Appalachian Trail - Jacks Gap to Low Gap Shelter (Union County, Georgia)

 

For my continuing quest to complete all sections of the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail, I decided to knock out a section between Jacks Knob and the Low Gap Shelter today. I had been trying to plan out exactly how to do this without needing to shuttle, as there is a 15ish mile section between parking areas. However, I realized I could park at Jacks Gap, which is the starting point for the shortest hike up to Brasstown Bald, and then walk the Jacks Gap to Jacks Knob Trail, which hits the AT just past the mountain. I planned to then continue south on the AT towards Low Gap.

I arrived at the small parking area a little before 11:00 am. I had posted this as an event for the meetup, but only a couple of days ago. One person, whom I had never met, signed up and so I waited until the scheduled start time. I didn't necessarily think she would show up, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. When the clock struck though, I was quick to hit the trail, which started across the highway from the parking area. It quickly starts up hill towards Jacks Knob. We've had a bit of rain the past few days and so, the earth is soft here, but not terrible. 

As I make my way up the hillside, where the trail has been cut alongside it, I can't help but think of watching out for the mythical haggis of the Scottish Highlands. This beast is said to have the legs on one side of its body (both front and back) grow a bit shorter than those on the other side. This adaption allows the animal to feast on the grasses of the hillsides without struggling. It's a great story and having eaten haggis in Scotland, I can tell you that there must be something to the myth to produce such great food.

Reaching the top of the trail and Jacks Knob, I can easily see where this trail meets the AT. The famous trail blaze, a single white vertical stripe adorns a tree here. Just below the trail, is the source of the Chattahoochee River. I consider making my way down to it, but realize that it's not going to be anything more than just a trickle down a wash and decide against it. There are many other drainages coming off the mountain much like what I image that spot must be like.

So, my journey along this section of the AT now begins. I'm amazed at how flat the trail is here. It's actually using what I am fairly certain is an old abandoned logging road. The foot trail uses only a single track of what was once a double track, though the trees and bushes have started to reclaim the other section. I imagine in decades past a great deal of lumber was hauled out of these mountainsides.

In a few sections, the water trickles down from the mountaintops above and makes for some small waterfalls descending the steep hillside. As I pass through this long flat section, I pass a few northbound AT Thru-hikers. When I see their larger packs, I ask if they are bound for Mount Katahdin (the northern terminus of the AT in Maine). Many respond with "that's the plan", to which I wish the best of luck. Someday, I hope to thru-hike the AT myself, but taking four months off of work is challenging right now.

After a few miles, I drop down to the saddle that is Low Gap and then take the spur trail to the shelter constructed there. I'm sure there were hikers camped here last night, but at this time of day, I'm here all by myself. I take a few minutes to rest and eat some walnuts and blueberries. It's peaceful here and after a few minutes a another thru-hiker shows up and pitches his tent just up the hill from the shelter. I wave on my way out and he returns the gesture.

The return trip is pretty similar - easy going along the flat section and then a bit a of a challenge on the way down from Jacks Knob. One interesting thing that I didn't notice on my journey to the shelter that I do now on my journey back is a section of the old logging road supported by flat stones that have collapsed. I imagine the trail itself will completely wash out here in time and need to be rebuilt. It's a problem for another day though, as I need to get back to my car and head for home. As I make my way down the hillside, I can see the observation tower on Brasstown Bald from a distance. It sticks out above the tree tops on the distant ridge marking the highest point in the state.

Shortly before reaching my car, I'm stopped by an older couple who asked about where I had come from. I explain what I'm doing and we get into a longer conversation about nearby hikes and other adventures. They are nice folks, but after ten or fifteen minutes, I excuse myself as I really do need to get going. When I reach my car, I check the GPS track and see that I completed 14.6 miles today. Not bad at all, and with this section knocked out, I only have two more remaining (the two northernmost sections). I get in my car and head for home.