GA-NC Border to Deep Gap, NC
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Start Location: Deep Gap, NC (85.4 miles) SOBO
Night 1: Muskrat Creek Shelter (81.4 miles) End Location: GA-NC Border (78.5 miles). Parking Location: Deep Gap, NC (85.4 miles). Views: GA-NC Border (78.5 miles); Bly Gap Old Twisted Tree (78.6); countless winter views. Water Sources: Spring (84.8 miles); Muskrat Creek Shelter (81.4 miles). Campsites: Chunky Gal Campsite (82.2 miles); Muskrat Creek Shelter (81.4 miles); Bly Gap Campsite (78.6 miles). AT Distance: 6.9 miles Hiking Distance: 7.3 miles |
SB and I met Friday, November 14, 2014 at Dicks Creek Gap after work. We didn't get there until about 8:00 pm. We left my car there and she drove us up to Deep Gap, NC. We didn't start hiking until 9:30 pm. It was a cold night. In the low 20s. This is the second time I decided to go hiking when a massive cold front moved in. I don't have proper winter gear. I didn't have a base layer or even gloves for this hike. Surprising, while I kept moving, my hands stayed remarkably warm. If i stopped, however, the cold got to me and it become substantially less fun.
My winter gear consisted of an old navy long sleeve gym compression shirt, my regular polyester hiking shirt, a midlayer polyester long sleeve shirt and a walmart windbreaker/outer layer. For my pants, I had what I can only describe as an old pair of windbreaker nike pants. That is my impressively cheap winter gear. It did the trick. And it was cheap, which I like.
We decided to do 4 miles of night hiking to Muskrat Creek Shelter. If you have hiked with me, you know I absolutely, positively love night hiking. It is . . . so . . awesome . . . . If you are dense like me and sometimes miss sarcasm, I hate it. It slows me down. I can't see anything. To me, it defeats the point of hiking. Anyways, luckily, we had a short night hike planned.
We arrive at Deep Gap and the car says is 21 degrees outside. Fun! We head south out of Deep Gap (85.4 miles). Luckily, there is a 500 foot climb out of Deep Gap, which helped me get and stay warm. We passed what I think were frozen or nearly frozen springs at 83.6 miles. We were traveling at close to a 1.75 mile per hour clip, which isn't bad for night hiking. We made it to Wateroak Gap (83.3) in an hour more or less. Almost there, just over 2 more miles until I get to pitch my tent and go to sleep.
For the rest of this trail until we reached Muskrat Creek Shelter, there were slight climbs and descents but nothing significant. I believe we pulled up into camp around 12:00 am. I set up camp really quickly and I didn't even switch out of my hiking clothes except for my outer shell jacket.
I was also excited about this overnight trip because I got to test out my new sleeping pad. Before, I was using a thermarest ridgerest foam pad. It did the trick, but as a side sleeper, I recently started to wake up around 4-5 am with sore hips. Since I cannot sleep on my back and since I usually don't go to sleep until about 2-3 am anyways, this became a problem. So while everyone else is cutting weight, I am adding weight. Hell, I think weights adds character, as well as ounces, to a hike. Anyways, I got to test out Klymit Insulated Static V Inflatable Sleeping Pad. For this hike, I had brought my ridgerest and my Klymit. I had put my ridgerest down first and then the Klymit above it. It offered for a very comfortable sleep although I did wake up once or twice a little cold.
Before going to sleep, SB and I decided to wake up around 8:00 am since we have a fairly short day Saturday. As I started to doze off to sleep, I was thinking about how this time tomorrow, I will have finished all of the Georgia AT and most of the AT south of the Smokies. I couldn't wait for morning to come.
When morning came, I refused to get out of my sleeping bag, but I forced myself out into the cold. That is the good thing about hiking with a partner. I cannot be lazy in the morning. When its time to get up, it is time to get up. Period. The thing I love about winter hiking is that the condensation that builds up on my single wall tent is frozen throughout the night. I no longer have to wake up every hour to wipe the tent down with my camp towel.
After waking up and starting to pack, I got out and made my way to Muskrat Creek Shelter to make breakfast. I had three packages of oatmeal, the breakfast of champions and my go to breakfast. I also ate a clif bar. After breakfast, I finished packing up. SB was done before me and took the lead. Fifteen minutes later, I was finally ready to go. Almost immediately leaving the shelter, there is a side trail called Ravenrock Ridge. I followed it down for a few hundred feet, but decided to turn around as I didn't know how far it went, and I was already behind. I have since learned that it is a fairly short, half-a-mile trail which takes you to some great views from some outcrops. I regret not going to check it out, but there is always next time.
As I hike, I notice the trees are covered in ice. It really is a winter, and it makes for beautiful scenery. I catch up to SB just before Sassafras Gap (80.5 miles). From Sassafras Gap, we begin our almost 400 foot climb up to Courthouse Bald (79.9 miles). From here, the trail largely descends to Bly Gap, where there is an old and twisted tree that many hikers (including this one) take photograph's with. Bly Gap is an amazing place for a campsite although I did not look for water here.
Of course, anyone who has hiked the AT knows what is next: the GA-NC border (78.5 miles). The rest of this hike can be found here.
My winter gear consisted of an old navy long sleeve gym compression shirt, my regular polyester hiking shirt, a midlayer polyester long sleeve shirt and a walmart windbreaker/outer layer. For my pants, I had what I can only describe as an old pair of windbreaker nike pants. That is my impressively cheap winter gear. It did the trick. And it was cheap, which I like.
We decided to do 4 miles of night hiking to Muskrat Creek Shelter. If you have hiked with me, you know I absolutely, positively love night hiking. It is . . . so . . awesome . . . . If you are dense like me and sometimes miss sarcasm, I hate it. It slows me down. I can't see anything. To me, it defeats the point of hiking. Anyways, luckily, we had a short night hike planned.
We arrive at Deep Gap and the car says is 21 degrees outside. Fun! We head south out of Deep Gap (85.4 miles). Luckily, there is a 500 foot climb out of Deep Gap, which helped me get and stay warm. We passed what I think were frozen or nearly frozen springs at 83.6 miles. We were traveling at close to a 1.75 mile per hour clip, which isn't bad for night hiking. We made it to Wateroak Gap (83.3) in an hour more or less. Almost there, just over 2 more miles until I get to pitch my tent and go to sleep.
For the rest of this trail until we reached Muskrat Creek Shelter, there were slight climbs and descents but nothing significant. I believe we pulled up into camp around 12:00 am. I set up camp really quickly and I didn't even switch out of my hiking clothes except for my outer shell jacket.
I was also excited about this overnight trip because I got to test out my new sleeping pad. Before, I was using a thermarest ridgerest foam pad. It did the trick, but as a side sleeper, I recently started to wake up around 4-5 am with sore hips. Since I cannot sleep on my back and since I usually don't go to sleep until about 2-3 am anyways, this became a problem. So while everyone else is cutting weight, I am adding weight. Hell, I think weights adds character, as well as ounces, to a hike. Anyways, I got to test out Klymit Insulated Static V Inflatable Sleeping Pad. For this hike, I had brought my ridgerest and my Klymit. I had put my ridgerest down first and then the Klymit above it. It offered for a very comfortable sleep although I did wake up once or twice a little cold.
Before going to sleep, SB and I decided to wake up around 8:00 am since we have a fairly short day Saturday. As I started to doze off to sleep, I was thinking about how this time tomorrow, I will have finished all of the Georgia AT and most of the AT south of the Smokies. I couldn't wait for morning to come.
When morning came, I refused to get out of my sleeping bag, but I forced myself out into the cold. That is the good thing about hiking with a partner. I cannot be lazy in the morning. When its time to get up, it is time to get up. Period. The thing I love about winter hiking is that the condensation that builds up on my single wall tent is frozen throughout the night. I no longer have to wake up every hour to wipe the tent down with my camp towel.
After waking up and starting to pack, I got out and made my way to Muskrat Creek Shelter to make breakfast. I had three packages of oatmeal, the breakfast of champions and my go to breakfast. I also ate a clif bar. After breakfast, I finished packing up. SB was done before me and took the lead. Fifteen minutes later, I was finally ready to go. Almost immediately leaving the shelter, there is a side trail called Ravenrock Ridge. I followed it down for a few hundred feet, but decided to turn around as I didn't know how far it went, and I was already behind. I have since learned that it is a fairly short, half-a-mile trail which takes you to some great views from some outcrops. I regret not going to check it out, but there is always next time.
As I hike, I notice the trees are covered in ice. It really is a winter, and it makes for beautiful scenery. I catch up to SB just before Sassafras Gap (80.5 miles). From Sassafras Gap, we begin our almost 400 foot climb up to Courthouse Bald (79.9 miles). From here, the trail largely descends to Bly Gap, where there is an old and twisted tree that many hikers (including this one) take photograph's with. Bly Gap is an amazing place for a campsite although I did not look for water here.
Of course, anyone who has hiked the AT knows what is next: the GA-NC border (78.5 miles). The rest of this hike can be found here.