Trail Guide to Duncan Ridge Trail...and other stuff

[Dances with Mice]

Speaking of Sarvis Gap, continuing counter-clockwise from there the next mountains are: Payne Knob (it really is a pain), Gregory Mtn (with an old pit mine on the downhill flank), then you'll climb over a ridge running across the Duncan Ridge. That's all as described in the guide. Imagine my surprise when I found yet another mountain between that ridge and Rhodes Mtn. I don't know who put it there but I'd like to strangle them. I don't know the name of the mountain. It's about as high and steep as Payne or Gregory. I was not amused.

I had to look this one up - I was sure I was in Rhodes Mtn Gap then I had to climb another mountain to get to Rhodes. What's up with that? The "new mountain" to the west of Rhodes Mtn Gap is "just" a shoulder of Rhodes Mtn.

Boy, is it a big damn shoulder. And the ridge between Gregory and Rhodes is named "Chinquapin Ridge" but I'm sure you can make up your own name for it. I did.

[Optoomistic]

just hiked thru the drt from west to east and ill say that its reputation as challenging is well deserved. I'll put it this way. Dont take out of shape rookies that you work with they will bring cans of beer, steaks, whiskey and a fishing pole?? and not get up the first hill... quitting before the first night.. and the other two, one a self proclaimed "alpha male" thumbing it to 60 early on day 2... shakes head..

water sources are not marked
the trail was blazed and cleared inconsistently (from cosa bald to 180 there were 2 major re-routings unmarked and confusing)
id love to see a few of the summits marked as-well for reference

that being said
the remote and rugged qualities of the trail make for an adventure and as sore as your legs might get and as scarce as the water may seem, your really not far from rescue if it hits the fan GO FOR IT but dont bring "the guys from work"

[Dances with Mice]

just hiked thru the drt from west to east

That was one great trip report. Tell us some more! So your buddies never made it past GA-60? Did you tell them that was the easy part? The DRT has chewed up and spit out a lot of hikers, myself included.

I'm going to try to mark some water sources on my walk this year.

The trail hasn't been relo'd but it can be confusing in places. It's a good time to talk about it - the trail will often follow old logging roads for relatively long stretches. The trail will be wide and well-graded then it will veer off the old roadbed. The roadbed continues and if you miss where the trail goes you tend to keep walking down the roadbed. The trail isn't worn down to mineral soil like the AT, it's covered with leaves and grass so it can be easy for a tired hiker to keep slogging away the wrong way. If the trail makes a turn it will be double blazed but sometimes the roadbed turns and the trail continues straight. Those places won't be double blazed. If you start fighting through a lot of blowdowns you're probably off the trail. Turn around and backtrack looking for blazes.

We tried to barricade off some of those places on our last work trip. But some locals ride those old jeep roads during hunting season, clearing blowdowns and barricades as they go. I've seen a jeep at Bryson Gap, a place where the trail slants off a roadbed.

So stay alert. The trail is what it is. It's a little surprising that happened to you around Coosa because somebody went wild blazing the Coosa Trail portion with yellow paint.

It's a physically demanding trail that you have to think your way through.

[Dances with Mice]

Next week I'm hiking the DRT, east to west. Mr. Two Speed has kindly volunteered to shuttle me from the Springer lot, where I'll leave a vehicle, to Winfield Scott where I'll take the Slaughter Creek Trail up to meet the AT near the start of the DRT.

And by the way, be aware that if Two ever offers to shuttle you he has a tendency to ask lots of nit-picky questions like "What day do you want to start?" and "Where should I meet you?" and "What time will you be there?" and "Where do you want me to drop you off?" He wanted to know all sorts of miniscule trivia like that. I humored him and eventually provided answers to all those questions.

I'll be taking notes & photos and updating the Trail Guide. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there any sort of information you'd like to know that is missing from the previous guides?

But wait! There's more! I'll be carrying signs to mark three water sources - the one at White Oak Stomp, Bryson Gap, and Licklog Gap, none of which are now marked. The GATC has given their permission and blessing so it's official.

I have sections of cedar fence boards painted with large blue "W"s and arrows. I'll place one facing each way on the Trail at the turn-off to the water source, pointing to the water and another with just a "W" somewhere near the source. So three markers per water source, follow the arrows and look for the last marker. I have a spare for possible placement at Bryant Gap if I can locate the source, road construction obliterated the old FS road that used to lead to a stream.

That will leave two major water sources unmarked - at Wolfpen Gap and Mulky Gap. Those sources are a ways off the trail on roads so I can't mark them.

This is going to be a slow hike with all the stopping and carrying what amounts to enough wood for a very nice campfire most of the way, plus a bunch of monster nails, a hammer and a big honking knife for smoothing the bark under the signs and trimming branches if needed to place the signs. Rambo himself would be scared of this knife. So if anyone wants to meet me and hike for a bit it will be no problem trying to find or keep up with me. Leaving beer at any road crossing ahead of me is sure to earn you big Karma points.

If I could locate a surveyor's wheel I'd take that too. Might as well since "ultralight" and "fast" are not going to be words used to describe this hike now anyway. There's a week before I start if anyone knows of one I could borrow.

I'm really looking forward to this. It's my spring break.

[envirodiver]

Yeah I missed where the trail slanted off the roadbed at Bryson Gap. It was a long walk back up the mountain after I realized my error.

How many total miles is the BMT, DRT, AT loop?

[Dances with Mice]

Yeah I missed where the trail slanted off the roadbed at Bryson Gap. It was a long walk back up the mountain after I realized my error.

How many total miles is the BMT, DRT, AT loop?

Twice in different years I've spaced out and missed turns off roadbeds between Fish and Bryson Gaps. The Loop is about 60'ish or high-70'ish miles depending on if you include the portion from Long Creek Falls to Springer and back or not.

[envirodiver]

Hmmmm the loop sounds like a great week hike. Sounds like you could walk 8-10 miles per day and do it in a week easy. I've done the BMT section to where the DRT splits off to the east, but really liked it and wouldn't mind doing it again.

Is there a prefered direction that it would be better to do the loop?

[Dances with Mice]

Something didn't look right - and it wasn't. I've already gotten lost and I haven't even left yet.

Substitute Sarvis Gap for Bryson Gap in my last couple of entries. Markers at White Oak, Sarvis, and Licklog will be installed. The spring at Bryson is already well marked.

[Egads]

Don't forget to mark the stream at Hwy 60 "Drink at your own risk, chicken poop in water".

Egads

[John Klein]

[quote=Dances with Mice;593985]Is there any sort of information you'd like to know...
quote]
Campsites, please. Thanks for marking the water sources. I'm sure you'll let us know how well they are flowing.

[Hikerhead]

Something didn't look right - and it wasn't. I've already gotten lost and I haven't even left yet.

Substitute Sarvis Gap for Bryson Gap in my last couple of entries. Markers at White Oak, Sarvis, and Licklog will be installed. The spring at Bryson is already well marked.

The one at Licklog will be appreciated by the BMT hikers also. Thanks

[kentuckyblue]

There are several of us 2007 thru-hikers trying to do this loop before Trail Days. What are your recommendations for direction? Your trail guide is counter-clockwise, just curious.

[Egads]

Depends on whether you want to hike the hard part first or last. The climbs on the DRT will be easier with a lighter pack (last), but it will be easier with fresher legs (first). You choose.

It also depends on where you start.

The hardest section is from Hwy 60 north to Blood (clockwise). The rest is easy.

Egads

[Dances with Mice]

There are several of us 2007 thru-hikers trying to do this loop before Trail Days. What are your recommendations for direction? Your trail guide is counter-clockwise, just curious.

I've done it both ways. In Spring I think it's fun to go with the flow of the aspiring thru-hikers on the AT portion, so that's the way I've done it the last couple of years and mostly why the trail guide is counter-clockwise. Your starting point determines whether you do the AT portion first (start at Springer) or last (start at Blood and do the DRT/BMT first.)

I like to do the DRT/BMT portion first, either direction. You get the hardest portion over first with fresh legs and then the AT looks like an 8-lane super highway.

[Dances with Mice]

Bag is packed, just killing time waiting to go.... Here's some figures to share:

Pack with hiking stuff (tent, bag, clothes, stove, etc), no food, fuel or water - 15 pounds.

Pack with 4 days food - 22 pounds.

Pack with all the above plus fuel, signs, nails, big honking knife, maps, notebook and copy of trail guide to revise on the go - 32 pounds. Not too bad, really.

A week off in Spring to hike the DRT then help clear my section of the AT: Priceless.

And with that I'm about out of here! Look for an update next week.

Oh, almost forgot: Beer. Road crossings. Beer. Road crossings. Beer. Road crossings.

[Dances with Mice]

OK, I'm at Cloud 9 tonite, finished the Duncan Ridge yesterday evening, waiting here for my co-maintainer to come up tomorrow and hit our portion of the AT.

So I hiked using my trail guide and made copious notes and at the top, written in all caps, underlined, are the words "KEEP THE GUIDE TO ONE FRICKIN' PAGE!!"

Update coming soon. Trail's in good condition, all water sources are flowing well, 3 of them are newly marked and one more is marked more clearly. The DRT is blue blazed, right? So how did the Benton Mac maintainers mark the trail to water at Licklog Gap? Right. It's blue blazed. The DRT gets no respect.

To DRT hikers it appeared that the Benton Mac & DRT split at Licklog gap. But now the first blue blazes at that gap are co-signed with "W" signs. Sources at Whie Oak Stomp and Sarvis Gap are also marked, as is the road leading to water at Mulky Gap.

The Trail is well marked, no major blow-downs, and the briars and brambles haven't covered the trail. Yet.

It was a good hike.

[Egads]

The DRT is blue blazed, right? So how did the Benton Mac maintainers mark the trail to water at Licklog Gap? Right. It's blue blazed. The DRT gets no respect.

To DRT hikers it appeared that the Benton Mac & DRT split at Licklog gap. But now the first blue blazes at that gap are co-signed with "W" signs.

I noticed that too. Also, there are few if any blue blazes for the DRT on the ridge between Licklog & Rhodes Mtns.

Enjoy your hike.

Egads

[Dances with Mice]

I haven't loaded my photos yet or redone the trail guide but I guess a trip report is overdue.

The DRT is in the best shape I've ever seen it. Sunday afternoon Two Speed dropped me off on the Slaughter Creek Trail, I hiked up to the AT and up the southern side of Blood to the DRT intersection. I meant to camp on Wildcat but missed the campsites somebody had reported beside the newly relo'd trail. So I found an idyllic little campsite on the east side of Coosa. Nice little fire ring, cute little grassy tent clearing, great view to the north, giant dead tree with broken trunk leaning over the campsite. Yeah, everything was perfect except for that whole 'chance of being crushed to death' thing. I tented across the trail out of range of the leaner.

Monday I hiked to Mulky Gap. I stopped and marked the spring at White Oak Stomp with "W" signs pointing across the road, and placed another sign down near the spring. The trail was well marked but you had to hike with your head up. The trail often follows old logging roads then slides off the road onto a single track path. Since the trail isn't worn down to mineral soil you can easily miss these changes and continue merrily down the roadbed. You have to watch for the blazes. After the DRT splits from the Coosa backcountry, the path is often covered with leaves or even grass. There are even some intersecting game trails that look just like the DRT. The sidehill portion that had been rooted out by wild hogs last year had settled and firmed up. I cowboy camped above the water source at Mulky Gap and, on the way out the next morning, left a "W" sign at the gated entrance to the road that leads to water.

Tuesday I did the mountains between Mulky and a little campsite just north of Walhalla. I marked the spring at Sarvis and added signs at Licklog Gap. The trail is easy to follow on this portion. It's almost always directly on the ridge.

Wednesday I hiked over Walhalla Mtn and continued on to the Springer parking. After the DRT hits the Benton Mac, you're back on a much more worn, easy to follow footpath.

Nice weather, all water sources were flowing. Dogwoods were blooming and bloodroot was just starting to flower.

The only interesting wildlife were two vultures perched on the side of Slaughter Mtn.

[Skidsteer]

Dang, I figured you were ahead of me.

I did the Slaughter-AT-Jarrard Gap loop hoping to catch you. Got back to Winfield Scott about lunchtime or a little after.

[Dances with Mice]

Dang, I figured you were ahead of me.

I did the Slaughter-AT-Jarrard Gap loop hoping to catch you. Got back to Winfield Scott about lunchtime or a little after.

We started this treck off in grand fashion. Two, me and a buddy of mine left Springer Sunday morning and bushwhacked over to the AT. Only it was the Benton Mac.

We discovered this but figured "What the heck, how far out of the way can it be?" and instead of turnng around we kept going. Later we looked at the map and discovered the answer was about 5 miles.

So that's how you turn a 0.9 mile downhill stroll into a 6 mile walk and an early morning start into a mid-afternoon start. But it reminded me to pay close attention to my whereabouts while on the DRT.

And we drove up to the end of Slaughter Gap road, didn't start at the park.