Appalachian Trail - Springer Mountain to Woody Gap - July 9, 2012 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Appalachian Trail - Springer Mountain to Woody Gap |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Georgia |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | July 9, 2012 |
| Duration: | 2 days |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | Moderate |
| Trip Weather: | Partly Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Precipitation: | Rain, Showers |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 81-90, Low: 61-70 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | The kids are at camp for the week!!!! Amy and I parked the minivan at Woody Gap parking area Monday 7/9/2012 at around 9am and proceeded to Dunkin Donuts in Dalonega. After having breakfast we proceeded down hwy 9 to 52 west and stopped at Amicalola falls because I was not entirely sure how to get to FS road 42 where the Springer Mountain Access was and the start of our hike. On a side note, My wife and I are very familiar with hiking in bear country but after talking to the man at the booth in the entrance of the park we got a whole new appreciation for bears. He explained for several minutes about how big and powerful they were and after hearing him talk for several minutes I gave us a 50/50 shot of getting mauled to death by a giant bear. We literally had traffic backed up listening to this guy and finally he had us pull over and eventually gave us a map when he saw that we were getting tired of hearing about bears. He did also tell us of a car that a bear had broken into a week ago. We had just watched "A Cabin in the woods" and nicknamed him the harbinger" Good movie by the way. So after learning that "They don't have noses like you" and "their claws are this long" as he holds his hands out about a foot" we got a map and traveled on. We reached Springer mountain Access and took pictures of the car "The Harbinger" had talked about. It was trashed and we noticed taco bell wrappers and a bunch of other stuff a bear would like. A man on a dirt bike showed up. He was a nice guy who had retired in Atlanta and moved to the mountains. We started hiking around 12:30 in nice weather although a little warm at 85 degrees. The trail was fairly flat and well maintained. About three miles in we met a family that was headed to Three Forks Fall and the kids of that family ran ahead to scout it out. We took a side trail to the falls and stayed there a few minutes. Small falls but worth the three minute hike to it. We continued on and started hearing thunder. We got drenched in a downpour about two miles later. We arrived at Hawk Mountain shelter around 5pm and noticed there were three other people there. There were two young teachers from the Boston area and a 19 year old from south Africa. We shared stories and found out that "Goldstar" had hikes a lot out west on the JMT and PCT and was planning to hike the AT for 17 days into NC. She gave trail names to her friend "squeakers" and to the young South African " Sailboat" because he had sailed around the world for the last 3 years with his family. She squeaks sometimes apparently, but the only squeaking I heard that night was the mice in the shelter. "Sailboat" had met a girl out west about a week ago and she talked about the AT and there he was with all new stuff and no real plan. Man, I wish I were 19 again. They had just met but it looked like they were going to hike to NC together as "Sailboats" brother lived there. Ate dinner, had some hot wine and went to bed. Party time for the mice. I slept fine, but Amy had trouble sleeping due to the mice and noises. Woke up and got on the trial by 10am. Rearranged "Sailboats" pack as he had three huge welts on his back the night before that we had bandaged. Had to yell to him a few minutes later because he forgot his poles. Man, to be 19 again. The first part of the hike is up Sassafras Mountain and is fairly strenuous. After Sassafras we heard a lot of thunder but stumbled upon a cavelike overhang just as it started to rain. The five of us ate lunch and waited out the storm in dryness. We had a great 8 mile highlighted by going down some steps around Gooch's Gap that Amy had put in several years ago when she did some trailwork with a local AT trial group. There are several nice creeks that we passed around mile 6 with snakes and newts and such. Also, a beautiful Rhodedentrum areas right before getting to the shelter. No killer bears yet. At around 4pm we reached Gooch gap shelter. We were hiking with our three new friends but they were going on to Woody Gap. We met Chico#2 and his family from Colorado Springs. His daughter was a cross country runner and ran up and down trails for several hours after hiking. Later " Triathlon John" rolled in. An interesting guy from Tampa who was hiking the AT to train for an ironman that he was doing later this year. He had hiked 18 miles at an impressive pace. Then a Boy scout troop came in and pitched tents down the hill from the shelter. We got a fire going and had a good chat with Chico's family and John. John had made a stove out of a cat food container which was pretty cool and functional. Chico#2 and family and us went to sleep in the shelter. Very good night sleep, probably because of the huge black snake Chico#2's daughter had seen earlier as she came running into camp screaming. Woke |
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