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  1. #61

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    Quote Originally Posted by Egads View Post
    This is interesting. How do you obtain & compile the data?
    hey Egads,

    Here's a link to a post on the BMT forum, where I talk about how I create profiles: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...7&postcount=32

    However, the DRT profiles required some extra work since I only started off with a partial gps track. I've hiked the BMT section of the Duncan Ridge with a GPS unit in the past... so I already had a pretty good gps track for that section.... for the other half of the trail I had to sketch a rough gps path in Google Earth .... based on the DRT route shown on USGS topo quads. The accuracy of this gps track isn't great, but it probably doesn't affect the profiles too much.

  2. #62

    Default Duncan Ridge Trail Map Set

    Hello Again,

    After creating the elevation profile... I decided that I should make some maps to complement the profiles.

    Here are the results:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/Johnsonc...nRigeTrailMaps

    Notes:
    1. I have hiked the BMT section of the Duncan Ridge with a GPS unit.. so the GPS track for that half of the trail is pretty good. However, I have never hiked the other half, so I don't have an accurate gps track for that section. The route for that section follows the route shown on the USGS background map... which may or may not be accurate. If someone has some good gps data that they can provide, I should be able to update the maps.

    2. The Northern Terminus of the DRT may be a little bit off on the maps... due to the issue mentioned above.... I noticed that it doesn't match up with the small map posted by Dances With Mice earlier in this thread. Basically, I need better data before I can make changes to this.

    3. The maps are high resolution, about 3.5 megabytes each. You can download them by clicking the "Download Photo" link on the right side of the picasa screen. The maps may appear distorted if you zoom in online... this is due to picasa's online viewer, so you'll need to download the photo to your computer to view it in higher resolution.

    4. The mileage on the labels is consistent with the mileage on the elevation profile... which is calculated based on the gps track.

    5. As with all of my maps, this is a work in progress, and this is post is for the "first edition" so there's certainly room for improvement.

    --Mr. Parkay

  3. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Klein View Post
    Wow. I did part of that section in June and I thought no one else had hiked it in years.
    The DRT gets walked about more than it's talked about.
    Moses

  4. #64
    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    Y'know, after all this time you think I could get it right. Some corrections...

    Section 1 - Blood Mtn Trailhead to Wolfpen Gap (GA-180 intersetion). 2.5 miles. The trail is easy to follow and well marked. From Blood it follows the old route of the AT to near Slaughter Gap, then cuts north, joins the Coosa Backcountry Trail and regains the ridge. It follows the ridge to Wolfpen Gap. WATER - About 1 mile past the Blood Mtn trailhead is a small creek the trail crosses with stepping stones. At Wolfpen Gap water is south on the road, right at a bend in the road. CAMPSITES - At Wolfpen Gap, down a closed road immediately south of the Trail, east side of road: Flat campsites are on another overgrown logging road above a stream.

    Section 2 - Wolfpen Gap to Mulky Gap, about 8 miles.
    Extensive trail relo around Wildcat Mtn, the trail sidehills around Wildcat, climbs Coosa Bald then after Whiteoak Stomp the trail is mostly sidehill along the ridge until it turns north at Bryant Gap. WATER - Whiteoak Stomp, Mulky Gap. CAMPSITES on east side of Coosa (dry), just west of Coosa summit (dry), several campsites at various gaps between Whiteoak Stomp and Bryant Gaps (dry) and Mulky Gap.

    Heads up! Once the trail separates from the Coosa the trail will often follow old logging roads then cut away from them and rejoin another old road. The cutoffs are blazed but your attention is required. The Trail is not worn and becomes a soft forest path. This may be the least-used portion of the trail. I can't emphasize this enough: Stay alert! Old logging roads and even game trails resemble the DRT along this section. Watch for blazes and check your map often.

    Water location at Whiteoak is marked. It's across the road and downhill 150 yards. Water at Mulky is down a gated road, a tree at the gate is marked with a blue "W" sign. Water and campsites at Mulky are about 250 yards down the road, west side of road. Trees in the area have been bulldozed down, so lots of firewood (!!!). Nice campsite between spring and road on old logging road.

    Mulky Gap to GA-60 - about 11 miles. WATER - Mulky (described above), Sarvis Gap, Licklog Gap. CAMPSITES - Fish Gap (dry), Sarvis Gap, Rhodes Mtn summit (dry), Licklog Gap, Wallalah Gap (dry), just before GA-60 (creek not recommended as water source).

    Easy trail to follow, difficult footpath to walk. Lots of ups and downs, the trail mostly stays on the ridgeline and hits most of the peaks along this section, with one nice break as it avoids Fish Knob and skirts around a pretty hardwood cove leading into Fish Gap. Trail connects with Benton MacKay downhill from Rhodes Summit. Springs at Sarvis and Licklog Gaps are marked. Creek immediately before GA-60 is downstream from livestock. Small store about 1/4 mile east on GA-60 has resupply items, drinks, and prepared food but no beer. :-(

    GA-60 to Long Creek Falls - about 11.5 miles. WATER - stream south side of Taccoa footbridge, Byson Gap, stream 1/4 mile south of large wildlife clearing near mile 9. CAMPSITES - Taccoa footbridge, Bryson Gap, several along stream mentioned above, large campsites near Long Creek Falls.

    Easy to follow footpath, the only major climbs are from GA-60 to the ridge (very gradual) from the river back to the ridge and a few short climbs along ridge leading Long Creek.

    But remember: Beware of the most dangerous part of the DRT:

    THE SIGN EATING TREES![/QUOTE]
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

  5. #65
    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    Bump, since there's been some interest in the DRT lately.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dances with Mice View Post
    Y'know, after all this time you think I could get it right. Some corrections...

    Section 1 - Blood Mtn Trailhead to Wolfpen Gap (GA-180 intersetion). 2.5 miles. The trail is easy to follow and well marked. From Blood it follows the old route of the AT to near Slaughter Gap, then cuts north, joins the Coosa Backcountry Trail and regains the ridge. It follows the ridge to Wolfpen Gap. WATER - About 1 mile past the Blood Mtn trailhead is a small creek the trail crosses with stepping stones. At Wolfpen Gap water is south on the road, right at a bend in the road. CAMPSITES - At Wolfpen Gap, down a closed road immediately south of the Trail, east side of road: Flat campsites are on another overgrown logging road above a stream.

    Section 2 - Wolfpen Gap to Mulky Gap, about 8 miles.
    Extensive trail relo around Wildcat Mtn, the trail sidehills around Wildcat, climbs Coosa Bald then after Whiteoak Stomp the trail is mostly sidehill along the ridge until it turns north at Bryant Gap. WATER - Whiteoak Stomp, Mulky Gap. CAMPSITES on east side of Coosa (dry), just west of Coosa summit (dry), several campsites at various gaps between Whiteoak Stomp and Bryant Gaps (dry) and Mulky Gap.

    Heads up! Once the trail separates from the Coosa the trail will often follow old logging roads then cut away from them and rejoin another old road. The cutoffs are blazed but your attention is required. The Trail is not worn and becomes a soft forest path. This may be the least-used portion of the trail. I can't emphasize this enough: Stay alert! Old logging roads and even game trails resemble the DRT along this section. Watch for blazes and check your map often.

    Water location at Whiteoak is marked. It's across the road and downhill 150 yards. Water at Mulky is down a gated road, a tree at the gate is marked with a blue "W" sign. Water and campsites at Mulky are about 250 yards down the road, west side of road. Trees in the area have been bulldozed down, so lots of firewood (!!!). Nice campsite between spring and road on old logging road.

    Mulky Gap to GA-60 - about 11 miles. WATER - Mulky (described above), Sarvis Gap, Licklog Gap. CAMPSITES - Fish Gap (dry), Sarvis Gap, Rhodes Mtn summit (dry), Licklog Gap, Wallalah Gap (dry), just before GA-60 (creek not recommended as water source).

    Easy trail to follow, difficult footpath to walk. Lots of ups and downs, the trail mostly stays on the ridgeline and hits most of the peaks along this section, with one nice break as it avoids Fish Knob and skirts around a pretty hardwood cove leading into Fish Gap. Trail connects with Benton MacKay downhill from Rhodes Summit. Springs at Sarvis and Licklog Gaps are marked. Creek immediately before GA-60 is downstream from livestock. Small store about 1/4 mile east on GA-60 has resupply items, drinks, and prepared food but no beer. :-( NOW CLOSED.

    GA-60 to Long Creek Falls - about 11.5 miles. WATER - stream south side of Taccoa footbridge, Byson Gap, stream 1/4 mile south of large wildlife clearing near mile 9. CAMPSITES - Taccoa footbridge, Bryson Gap, several along stream mentioned above, large campsites near Long Creek Falls.

    Easy to follow footpath, the only major climbs are from GA-60 to the ridge (very gradual) from the river back to the ridge and a few short climbs along ridge leading Long Creek.

    But remember: Beware of the most dangerous part of the DRT:

    THE SIGN EATING TREES!
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

  6. #66
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    Default mind if I step in for a minute?

    Hello to "Dances with Mice", and to others....I'm planning a drive up from Orlando in the first or second week of October. Planning to pay to park at Vogel, and then hike the loop counter clockwise and return to Vogel (5 or 6 days?). I searched a few minutes and found this discussion. Coincidently it was recently bumped by the author, which is great.

    Over the years, I've sectioned the AT from the parking lot at Amicalola to Unicoi Gap. Also day-hiked several times on car camping visits. I hiked the Coosa circle out of Vogel in a one day thing. And I've covered in my jeep most all the forest roads in the area around Suches crossroads. So I'm familiar with what I want to do. But I have not hiked the "loop" before (the trail described in the above comments from "dances", and associates.

    Just wanted to say thank you for the details.

    Vogel will be busy with fall campers on the weekends, so I'll poke around in the jeep when I get up there. Maybe park on a sunday night and hike during the week days. Was planning to cache some water at a few forest road crossings (maybe wolfpen gap, mulky gap, cooper gap, etc. I've owned the green and white n. georgia wildlife management area map for many years. Was planning to use that on the hike, and the specific 5 part map posted a few entries back in this thread.

    I also found another topic with a couple fellas planning to hike this loop...perhaps as I type. So maybe they'll report in a few days.

    Really nothing else to say...just yet. Gotta get a few ducks in a row over the next few days. Thanks for any comments or suggestions. Kind of interested in observations about hunting activities in early October, and maybe water sources along the AT (hightower to slaughter) finish.

    Steve

  7. #67
    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    Go here for the best information on water sources along that portion of the AT.

    I don't see a need to cache water, the DRT specific sources that might be dry would be the Whiteoak Stomp gap immediately after Coosa Bald. Bryson Gap gets pretty iffy in dry weather also.

    Water sources at Wolfpen & Mulky should be fine, stashing water might not be needed. But I'd consider hiding a food cache at the GA-60 / DRT crossing, a black plastic trash bag hung like a bear bag in that area would work. That would keep your pack weight down while traversing the most fun part of the DRT.
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

  8. #68
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    thank you for the reply. I checked out your link to the georgia trail club. It helps with my plans.

    I don't hang out here on your forum, I only recently signed up. So maybe I should limit what I say in this particular thread.

    Steve

  9. #69

    Default DRT Hike...

    Quote Originally Posted by stevew View Post
    thank you for the reply. I checked out your link to the georgia trail club. It helps with my plans.

    I don't hang out here on your forum, I only recently signed up. So maybe I should limit what I say in this particular thread.

    Steve
    Myself, Shannan and his friend are hiking that Trail starting Sunday... We have just had 3 or 4 days of rain, so I'm not worried about water anymore... Shannan had the same idea to stash water, but it won't be a problem... DWM is right about some of water sources are a hike in a hike ... You are also cutting it close to it being general gun season, and at least 3 campsites I came across in March when I hiked it looked like were used as Hunting Camps...

  10. #70

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    Bumping it up. Not a bad time to do the DRT or include it as part of a longer hike.

  11. #71

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    My wife and I are doing the Georgia loop the second week of May. Any updates on the Duncan Ridge trail? It's the part that worries us the most. Did this store re-open->Small store about 1/4 mile east on GA-60 has resupply items, drinks, and prepared food but no beer. :-( NOW CLOSED.


  12. #72
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    The store did not appear to have re-opened when I went by there a few weeks back. The driveway was still blocked off. Water supply is good (for the DRT, that is) as of this past weekend. In the past month or so, I've covered from Fish Gap to Coosa Bald and it's all passable although a couple large blowdowns that may require stooping to get under. If you are worried due to the elevation changes, all I can say is do be sure you're in good shape, as it is strenuous but manageable. If it's water or trail conditions you're concerned with, I don't think there should be any major issues. In case you aren't aware - DO NOT get water from the Toccoa River or Little Skeenah Creek! For me, this is a local trail. PM me if you have specific issues that are not of general interest, and I'll be happy to do what I can to help ensure your journey is as pleasant as possible.

  13. #73

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    Thanks skater! We were more worried about trail and water conditions. We are in as good a shape as flatlander Floridians can be, but we know we can get through it (We hiked in the Rockies last year, and the Inca trail a couple of years ago). I'll probably reach out to you a week or so before we go for any additional updates you may have.

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by divinjup View Post
    My wife and I are doing the Georgia loop the second week of May. Any updates on the Duncan Ridge trail? It's the part that worries us the most. Did this store re-open->Small store about 1/4 mile east on GA-60 has resupply items, drinks, and prepared food but no beer. :-( NOW CLOSED.

    That store was not open when I went past last September.
    Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.

  15. #75

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    Thanks again to Dances with Mice for the excellent information on this loop. I just got back from attempting the loop in a day but bailed half way through due to poor planning, a failing headlamp, and cut/bloodied legs from running the Duncan ridge. The Duncan ridge isn't nearly as tough as was expected based on the hype but the spider webs and thorny vines in and across the trail were too much for this spoiled AT hiker. I'd recommend this hike in the winter to afford the best views, less thorny encroachment, and less spider webs.

    Quick note: Two bear sightings, one being on Wallalah Mtn. Tons of Boar activity on Rhodes Mtn. The only water I got along the Duncan Ridge was at Mulky gap and the W sign was blocked by a pine tree sapling which I pushed back to expose the W. Has anyone seen a good elevation profile for the Georgia Loop? There was one in this thread a while back but the link is expired. I have a desire to assemble information from various sources (mainly DwM) into an AWOL styled Georgia Loop guide if it does not already exist.

    -May The HIKE Be With You!-
    Obi-Wan

  16. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aram View Post
    ...an AWOL styled Georgia Loop guide...
    That would be awesome! Not sure how I could help but shout.
    hikers gonna hike

  17. #77
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    You have to like a thread like this one. It keeps coming up every yr for 10 yrs
    Conquest: It is not the Mountain we conquer but Ourselves

  18. #78
    Registered User Squirrel29's Avatar
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    Anyone hike this loop lately, just curious about updates to the trail as far as water sources. Is there a trail guide available? Thanks

  19. #79

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    We hiked it in March 2017 as part of the 56-mile Georgia Loop (AT-BMT-DRT). We used Sgt Rock's DRT databook, which he used to do as part of his BMT Book (http://bmtguide.com/). Not sure if he is still doing the DRT page, but you can check with him at [email protected] per his website to see if he still does it.

    Our journal can be found here http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/556475 for more information that may help you.

  20. #80
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    Water is good this year. Good flow at Sarvis Gap, which was dry last year. Even some of the seasonal/occasional sites have water. Good time to hike the DRT.

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