Tales From The Wood Booger: Thru-Hiker Highway Or More Wonders At Woody Gap On Big Cedar Mountain

Monday, March 16, 2015

Thru-Hiker Highway Or More Wonders At Woody Gap On Big Cedar Mountain

If you hike like I do then you know this is the start of thru-hiking season on the Appalachian Trail (AT). Yesterday, Deb and I decided to hike at one of our favorite spots at Woody Gap up Big Cedar Mountain.

Where we started.

This hike features some great spots like Preaching Rock, a big vista with views of Pine and Yonah Mountains. Then on down the trail is the Big Cedar Vista, where a short spur trail leads to an even better outcrop, because it has a great view and less people than Preaching Rock. Then we hiked on to the “Captain Morgan” h tree and then another tenth of a mile past there before Deb decided she wanted to head back.

Headed up Big Cedar Mountain.

Lunsford Gap.

Welcome sunshine on the AT.

Second outcrop.

Vista from Preaching Rock.

Headed up...

...Big Cedar Mountain.

One of my favorite shots on the AT.

The junction to the Big Cedar Vista (right).

Big Cedar Vista.

Cool shot of white blaze & h tree.

We continued on for another tenth of a mile...

...before Deb said it was time to head back.

The trail back.

This was the most crowded days I have ever seen at Woody Gap. We got up there before 10am and parking on both sides of GA 60 was almost full. There were some Trail Angels set up at the picnic tables on the northbound side of Woody Gap. Trail Angels are individuals who set up at major road crossings (like Woody Gap) to give food, water and other items to thru-hikers, this is called trail magic (here is a good blog post about this by Clever Girl). So, most of the congestion was at Woody Gap, on the trail it was no more crowded than other days I have been out on during-thru hiking season. Preaching Rock was busy, but it always is so that wasn’t a surprise it was just at Woody Gap that was packed.

Big crowd at Woody Gap

Trail Angels.

Once again Deb and I played the game on who will make it to Katahdin and who won't. Like I told her for every 10 hikers we spotted less than three will make it all the way to Maine. There was one guy I noticed, a nice gentleman who had an extensive vocabulary, was carrying a relic of the past an old external frame pack. I have seen newer ones and this wasn’t one of those. In this day of ultra-light hiking it was just a strange to see that on the AT.

Guy on the right with his external frame pack.

Will these be two who make it?

Iconic white blaze that so many follow.

Besides the crowds another thing that surprised us was the weather. I had checked it, but it turned out to be colder (mid 40’s) and much winder (25+mph) at Woody Gap than I anticipated. Luckily I packed a toque but it still almost ended our day before it started, but Deb was a trooper and soldiered on. By the time we reached Preaching Rock I had ditched the toque and Deb her gloves. It did help that the wind was on the north side of the mountain and in the gap (Woody), while the trail switch backed to the south side. Anyway later it had warmed to the point where there was a girl in yoga shorts and a sports bar at Preaching Rock (sorry no photos). That is spring weather for you.

Deb shows that the day started cold & windy...

...& I needed my Turtle Fur Toque.

Deb was glad it warmed up.

Another thing one will find in spring is what I call seasonal waterfalls. With rain and snow melt you will see small waterfalls that only happen at certain times. One of these is at a rock cliff face near Woody Gap. It is a 25 footer that I have nicknamed Woody Gap Falls.

The place where you find...

...Woody Gap Falls.

Anyway, if you’re a day hiker and are never going to hike from Georgia to Maine I suggest a trip on the AT during thru-hiking season, it is fun to see what the fuss is all about. Below are more photos from our day out.