Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
~John Denver
September 25, 2021
Hike from Unicoi Gap to Dick’s Creek Gap
AT miles: 16.7
Ascent: 4147’ (my first hike over 4000’ ascent!)
Descent: 4406’
Weather: Perfect — clear, dry, sunny with a light breeze and temps in the mid-60’s
Sightings: lots of views
High points: hiking along on this beautiful day with the sun on my shoulder and a smile on my face
Today’s hike had a serious amount of up-and-down — I climbed two mountains over 4,000 feet and one mountain only 8’ shy of 4,000 feet!
The morning started with a steep climb up Rocky Mountain (4017’). I had a decent view from the summit.
The trail descended down into Indian Grave Gap and then climbed up Tray Mountain, the second tallest peak on the AT in Georgia. Tray Mountain was unusual for three reasons: 1) The US Geological Survey marker, a metal disk located in the ground on the summit of every peak in the US, was easy to find — it was on the trail!
2) Tray Mountain (4430’) had a really nice view. Most mountains in the south are covered with trees, so the scenic vista from the top is unusual.
3) The trail around the summit of Tray Mountain was stunningly beautiful. Galax Rue along the edges and the rock formations were stunning.
Finding a good place to sit and have a bite to eat on the trail can be a challenge. Beside the trail I found a wonderful rectangular hunk of rock that made a wonderful place for me to sit and have lunch.
The trail continued with a number of humpty-dumps. In Georgia instead of naming the mountains they seem to be in the gaps. I walked through Wolf Pen Gap, Steeltrap Gap, Sassafras Gap, and Addis Gap before the final climb of the day up Kelly Knob (4126’). The trail was lovely and easy, and the sun was shining through the trees. I was hiking with a smile on my face.
From Powell Mountain Vista I had my last view of the hike.
For the next 2 miles the trail did a fairly steady descent down to Dick’s Creek Gap, my destination. The trail continued to be smooth and sun-dappled and undulating. I loved the fern meadows that grew alongside the trail.
The fellow who has been transporting us to and from the trailheads gave me the keys to his car since he expected me to be the first person to complete the hike. Imagine my joy when I looked in the cooler and found several bottles of cold beer! But he forgot to leave a can opener, and my lightweight jack knife doesn’t have a can opener on it. When the next one of our group appeared we both asked around the parking lot, but no one had a bottle opener. We decided to see if there was any part of the car that would serve as a substitute opener. We found that the U-shaped metal widget that the back door latches onto works really well as a bottle opener! Necessity is truly the mother of invention!
There were several people in the hostel when we returned. Imagine my surprise when I discovered during the course of the conversation that a woman from Florida is actually the wife of my brother-in-law‘s best friend! The two of us know many of the same people and places and have actually attended the same wedding! It’s truly is a small world!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!