Appalachian Trail - Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap (Towns County, Georgia)

I'm continuing my quest to complete all of the Georgia sections of the Appalachian Trail. Today, I'll be hiking from Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap, which is considered one of the most challenging sections. A few years ago, I hiked from Unicoi Gap up to the Tray Mountain Shelter and back, which means, I don't really need that section, but it's shorter to do it this way as a shuttle hike than it would be to hike south from Dicks Creek Gap to the shelter and back. Luckily, I convinced my friend Tina to join me and help with the shuttle logistics. 

Driving up separately, we met at the parking area at Dicks Creek Gap. The plan is for me to leave my car here and then for Tina to drive us the twenty minutes or so to Unicoi Gap, where we'll start the hike. Once we get back to Dicks Creek Gap at the end of the hike, I'll drive Tina back to her car at Unicoi Gap.

It's a little cooler this morning than I was expecting, but that might be a good thing, as we'll be doing a number of big ascents in this section and the cooler temps will help prevent us from getting to warm. Before leaving the parking area, we notice a some folks at the other end with some chairs and tables set up. They also have some coolers and are obviously performing some trail magic for the AT thru-hikers who are just now starting to come through this area. I always appreciate the folks that do this. It's a great service and it means a great deal to the hikers.

We get our gear together and hit start the big first climb up Rocky Mountain, which is already pretty tough. I had told Tina that my research indicate that doing this section northbound was slightly easier because the worst climbs were earlier in the day. She's very fit and though, she claims to be out of shape, she handled the steep hill with grace.

Along the way, we encounter a few thru-hikers and in a couple of instances, enjoy a brief chat with them. We also notice a really interesting plan growing all along the trail. It's called trillium and has a sort of primordial look to it, with four wide, leopard-spotted leaves rising just a couple of inches off the ground, and central flower-like structure in the center, often of a dark burgundy color. It's actually quite pretty. 

After Rocky Mountain, we begin the tallest ascent of today's hike to the summit of Tray Mountain. This is the seventh tallest peak in Georgia and the second tallest on this state's section of the Appalachian Trail (only Blood Mountain to the south is taller). It's a workout to get up here, but eventually we reach the top. I had thought the shelter was at the summit, but I mistaken and we encounter it a little bit further down north-eastern face. 

It's only a short spur trail to get to it and so, we head over. When we arrive, we encounter three thru-hikers who are packing up to start their day. They stayed here last night. We take a few minutes to chat and offer them some of our snacks. They seem to be really excited for the fresh blueberries I offer them. With many miles to go though, we can't linger too long.

The next several miles are undulating hills with rocky sections of the trail. It's doable, but after about ten miles on the day, we're both kind of ready to be done. I'm in pretty good shape right now and so, it's not a matter of being exhausted. It's more a matter of just being bored. Tina agrees. These sections of the AT offer the occasional nice view of the rolling hills to the horizon, but there are very few standout landmarks along the way. We do our best to keep ourselves entertained though. 

Just about the time we are talking about being ready to be done, we hit the final big climb of the day. This one will take us up Powell Mountain. While not the tallest of the three peaks we summit, the approach to this final one is the steepest and we are forced to stop a few times along the way to catch our breath and give our legs a break. Along they way, I spot a few sticks that have been laid out to form the letters 'A' and 'T'. Kind of a cool thing to see up here.

Eventually, we reach the top and I tell Tina that it's all downhill from here, though I throw out a disclaimer about the topographic map not being detailed enough for small climbs. She laughs and gives a sigh of relief. For the most part though, my statement holds true and there are only a couple of little climbs the rest of the way. Mostly, we are heading steeply downhill towards Dicks Creek Gap.

Near the end, we enter an area lush with rhododendrons, and I spot a tiny spur trail with a small green bench dug into the ground that overlooks a similarly tiny waterfall passing through the trees. It's a nice break for someone to enjoy the cool stream. That said though, I know we're very close to the end and we decide to push on. 

Finally arriving at my car, we both take a moment to breath and get a gulp of water. This was a tough hike for both of us. It was about 16.5 miles with nearly 4,800 feet of elevation change. Those hills were kill and with only one more section of the Georgia AT to go, I can say with some expertise that this is definitely one of the more challenging sections. Tina is tire, as am I, but she says she's glad to have hiked it with me. We hop in the car and I drive her to her car back at Unicoi Gap. Quite a day, but with only one section left (a big one to be sure), I'm feeling pretty accomplished.