There are hikes you sometimes feel compelled to do and that
is the way I have felt about the section of
Appalachian Trail (AT) from
Woody Gap to
Neel Gap. Well, on Sunday I finally did this over 11 mile stretch of the AT. Now,
most of this section I am familiar with. I had hiked about 1.5 miles one-way
from Woody Gap up to
Big Cedar Mountain. The back half of this hike I had done
even more of, about five miles in fact from Jarrard Gap to Neel Gap. The reason that I have hiked different parts of this stretch is that the AT here
goes over my favorite spot in Georgia,
Blood Mountain. In fact, I had hiked to
its summit on five other occasions. Because of this, I will just touch on the parts of this
section that I have blogged about before. I am going to split this blog into segments while I will write less about some parts there will be pictures
for all.
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| April 2013: My first hike at Woody Gap |
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| April 2013: First time at Blood Mountain. |
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| February 2014: While not my first visit, it was my first hike into Neel Gap |
Anyway, since the mileage on this is beyond Deb’s five-mile
limit, I had thought of different scenarios on how I would do this. For those
who don’t this is a shuttle hike. Unless you are one of those beast-mode trail
runners, to do this in one day you will need some kind of
shuttle from Neel’s back to Woody Gap. I had thought of putting it up as a
hike on
Hike Georgia. While it is not too far back from Neel’s to Woody about 30 minutes (16
miles) I have also seen this done as a key switch (where you split the group and hand-off the keys halfway or about). Deb volunteered to come and
get me and shuttle me back and this was the plan for this past Saturday.
However, I am a member of a group on Facebook called
North Georgia Hiking / Backpacking Club. The guy who runs, Gregg Erwin, put up on the
page did anyone want to do this section Sunday. So after messaging with him, I
decided to change my day and go with Greg. By Saturday night it looked like we
would have three others going out. But, as these hikes go two people canceled last
minute and one didn’t show.
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| I had to stop to check my phone... |
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| ...but I got to see some of where I would hike...nice! |
Because of this (Gregg who was meeting the person who didn't show at the parking and
ride in Dahlonega), I got to Woody Gap before he did. It allowed me to first
stop at the
Chestatee Overlook and then hike a little way down south on the AT
to look for wildflowers. It was a beautiful morning at Woody Gap and while
busy, the parking lots were pretty full, but the vibe was different. It is obvious
that the peak of the thru-hiking season here had passed.
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| Woody Booger shadow. |
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| The Woody Gap vista. |
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| I hike a little ways down the AT & found... |
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| ...Robin's Plantain... |
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| ...Sweet Betsy... |
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| ...& Dwarf Cinquefoil. |
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| Busy even early Sunday morning...Heathens! |
When Greg finally arrived we set out on the trail. We went
about two-tenths of a mile and Gregg realized that he had left his phone in the
parking area. So, as he ran back to Woody Gap and fortunately he found it
there. Still, he ran, both ways, so he was feeling it as we headed up Big Cedar
Mountain past the first two outcrops and up to Preaching Rock.
We took a break here for Gregg to catch his breath and what
better place could you stop. As I have said before it has a wonderful view, one of the best on the AT in Georgia.
After about a 15-minute stop it was on to the second great view, the Big
Cedar Mountain Vista. The funny thing here was at the junction to the short path
out to the vista someone had tried to cover the start of the trail. One, I know where
it is and two it is blue-blazed. I guess someone thinks that too many people
are learning about it, but it didn’t do much good as a couple and their dog
camped here the night before. After enjoying the view we headed back to the AT
and north. It was no time before we reached the h-Tree or as Andy, the person who showed it to me called it the
Captain Morgan Tree. As I have said before this is where I always turned around in the past, but that was not the case today.
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| Headed into the Blood Mtn. Wilderness. |
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| The Starting Line. |
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| This is about where Greg forgot his phone. |
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| Lunsford Gap. |
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| The Evil Dead Tree. |
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| 1st outcrop... |
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| ...2nd outcrop... |
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| ...Preaching Rock. |
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| At Preaching Rock. |
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| Headed on up the AT... |
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| ...& Big Cedar Mountain. |
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| It looks like someone was trying to hide the trail... |
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| ...with this view, I see why. |
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| He was enjoying himself |
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| The h-Tree & where I usually turned back...but not today! |
So this is the part of the section that I haven’t done. From
the h-Tree to Jarrard Gap is close to four and a half miles. The trail moves
down into Augerhole Gap passing a large rock. It is then downhill passing a small waterfall Dan
The gap before the AT heads back up to
Granny Top. At 3,505 it is just over a 300
foot climb up, but it is steeper than either of the topographical views of the
mountains one finds in
Dave “AWOL” Miller’s guide or the
official one. It might be that it doesn’t switch back much
here.
Once on Granny Top it the trail heads back down to Miller
Gap. It is here that one finds the junction with the Dockery Lake Trail. This
blue-blazed trail goes 3.5 miles down to
Dockery Lake Recreation Area. The
trail which has a hidden 200-foot waterfall at Pigeon Roast Creek leads to a
lake with camping, bathrooms and day-use parking.
From here the AT continues down until you reach Lance Creek.
This is a popular camping area because it is the last spot with good water
before the
bear canister regulation kicks in at Jarrard Gap. For those who don’t
know from March 1 to June 1, all hikers camping between Jarrard Gap and Neel Gap
(and this includes Blood Mountain) must use a bear canister. Since most
thru-hikers don’t want to carry one they camp here. However, since it has
become so popular there have been consequences. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
and the
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC) is working on stream restoration
in the area. That is why you will find a sign and ropes just before the small
footbridge.
The trail goes uphill for a bit before leveling out at Henry
Gap where it skirts a ridge before turning. It then climbs up to a flat summit
area called
Burnett Field Mountain (3,478 feet). This is a beautiful area that
leads finally leads down half-mile to Jarrard Gap.
On arriving at Jarrard Gap I had officially completed this
section as I hiked up to here this past October from
Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area as
part of the Slaughter Creek Loop Hike I did. While mileage-wise Jarrard Gap is slightly over
half it is the unofficial midway point of the hike and where we stopped for
lunch. I should mention while the whole of the AT had wildflowers starting
around Miller Gap to about here it was the most specimens I had ever seen.
There were early spring favorites like Spearleaf and White Violets, Star
Chickweed, Robin’s Plantain, Dwarf Crested Iris, Flaming Azaleas and some left
over Sweet Betsy’s (Toadshade Trillium). Then there were some new wildflowers like
Bluets, May-apple and Large-Flowered Trillium, including young white blooms and aging
pink/purple ones.
As I have written before this part of the AT skirts
Gaddis
and Turkey Stamp Mountains. It is around here that one gets the first look at
the highlight of most hikes in this area, Blood Mountain. It wasn’t long before
we reached the trail to Woods Hole Shelter. One of these
days I am going to hike the half-mile (one way) to this shelter. Oh, this also
signals that you have reached Bird Gap.
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| Reaching here marked completing this section... |
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| ...here I was in October 2014... |
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| ...& back Sunday. |
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| This month rested on my pack as I ate lunch. |
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| Headed up the AT from Jarrard Gap. |
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| I missed this tree the last time. |
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| Since it is spring I spotted Spearleaf Violet... |
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| ...White Violet... |
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| ...Star Chickweed... |
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| ...Robin's Plantain... |
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| ...Dwarf Crested Iris... |
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| ...Flaming Azalea... |
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| ...Sweet Betsy's... |
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| ...Wild Geranium... |
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| ...Bluets... |
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| ...May-apple... |
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| White Large-Flowered Trillium... |
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| ...& an aging purple one. |
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| ...Wild Strawberry... |
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| On the greening AT. |
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| Gregg was a good hiking partner. |
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| Our final climb awaits...Blood Mountain. |
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| REI hiking group at Bird Gap. |
Bird Gap is a spot that I have hiked many times. Once was
that hike last
October then three other times as part of the Blood Mountain
Loop. The Freeman Trail, which connects to the AT here, can be used as part of this loop
hike. I have hiked this loop both ways coming south in
December and heading
north from Bird Gap on the AT the first time (
October 2013) I did the loop and
the most recent (
March 21), so, I very familiar with this part of the AT.
While I have hiked this part a number of times it was
slightly tougher this time. It might have been the seven miles I had already
hiked to get to this point. Anyway, it was at the junction with the Slaughter Creek Trail that we
first met a section hiker, who we might have given a trail name of "Gatorade"
(because he was carrying a Gatorade bottle for water). One of the cool things
was he was from Virginia Beach, where I spent a lot of my formative years. He
was hiking to Virginia on the AT. Oh, and about trail names they are part of the fabric
of the AT; mine should be easy it is the name of this blog, Wood Booger. I need
to think one up for Gregg. It wouldn’t be
long before we entered the shrub trees and rhododendron which signals the
approach to the main event of the hike Blood Mountain.
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| The south end of the Freeman Trail at Bird Gap. |
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| "Where we met "Gatorade"... |
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| ...at the Slaughter Creek Trail junction. |
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| Headed up... |
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| ...& past the junction with the Duncan Ridge Trail. |
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| The AT heads up Blood Mountain. |
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| You are about at the summit when you see this tree... |
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| ...& you have arrived when you see the stone shelter. |
There are not too many more ways to express my love for Blood
Mountain. Even after many trips I never tire of the beauty from the summit.
While this was my sixth trip up it was Gregg’s first, but I don’t think it will
be his last. Like I said it was obvious that thru-hiking season had passed,
while busy it was what you would normally find here on a nice weekend, unlike
back in March when it was really crowded.
One of the cool things was spotting
Black and Big Cedar
Mountains and seeing how far we had hiked. It looks impressive when you are on
top of Blood Mountain. That was a nice moment.
I have described the trip down the south face of the
mountain and I have also described going up. Like I have said before the south
side of the mountain is a rocker and steeper than coming north on the AT from
Bird Gap. It is just over a mile down to Flatrock Gap, but it does seem longer especially
going up the mountain on the AT.
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| Headed down Blood Mountain. |
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| On the AT down the mountain. |
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| Another outcrop with a view of Levelland Mountain. |
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| Pyramid Rock. |
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| This section was sloppier the last time I was here. |
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| I love Big AT Rock! |
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| Back at Flatrock Gap. |
The final part of this hike was one-mile from Flatrock Gap
to Neel Gap. If you day hike this you should already know this, but you have to come up from the Byron Reese
Memorial on the seven-tenths mile trail of the same name. This is where
the day hiker parking is. However, I had done the hike from Flatrock to Neel
Gaps back in February of 2014 as part of my bitter cold and windy hike to
Levelland Mountain.
So, I know it is not
too bad of a hike down.
The main highlight of the hike to Neel Gap is just little more than a tenth of
a mile down as you come to Balance Rock. This formation of boulders looks like
one balanced on another it is pretty cool. Right down from it is a huge boulder
that looks like a giant whale or turtle, it is your choice. The AT here will
wind through Rhododendrons before heading down toward Neel Gap. You know your
close because you can hear the traffic on US 19. In winter you can actually see
the road.
It was about here where we
caught up with “Gatorade” again. Finally, you are there, the first thing you see
is the Blood Mountain Wilderness sign and information board. Then there is the
section hike Neel Gap sign with the mileage to Woody Gap, which I called the finish line. It was here that
Gregg’s friend who was shuttling us back to Woody Gap met us with his dog PJ.
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| While the Freeman Trail sign is still here... |
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| ...the Byron Reese hasn't been replaced. |
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| Headed on the AT too... |
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| ...Balance Rock... |
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| ...& the Whale Boulder. |
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| The AT... |
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| leaves the Blood Mountain Wilderness. |
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| The Finish Line! |
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| Mountain Crossing at Wal |
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| Section smile... |
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| Gregg was happy too! |
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| The vista from Neel Gap. |
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| Six Times! |
After
a little time at Mountain Crossing, we headed back to Woody Gap and to get our
cars. Anyway, I got to hike a section of the AT I have always wanted to complete, I got
to go to Blood Mountain…again and I met some new friends along the way so all-in-all it was
excellent day out.
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| Black Mountain. |
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| PJ at... |
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| Woody Gap & the end of the day! |
AT Section Hikes: Woody Gap To Neel Gap
My Take:
For Difficulty – 4 Stars
For Trail Conditions – 4 Stars
For Views – 5 Stars
For Solitude – 3 Stars
Overall – This is the AT section hike in Georgia I have
wanted to above all others and it lived up to expectations. Since I had hiked a
lot of it I wasn’t surprised by its difficulty. It was tough but at over 11
miles and a lot of elevation gain. This is the AT so the trail through here is
great. If the view for Blood Mountain is a five, then adding on Woody, Gap, Preaching Rock, the Big Cedar Mountain Vista
it should be a 10. While Blood Mountain was crowded, the rest of the trail was
less so. We passed other hikers, but it was obvious thru-hiking season has
passed.
Pete’s Take :
For Difficulty – 3
Rabbits Paws
For Trail Conditions – 4 Rabbits Paws
For Views – 5 Rabbits Paws
For Solitude – 2 Rabbits
Paws
Overall – YES! I loved this hike, it was long, it was on the
AT and we got to climb Blood Mountain. The AT is always well maintained. Like
the Lummox said it was better than a five. I bumped this up a bit because if
you take out Blood Mountain we didn’t pass a ton of people. Since we were doing
a section all of these were hikers. The crowd at Blood wasn’t as bad as March.
This was one of my favorite hikes! Oh, and Greg was pretty cool too.
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