Georgia Loop in Late March

[Gator John]

All,

First post, but long time lurker, as the below will show.

I believe I've read everything by DWM and Sgt. Rock about the Georgia Loop (both here and at HQ). I'm planning to lead a hike in late March, and need a bit of advice from those of you who've done it. I'm modifying the Troop 1776 plan, but still have a few questions:

1. We're planning on going clockwise as opposed to counterclockwise, starting near Woody Gap (the Troop 1776 plan goes counterclockwise). That gets us on to the BMT and DRT earlier, avoids the thru-hiker bubble, and allows us to detour slightly on Day 4 to Mountain Crossings for a resupply. Are there any thoughts about clockwise versus counterclockwise? We're planning on 6 days on trail to do the 55 miles that the loop requires.

2. Some of our group are young, around 13. They'll be carrying lighter gear. Has anyone seen someone that young on the DRT? If so, are we crazy? One of the 13 year olds was on the AT last year for about 15 miles, and had no problems. The boys that make this trip all play sports during the school year.

3. Our group may be as large as 8. Will this present a problem for camping on the BMT and DRT?

4. All of us are solid on our backpacking skills, and are in good physical shape. But are the BMT and DRT legs as strenuous as advertised?

5. What's the water availability like in late March on the BMT and DRT legs?

That's enough for now. I'm quite certain this trip is a go, and I'll post a trip report when we're done.

J.

[Ox97GaMe]

couple things to note.

a) the BMT and DRT are more up/down than the AT. plan to go slower along that stretch of the trail.
b) There have been bear issues between Byrd Gap and Jarrod Gap the past few years. Check with local authorities to ensure that camping will be allowed in that area.
c) the 'slight' detour to Neels Gap is 5 miles round trip and will mean climbing down Blood Mtn. Rather than climb back up on the AT, look at using the Freeman Trail to skirt around and connect back at Byrd Gap. Much easier trail and you wont have to retrace your steps.

Have a great trip.

[ShadeeLane]

Gator,

1) I've never done the whole loop, but to me the side trip to Neels for a resupply would be a waste of time. Once you reconnect with the AT above Bird Gap you're only about 7 mi short of Woody Gap. And those are relatively quick miles, too. Everybody calls the Freeman Trail easy, but to me it's not a drag race. It feels like half of it is rock scrambling and if I had my druthers I'd just as soon walk over Blood Mt. I guess it just depends on what your progress looks like. If you want to add some miles there's way worse ways to do it than going up Blood Mt.

2) If you've got six days then you should have plenty of time. No need to push for 18-20 mi days.

3) As far as campsites I did the Coosa Trail last month and noticed some nice areas just to the west of the summit of Coosa Bald and in the saddle between the two summits of Slaughter Mt. If you ended up at Slaughter your last night you could make it to the car by noon (allowing you're an early riser).

4) Can't help you there.

5) Water should be good. We've had a lot of rain in N GA this winter, so all of the known water sources and probably most of the intermittent types should be good to go.

Have fun and definitely post a report. I'm thinking about doing this exact same hike in the near future.

[Gator John]

Thanks for the tip about the bears. We were planning to hang our smellables.

As for the Freeman Trail, I'd noticed that on the map, and was looking into that as an alternate, so Blood only gets climbed once. I was thinking we'd go from Slaughter to Blood to Neels, then pick up the Freeman Trail after Neels, and take that back to the AT. Your comment gives me confidence about the idea. Thanks.

couple things to note.

c) the 'slight' detour to Neels Gap is 5 miles round trip and will mean climbing down Blood Mtn. Rather than climb back up on the AT, look at using the Freeman Trail to skirt around and connect back at Byrd Gap. Much easier trail and you wont have to retrace your steps.

Have a great trip.

[Gator John]

ShadeeLane,

1. I read and replied to Ox97 before reading your post. I guess I have more thinking to do. What I'd read of the Freeman Trail was that it was fairly easy walking.

2. I agree. At 55 miles, 6 days on trail averages out to 9 and change, which seems very doable.

3. Thanks for the campsite tips. We plan to be early risers. It's easier for me to hike in the cool of morning. I'd rather relax in camp than scramble to make camp at dusk.

5. Thanks for the vote of confidence regarding water.

If we go, I'll be taking careful notes, because if this works well, I'll do it again.

J.

Gator,

1) I've never done the whole loop, but to me the side trip to Neels for a resupply would be a waste of time. Once you reconnect with the AT above Bird Gap you're only about 7 mi short of Woody Gap. And those are relatively quick miles, too. Everybody calls the Freeman Trail easy, but to me it's not a drag race. It feels like half of it is rock scrambling and if I had my druthers I'd just as soon walk over Blood Mt. I guess it just depends on what your progress looks like. If you want to add some miles there's way worse ways to do it than going up Blood Mt.

2) If you've got six days then you should have plenty of time. No need to push for 18-20 mi days.

3) As far as campsites I did the Coosa Trail last month and noticed some nice areas just to the west of the summit of Coosa Bald and in the saddle between the two summits of Slaughter Mt. If you ended up at Slaughter your last night you could make it to the car by noon (allowing you're an early riser).

4) Can't help you there.

5) Water should be good. We've had a lot of rain in N GA this winter, so all of the known water sources and probably most of the intermittent types should be good to go.

Have fun and definitely post a report. I'm thinking about doing this exact same hike in the near future.

[Hitchin' Post]

c) the 'slight' detour to Neels Gap is 5 miles round trip and will mean climbing down Blood Mtn. Rather than climb back up on the AT, look at using the Freeman Trail to skirt around and connect back at Byrd Gap. Much easier trail and you wont have to retrace your steps.

I'm probably misreading something here, but if you're doing what I call the "Georgia Loop," won't you walk right through Mountain Crossings? I'm confused as to why you'd need the 5-mile detour.

[Malto]

I did the Georgia Loop as a LONG day hike two years ago in March. Of the three legs the AT was the easiest followed by the BMT with the Duncan Ridge Trail being downright the hardiest multi-mile section of trail I've done. Water was scarce on the DRT but I don't recall it being hard to find on the BMT. The AT had several sources. I also did it CW starting at Woody Gap. Doing the pace you're talking will allow your group to get their trail legs before the hardest section. Make sure to detour to Long Creek Falls.

[SGT Rock]

All,

First post, but long time lurker, as the below will show.

I believe I've read everything by DWM and Sgt. Rock about the Georgia Loop (both here and at HQ). I'm planning to lead a hike in late March, and need a bit of advice from those of you who've done it. I'm modifying the Troop 1776 plan, but still have a few questions:

1. We're planning on going clockwise as opposed to counterclockwise, starting near Woody Gap (the Troop 1776 plan goes counterclockwise). That gets us on to the BMT and DRT earlier, avoids the thru-hiker bubble, and allows us to detour slightly on Day 4 to Mountain Crossings for a resupply. Are there any thoughts about clockwise versus counterclockwise? We're planning on 6 days on trail to do the 55 miles that the loop requires.

I've done it both directions, each has its advantages and disadvantages. I would mostly worry about your water supply and plans for camping between each spot.

2. Some of our group are young, around 13. They'll be carrying lighter gear. Has anyone seen someone that young on the DRT? If so, are we crazy? One of the 13 year olds was on the AT last year for about 15 miles, and had no problems. The boys that make this trip all play sports during the school year.

I've not seen anyone that age on the DRT, but I haven't seen much of anyone on the DRT. It is a good place to get away from it all. I think they should be fine given that you are probably going to average 9 miles a day, but the main concern would again be water.

3. Our group may be as large as 8. Will this present a problem for camping on the BMT and DRT?

It may limit some of the campsites you use. Like the top of Wallalaha Mountain is a cool little campsite, but it couldn't accommodate 8 I don't think.

4. All of us are solid on our backpacking skills, and are in good physical shape. But are the BMT and DRT legs as strenuous as advertised?

Yes, it will be. But the climbs are generally short. Just don't kill yourself trying to get up them.

5. What's the water availability like in late March on the BMT and DRT legs?

If you have my guide, the water sources I list should all be pretty good this time of year.

That's enough for now. I'm quite certain this trip is a go, and I'll post a trip report when we're done.

J.

I can't wait to hear how it goes.

[ShadeeLane]

Gator,

I think the Freeman Trail is one of those totally subjective preference things. If you don't like elevation changes then it'll make you happy. If you don't like rock hopping (kills my knees) then it'll drive you nuts. Echoing what Sgt. Rock said you'll probably want to have a way to camel up (Platys or Nalgene canteen) before camp each afternoon. I don't think a lot of the good camping locations are convenient to water (except on the AT). Also, make sure to go off trail a little and stop at the top of Slaughter Mt. It's an easy walk up before the vegetation gets thick and you get a pretty good view of Blood Mountain through the trees and an overlook off some rocks toward the SE. Just remember to backtrack a bit to reconnect with the DRT. It takes a left-turn a little past the summit.

[Dances with Mice]

Very cool. What are the planned campsites each day?

Cache options are also availble if you want to avoid the MX sidetrip.

But then visiting MX after days on the trail would be fun for the boys. I've done that with my Venture Crew and though they didn't impress the staff much they were acting like rock stars for the car driving tourists.

[Gator John]

DWM

Caching is tempting, and after some more thought, it's preferable to MX with the detour and Freeman Trail option. But a shower before a 7 hour drive is non-negotiable, so we'll be there on Day 6.

J.

[Razor]

Just be careful not to camp in the Slaughter Creek area. It is in the bear can regulation area ( Between and inclusive of Jarrard gap & Neel Gap ) .Include this item in your itinerary thinking.

[Gator John]

Thanks, that's good to know. As it stands, we were planning to camp several miles west of Slaughter, so we'll bear that in mind if we make better progress than expected.

[Gator John]

We'll be on the trail on Monday, heading clockwise from Jarrard Gap. Many thanks to all of you who offered advice and encouragement, and DVM in particular. Wish us luck, it's gonna be cold. And wet. I'll post a trip report when we return, for better or worse.

[Gator John]

Trip Report:


Monday: Ten (four adults, six scouts) of us hiked from Lake Winfield Scott to Gooch Gap, about 9 miles. We made it to Woody Gap, where we camped near the road. In retrospect (and laughter) I’ll concede that it was not the best choice, especially now that I’ve seen Gooch Gap. Dear Lord that was cold and windy. Lesson: assume 10 degrees colder than the forecast, due to elevation and wind.


Tuesday: After an unbelievably cold and windy night, I spoke with a recruiter for Valdosta State University who just happened to be in the Woody Gap parking lot, and he agreed to take our drivers back to the vehicles. I gave Snickers bars to a pair of thrus and we decamped for Blood Mountain Cabins to plan our next move. A couple of our group told us that they'd not be camping in sub-30 weather again, so getting back on the trail was out.


After warming up, we decided to make a day trip to Blood Mountain, and later Tuesday afternoon we hiked about 3 miles up the northern approach to Blood Mountain, before the lack of trail blazes stopped our progress. There was an odd section SoBo that the blazes were inconsistent, and couldn’t be found. It was getting late in the day anyway, so we turned back.


Wednesday: We returned to Blood Mountain, taking the AT from Neel's to Flatrock Gap, then took the Freeman Trail to Bird Gap, and climbed Blood from the south. The earlier advice about the Freeman Trail involving a lot of rock-hopping is dead on. However, the boys loved it, and built a snowman at lunch at the intersection of the AT and Slaughter Gap Trail. In case anyone needs the info, water is plentiful on the Freeman Trail.


Thursday: Back on the trail heading south from Woody Gap for an out-and-back. We hiked 8.8 miles that day and camped at Cooper Gap, although some would have stayed at Gooch, because it was so nice.


Friday: On the trail by 9, after doing a full cleanup of the campsite (which may be the first time that was ever done), and hiked back to Gooch Gap, where we ate lunch and prepared for the final hike back to Woody Gap and the vehicles. Between Thursday and Friday, we climbed up and down Justus Mountain twice. It was tough both times.


All of us were home by midnight on Friday.


This was a great trip for our troop, and we'll be doing it again next year.


All told, we hiked 33.2 miles of trail, and can't wait to do it again. My son has already told me he'd like to take another run at the Loop, but just with his dad, and we certainly will.


BTW, George at Blood Mtn. Cabins couldn't have been nicer.


And this trip taught me a lot about my conditioning, and how it needs to improve. I made it, but man do I need to be in better shape. I’m happy that we were able to do as much as we did with this week, and were able to improvise a plan after the original plan went pear-shaped.


Thanks again for all of the advice and encouragement, both in this thread and by PM. The AT, BMT, and DRT haven't heard the last of this Gator.

[SGT Rock]

Sorry the weather didn't work out for you. But good save on a trip.

[Gator John]

Rock,

And there was no sniveling.

J.

[max patch]

Theres nothing worse than shivering all night when backpacking.

You obviously made the correct decision by changing the trip to a series of day hikes.

At least everyone earned their Polar Bear Patch. (Or is that just a Cub Scout thing?)