some tricky sections where I was glad I had a map and Compass... Its DEFF not blazed like the AT... I camped where ever... Theres not that many sites... Although theres a pretty cool one atop Coosa... Sgt. Rocks BMT guide has a section for the DRT in it too...
http://picasaweb.google.com/Johnsonc80/DuncanRigeTrailMaps
Nice. good info. I will have my GPS also. Did you just print these maps or order them somehow?
Nice. good info. I will have my GPS also. Did you just print these maps or order them somehow?
You can just print them... I had to order Sgt. Rocks BMT book off his website... Worth EVERY penny... And he signed it for me :D...
So overall this was a good trip with lots of scenery? I have read that it is very good an chalenging. I will order SGT Rocks book too. Just printed them and will laminate tomorrow at work.
Thanks for the help.
So overall this was a good trip with lots of scenery? I have read that it is very good an chalenging. I will order SGT Rocks book too. Just printed them and will laminate tomorrow at work.
Thanks for the help.
Its DEFF tough... I had an awesome time...Don't know why it took me so long to hike it... Its literally within walking distance of my house... Get some waterproof printer paper from REI for your maps...
Well next question. I want to start somewhere I can park my car and not worry about it for 5 days. I don't want to walk too far to the trail like Springer's 7 mile approach trail head. Where is a good place. I don't even mind parking at your place if your within a mile or 2. That would ease my mind the whole trip. Also this will be the first hike in bear country. I can hang a stuff sack away from the camp site and be ok right?
Well next question. I want to start somewhere I can park my car and not worry about it for 5 days. I don't want to walk too far to the trail like Springer's 7 mile approach trail head. Where is a good place. I don't even mind parking at your place if your within a mile or 2. That would ease my mind the whole trip. Also this will be the first hike in bear country. I can hang a stuff sack away from the camp site and be ok right?
I can help you out...Send me a PM...
Got the book today. Very good information there. The REI paper is good too. I am looking to maybe do this anywhere between the 16th - 25th I can probably get the days off. I did have someone to go with me but they backed out. Is there anyone that is interested in completing this in 3-4 days that wants to go with me. I can go by myself but would feel better with someone else. Toli? Are you busy that week?
Well next question. I want to start somewhere I can park my car and not worry about it for 5 days. I don't want to walk too far to the trail like Springer's 7 mile approach trail head. Where is a good place. I don't even mind parking at your place if your within a mile or 2. That would ease my mind the whole trip. Also this will be the first hike in bear country. I can hang a stuff sack away from the camp site and be ok right?I know toli can help you out with this but let me offer as well. You can park at my house and from back door to trail is a couple hundred yards on easy foot path. Grassy Gap (between Gooch and Woody) makes for a good start/end for the DRT/AT loop. PM me for details.
FatMan, thanks for the invite. I wil have 2 to choose from now. Thanks,,\
I haven't had any luck getting someone to go with me. I have a week that I spend with my girls every year already planned for Aug 6-12 fishing in Ft. Myers. It is a yearly trip we enjoy. But after that I would have to go to work for atlest a week before I could get another one off.
I will say that I can do this trip anywhere between Aug 23 and the end of September. Hopefully I will find someone to go with me or I'll just do it solo.
Ok it is official. I have the 26 to the 30th off of September. I will leave probably Friday night and stay at my Gmas house in Moultry and then go the rest of the way Sat morning. I don't mind car pooling I have a old Trooper SUV and have room on top if we run out of room in the back. I will keep everyone updated.
I will be talking to you guys about keeping the truck at your place, and thanks in advance. I will also want to figure out if WE want to go clockwise or or counter on this trail. I have heard that clockwise(northbound I think) would be best. Any comments would be good.
Dances with Mice
08-04-2011, 07:15
... I will also want to figure out if WE want to go clockwise or or counter on this trail. I have heard that clockwise(northbound I think) would be best. Any comments would be good.Whichever direction gets you onto the DRT earlier in the trek would be the preferred direction. I found it best to hike the DRT portion first. If you run into any problems early you can make up time on the AT portion later. After walking the DRT, the AT will seem like an 8 lane super highway.
Looks like CCW then. Thats a good idea.
geomaniac
08-26-2011, 19:44
Hey, I am planning on hiking the same route the same week! I just got my map today and am trying to figure out where to park. Im not a fast hiker so am planning on taking my time I have 8 days in which to hike the trail. Anyone have any suggestions on the best (safest) place to park, and direction to hike in?
GAJethro
01-31-2012, 09:33
Did either of you complete the loop? OR anyone else out there have anything to offer?
Did either of you complete the loop? OR anyone else out there have anything to offer?
The best I can offer is my report from 2009 if this link works:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?50543-Duncan-Ridge-Loop-some-AT
It is a pretty peaceful hike.... at least the DRT section is.
GAJethro
02-02-2012, 10:03
Thanks! It's #2 on my to do list this spring. I'm probably going to get on it middle March or first week of April.
"Thanks! It's #2 on my to do list this spring. I'm probably going to get on it middle March or first week of April."
I am planning on doing this hike again in the first week of April with my brother and son. We did it in June last year and i did not need a sleeping bag in my hammock. How cold does it get up there in your neck of the woods at night in Mar/Apr?
Thanks,
Thomas
We did complete the trail. It was challenging and fun.... You can see some of my videos from the trip here http://www.youtube.com/user/cachegagetman?feature=mhee
if you have any other question I will try to answer them
Elle Zee
04-10-2014, 09:17
Hi, my family's leaving Sunday to do the Georgia Loop Trail and I'm a little nervous about water on the Duncan Ridge. Has anyone done the Georgia Loop recently? I noticed this thread is from a few years ago so things might have changed. I'm bringing my kids, ages 9, 10, and 11 on the trip, so I'm a little more nervous about it than if it were just me and my husband. Any new info is appreciated. Happy hiking! Elle
maptester
04-10-2014, 10:49
I can't speak for the rest of Duncan Ridge Trail, but there is water at Wolf Pen Gap. It has been a fairly wet spring; we hiked the Coosa Backcountry trail (run a little ways with the DRT) this weekend (April 5-6, 2014) and useable water was flowing well from most of the seeps along the trail.
ChrisJackson
03-12-2015, 15:08
Going to do the Georgia Loop first week of April. Never done it before- excited. Seems CCW direction with DRT section first is the best way to go. That would mean parking at the north end of the loop near the intersection of the AT & the DRT. Any advice on parking in that area?
The loop is tough I hear, but, as far as navigating...seems simple enough for a CCW starting with DRT first: South on DRT, hang a left on the BMT, then hang a left on the AT.
Here's the lil reference map I'm using:
30207
Any recommendations on anything much appreciated! Thanks everyone. -Chris
Hot Flash
03-13-2015, 09:07
Going to do the Georgia Loop first week of April. Never done it before- excited. Seems CCW direction with DRT section first is the best way to go. That would mean parking at the north end of the loop near the intersection of the AT & the DRT. Any advice on parking in that area?
The loop is tough I hear, but, as far as navigating...seems simple enough for a CCW starting with DRT first: South on DRT, hang a left on the BMT, then hang a left on the AT.
Here's the lil reference map I'm using:
30207
Any recommendations on anything much appreciated! Thanks everyone. -Chris
I did it last September, and I parked just down the hill from Neels Gap at the Byron Reece Trailhead parking lot. It's about 1/4 mile hump back uphill on the road from there if you want to start at Mountain Crossings, or you can just go up the Byron Reece Trail and meet the AT on the way up towards Blood Mountain shelter.
The trail itself was marked pretty well, and there weren't any areas I really had to bushwhack when I did it, though there were parts where underbrush was pretty close or hanging partially into the trail. I found adequate water along the trail, though a lot of it along the Duncan Ridge section was just seeps. Gave me an excuse to sit for ten or fifteen minutes to get a water refill. Just be aware of how much water you have and take opportunity to refill when you are presented with it. I didn't have any trouble keeping ahead of my water needs by a liter or two.
The Duncan Ridge section is a good hump, but not nearly as tough as everyone makes it out to be. Some of it could use a bit of switchbacking, and you'll feel that lack in your legs and maybe your toes if your shoes don't fit right. Watch out in Wolfpen Gap, I encountered several nests of extremely large wasp-like insects there, who actively seek out light at night and will sting you for no reason. When I did it, I only saw one other person on the non-AT portion of the loop.
Have fun, and enjoy your hike!
ChrisJackson
03-13-2015, 09:31
Have fun, and enjoy your hike!
Thank you! Will do. Appreciate the information!
LuckyMan
03-13-2015, 16:12
I hiked it in four and a half days a couple of autumns ago; it was my first multi-night hike. It's a great route - the solitude on the Duncan Ridge (I met no one there) and the BMT (I met only one hiker plus of course people at the Toccoa River bridge) contrast nicely with the hubbub on the AT. I carried a lot of water. The DRT was easy to follow, at least then; apparently it is overgrown at times. Saw no bears but encountered a humongous boar on the DRT that looked like something out of "Beasts of the Southern Wilds."
ChrisJackson
03-19-2015, 10:15
Thanks! I've heard about boars on the DRT before, maybe I'll see some!
Has anyone ever parked at HWY 60 (Wilscot Gap)? Thinking of doing that and heading clockwise now. Just wondering if the parking is safe.
I did the Georgia Loop(AT/BMT/DRT) in Feb. Get the water info from Dances with Mice DRT beta and H2O along the DRT is not such a mystery! The water issue along the DRT is overblown IMHO.
Hot Flash
03-20-2015, 08:49
I did the Georgia Loop(AT/BMT/DRT) in Feb. Get the water info from Dances with Mice DRT beta and H2O along the DRT is not such a mystery! The water issue along the DRT is overblown IMHO.
Yeah, I found no real issues with staying ahead of my water needs, even at the end of summer. Just get it when you see it, and you'll be fine.
ChrisJackson
03-20-2015, 19:24
Cool. Gonna recon tomorrow. Starting at HWY 60 @ Wilscot Gap, will head out on the BMT and do a leg of the DRT...then head back Sunday. Then do the full loop in April.
The water issues are seasonal and mostly during drought times. The problem is that if the water table is low nearly all the sources close to the trail go dry on the DRT. That is certainly not a problem now as water is flowing strong everywhere around here.
Parking generally is pretty safe in GA. Crap does happen but the risk is not any more than that of my car parked in my own driveway in Suburban Atlanta. But if it does concern you you are welcome to park at my home here at Grassy Gap. I am right on the AT section of the loop.
ChrisJackson
03-23-2015, 10:15
Thanks FatMan! The parking at HWY 60 @ Wilscot Gap seemed fine. I'd not feel negatively about leaving a car there for 3 or 4 nights. I really enjoyed my little hike. The climb up out of Skeenah Gap was tough on me though! Afterwards I found the BMT/DRT intersection and went north to a nice camp with water (only about 20 minutes from the junction). Water is marked here. Down a steep side-trail but flowing pretty good.
ChrisJackson
05-24-2015, 17:25
Just finished up the Georgia Loop Saturday, May 23 2015. Started at Neels Gap, went south to the DRT junction below Blood Mtn and did the loop CCW.
Camp 1: Hour after Mulkey Gap on DRT
Camp 2: Hour after Bryson Gap on BMT
Camp 3: Gooch Gap Shelter area on AT
Camp 4: Woods Hole Shelter area on AT
Water was fine everywhere. I was glad to have my 3L Hoser on the DRT though. The DRT is far from dry but the water sources are farther apart. The 3L capacity worked out well.
Saw an interesting bird on the DRT descending Coosa Bald. It looked like a grouse but did not know we had grouse in Georgia. Pretty sure it was a “Ruffed Grouse” (http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/523). It was pretty unconcerned with me- crossed right in front of me and let me stand there and look at it while it scratched around for quite a while. Spooked a half dozen deer while stuffing my sleeping bag in my compactor bag one morning. We were completely unaware of each other till that bag started crinkling. Then they thundered off parallel to the ridge I was camped on making a terrific racket. Then saw a Red Salamander in the middle of the trail, hadn’t seen one of those before. A Garter snake. Too many snails to count. One turkey and one Pileated Woodpecker. The latter scared me to death. He was probably eating insects from a stump and let me hike right up next to the stump before he got spooked and flew off- stopping my heart for a second. He was huge. I did not realize how large they can get.
It’s interesting…the trails get wider as you move in this direction. The DRT is 6 to 12 inches wide, the BMT 12 to 24 inches, and the AT 24 to 48 inches. These are approximations…but definitely related to the number of hikers you’ll run into.
Probably wouldn’t change a thing if I did it again. In my opinion it gets easier as you transition from trail to trail. You could use the AT to make up lost time if necessary.
Will likely hit it again in the Fall to get a different perspective. It’s a jungle/rain forest right now. Beautiful.
Tried out Body Glide for the first time. It is amazing. It does not reduce chaffing, it eliminates it. Also used a Kindle Paperwhite for the first time and I’m hooked. It’s lighter than the book I was reading and the battery life is more than ample (claimed is 8 weeks on a single charge with 30 minutes per day usage).
Thanks everyone for your help!