Warwoman Dell to Rabun Bald
It had been a while since I have hiked the Bartram Trail. The AT had consumed just about all of my time. The little time I had left over were spent on the BMT and day hiked but, finally, the prodigal son had returned to the Bartram Trail and I was excited for this section. This is the best section of the GA Bartram trail by far. With Becky Creek Falls, Martins Creek Falls, Pinnacle Knob view, and Rabun Bald, this section was going to be amazing. Just as important, I was going to be alone for this hike. The plan was to hike the 14ish miles to Rabun Bald and spend the night (which I did) and then the next morning hike back down to Warwoman Dell (which I sort of did, but hitched a ride because of knee pain and simply because I could).
Previous Section: Hwy 28 to Warwoman Dell.
Next Section: Rabun Bald to GA-NC Border.
Previous Section: Hwy 28 to Warwoman Dell.
Next Section: Rabun Bald to GA-NC Border.
Day 1 | Saturday, April 11, 2015
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Start Location: Warwoman Dell (18.8 miles).
End Location: Rabun Bald (32.2 miles). Parking Locations: Warwoman Dell (18.8 miles); Courthouse Gap Side Trail (22.5 miles); and Wilson Gap (27 miles). Views: Becky Branch Waterfall (19.1 miles); Martins Creek Waterfall (20.3 miles); Pinnacle Knob View (21.8 miles); and Rabun Bald Tower (32.3 miles). Water Sources: Plenty of water for first 3.3 miles; Spring (23.6 miles); Stream (26.5 miles); Stream (29.3 miles); Spring (31 miles). Campsites: Several campsites near Martins Creek Waterfall (20.3 miles); small campsite (23.6 miles); campsite (26.5 miles); Wilson Gap (27 miles); Saltrock Gap Campsite (30.4 miles) ; several campsites on Rabun Bald (32.2 miles). BT Distance: 13.4 miles Hiking Distance: 14.4 miles |
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I started at Warwoman Dell. It was a long time since I was last here. I hoped to start earlier, but per my usual, sleep was more important. I got there around 8:45 AM. I wanted to test my knee after having a lot of knee pain with hiking for some time. I had given it a week + off and wanted to see how it would handle it. Off I went. The Bartram Trail at Warwoman Dell follows the gravel road for a little while and then makes hard turn to the left and starts a very short, but very steep climb to Warwoman Dell Road (18.9 miles). Keep an eye for the blazes and the blaze on the gravel road even has an area showing you to take a hard left.
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The BT begins its ascent to Warwoman Road (18.9 miles) and crosses Warwoman Road and continues its ascent. The elevation profile shows a constant ascent to Rabun Bald, but the trail is not nearly so bad. It is mostly up, but the grade is exceedingly low making the climb much, much easier. Also the trail has a serious of small downhills that allow you to catch your breathe should you need it.
Before crossing Warwoman Road, turn around and catch a very cool plaque commemorating William Bartram. It is a beautiful plaque. Cross the road to the other side and begin the very gradual ascent to Becky Branch Falls (19.1 miles). It is a beautiful waterfall that can be seen right from the bridge. Shortly after leaving waterfall, there is a fork in the trail. Stay left and uphill to continue on the Bartram Trail. The trail continues to climb and then levels out for a short time before it goes downhill until it crosses an old forest road (19.6 miles). The trail leaving this forest road continues downhill.
The Bartram Trail in this section crosses many streams with several footbridges. There is ample water in this section until you get close to Pinnacle Knob (21.8 miles) where there is a 4 mile section with limited water. The trail then follows Martins Creek for about a half a mile. You can actually hear the waterfall from some distance. I also found what would be an awesome campsite (20.1 miles) with a fire pit, but it would require either rock hoping across the Martins Creek or fording the creek. The trail continues for a short while and then opens up to a very, very large campsite at Martin's Creek Falls (20.3 miles). The trail routing here is a little confusing to pay attention to the blazed. The trail takes a hart right and crosses a bridge. Then the trail goes diagonally to the left to a viewing platform for Martin's Creek Falls. From here, the trail actually heads back a different way kind of towards where you started, but doesn't go all the way and actually takes a hard right uphill. I can't do a better job explaining it. Just pay attention.
From Martin's Creek Falls (20.4 miles), the trail begins a moderate climb to Pinnacle Knob Trail (21.8 miles). Be careful as you approach it going northbound as the side trial will be to your left and kind of loops behind you. If you are looking down like I usually am, you can easily miss it. Pinnacle Knob Trail is a half mile, very steep side trail to a really nice rock outcropping view. I would strongly recommend the extra mile round trip, albeit the climb was fairly strenuous. The trail up to Pinnacle Knob is green blazed. As you climb the side trail, you will come to a dead end with what looked like a campsite. It may be flat enough for a tent or two, but not idea. Would be better for tree hangers. At this dead end, hang a hard right and continue the steep climb to the knob.
On this hike, I actually made a video of the hike. Unlike many thru hiker videos, I do not really feature in the video. It is more of a virtual hike with the trail being the focus.
Before crossing Warwoman Road, turn around and catch a very cool plaque commemorating William Bartram. It is a beautiful plaque. Cross the road to the other side and begin the very gradual ascent to Becky Branch Falls (19.1 miles). It is a beautiful waterfall that can be seen right from the bridge. Shortly after leaving waterfall, there is a fork in the trail. Stay left and uphill to continue on the Bartram Trail. The trail continues to climb and then levels out for a short time before it goes downhill until it crosses an old forest road (19.6 miles). The trail leaving this forest road continues downhill.
The Bartram Trail in this section crosses many streams with several footbridges. There is ample water in this section until you get close to Pinnacle Knob (21.8 miles) where there is a 4 mile section with limited water. The trail then follows Martins Creek for about a half a mile. You can actually hear the waterfall from some distance. I also found what would be an awesome campsite (20.1 miles) with a fire pit, but it would require either rock hoping across the Martins Creek or fording the creek. The trail continues for a short while and then opens up to a very, very large campsite at Martin's Creek Falls (20.3 miles). The trail routing here is a little confusing to pay attention to the blazed. The trail takes a hart right and crosses a bridge. Then the trail goes diagonally to the left to a viewing platform for Martin's Creek Falls. From here, the trail actually heads back a different way kind of towards where you started, but doesn't go all the way and actually takes a hard right uphill. I can't do a better job explaining it. Just pay attention.
From Martin's Creek Falls (20.4 miles), the trail begins a moderate climb to Pinnacle Knob Trail (21.8 miles). Be careful as you approach it going northbound as the side trial will be to your left and kind of loops behind you. If you are looking down like I usually am, you can easily miss it. Pinnacle Knob Trail is a half mile, very steep side trail to a really nice rock outcropping view. I would strongly recommend the extra mile round trip, albeit the climb was fairly strenuous. The trail up to Pinnacle Knob is green blazed. As you climb the side trail, you will come to a dead end with what looked like a campsite. It may be flat enough for a tent or two, but not idea. Would be better for tree hangers. At this dead end, hang a hard right and continue the steep climb to the knob.
On this hike, I actually made a video of the hike. Unlike many thru hiker videos, I do not really feature in the video. It is more of a virtual hike with the trail being the focus.
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Leaving Pinnacle Knob Trail (21.8 miles), the trail briefly descends and then levels off until you finally reach Courthouse Gap (22.5 miles). Courthouse Gap Trail is a 0.6 mile side trail to a parking lot. The trail from Courthouse Gap then begins a moderate climb for about 1.3 miles. During this climb you pass a small dry campsite with a fire pit.
For the next 2 miles, the trail has a series of uphills and downhills. At 26.5 miles, there is a great campsite for no more then 2 tents with water. Fill up with water here because there is no water for the next 3+ miles. Luckily, that is exactly what I did. I took a little break here and had a snack. |
Shortly after leaving this pretty good campsite, you cross Wilson Gap (27 miles) which has a great, but dry campsite with a fire pit.
From here, the trail climbs fairly continuously until it crosses another forest road (27.3 miles). This forest road has a small parking lot, but I wouldn't take a passenger car up this road. I drove down it in an SUV and it hard 1 particularly rough section that I would never take my car on. However, if you could survive that section, then the rest of the forest road would not be a problem. Here I saw an SUV parked and I got worried that the campsite on Rabun Bald was going to get taken. I had wanted to spend the night near the tower and get the sunset, night sky, and sunrise. Now I was about 5 miles from the Rabun Bald, and I had a purpose to hike quicker. I touched the SUV and it was cold. Whoever drove it had a significant head start but I was determined to beat them up there and claim my rightful spot.
Leaving this forest road, the trail begins a series of climbs and very short descents with more climbs, but the climbs are not that long and the grade is very kind. When I was looking at the elevation profile, I thought this portion was going to be very difficult, but the trail turned out to be pretty easy. No long, steep climbs. When the climbs were steep, they weren't very long so it was over before you knew it. When the climbs were long, they were well graded climbs.
Finally, I was also getting on the ridge line in this section so I had access to some winter views. In less then a month, it would be May and the green would be everywhere, but for this hike at least, I still had some winter views while hiking.
After a while, the trail finally comes to a set of switchbacks at around 28.9 miles. The switchbacks continue for less than a 0.5 miles, but on one of the switchbacks there is a good view of the mountains. At 29.4 miles, you reach a campsite with ok water and a fire pit. Leaving these campsites, the trail continues to climb for about a half a mile before it begins a short descent to Saltrock Gap (30.4 miles). This is a fairly large campsite, but it is dry. You have two options go back about a mile to the previous campsite for water or go toward Rabun Bald about 0.6 miles to a spring (31 miles).
From here, the trail continuously climbs up to Rabun Bald (32.2 miles). The trail has a very mild climb until just after Flint Gap (31.3 miles). There is a side trail here 1.9 miles to Alex Mountain (no view) and 0.7 miles to Flint Knob (semi-view). Here I passed the hikers who parked their car below. They did not plan to camp on summit because it was going to be a cold, windy night. I was happy to hear. Continue uphill and at some point you come to a series of 9 switchbacks. Sounds hard? It wasn't. Don't worry. The grade isn't bad at all.
As you approach Rabun Bald (32.2 miles), you will find several campsites to your right and you will actually find the Bartram Trail takes a hard left immediately before the fire tower. I got there very early. I got to hang out with the hikers I passed on Flint Gap and took a lot of pictures and video. The guys were going down 2.5 miles to the campsite with water. They were tree hangers so the bald was out of the question on a windy, cold night. Before leaving, they said if I wanted to, they could give me a ride to my car.
Rabun Bald may offer the best view in Georgia. Although it is the second highest mountain in GA, it offers better views the Brasstown Bald, which is very commercialized and overcrowded. To me, Rabun Bald might was well be the highest mountain because Brasstown Bald might as well not exist.
After everyone left, I had an additional 2 hours before the sun would start to set. On soo many hikes, I am fighting the sun. I am fighting the sun to make it to camp on time before the sun sets. On this hike, I had a lot of time to kill. I set up my tent and got everything ready for night. I took a 45 minute nap right on the benches on the tower.
Finally, it was time for the sunset. I got an amazing sunset and then it got cold very quickly. It was supposed to drop below 30 tonight and it was going to very windy. I stayed out to get a few stars before I was forced to retreat into my tent because it was too cold.
From here, the trail climbs fairly continuously until it crosses another forest road (27.3 miles). This forest road has a small parking lot, but I wouldn't take a passenger car up this road. I drove down it in an SUV and it hard 1 particularly rough section that I would never take my car on. However, if you could survive that section, then the rest of the forest road would not be a problem. Here I saw an SUV parked and I got worried that the campsite on Rabun Bald was going to get taken. I had wanted to spend the night near the tower and get the sunset, night sky, and sunrise. Now I was about 5 miles from the Rabun Bald, and I had a purpose to hike quicker. I touched the SUV and it was cold. Whoever drove it had a significant head start but I was determined to beat them up there and claim my rightful spot.
Leaving this forest road, the trail begins a series of climbs and very short descents with more climbs, but the climbs are not that long and the grade is very kind. When I was looking at the elevation profile, I thought this portion was going to be very difficult, but the trail turned out to be pretty easy. No long, steep climbs. When the climbs were steep, they weren't very long so it was over before you knew it. When the climbs were long, they were well graded climbs.
Finally, I was also getting on the ridge line in this section so I had access to some winter views. In less then a month, it would be May and the green would be everywhere, but for this hike at least, I still had some winter views while hiking.
After a while, the trail finally comes to a set of switchbacks at around 28.9 miles. The switchbacks continue for less than a 0.5 miles, but on one of the switchbacks there is a good view of the mountains. At 29.4 miles, you reach a campsite with ok water and a fire pit. Leaving these campsites, the trail continues to climb for about a half a mile before it begins a short descent to Saltrock Gap (30.4 miles). This is a fairly large campsite, but it is dry. You have two options go back about a mile to the previous campsite for water or go toward Rabun Bald about 0.6 miles to a spring (31 miles).
From here, the trail continuously climbs up to Rabun Bald (32.2 miles). The trail has a very mild climb until just after Flint Gap (31.3 miles). There is a side trail here 1.9 miles to Alex Mountain (no view) and 0.7 miles to Flint Knob (semi-view). Here I passed the hikers who parked their car below. They did not plan to camp on summit because it was going to be a cold, windy night. I was happy to hear. Continue uphill and at some point you come to a series of 9 switchbacks. Sounds hard? It wasn't. Don't worry. The grade isn't bad at all.
As you approach Rabun Bald (32.2 miles), you will find several campsites to your right and you will actually find the Bartram Trail takes a hard left immediately before the fire tower. I got there very early. I got to hang out with the hikers I passed on Flint Gap and took a lot of pictures and video. The guys were going down 2.5 miles to the campsite with water. They were tree hangers so the bald was out of the question on a windy, cold night. Before leaving, they said if I wanted to, they could give me a ride to my car.
Rabun Bald may offer the best view in Georgia. Although it is the second highest mountain in GA, it offers better views the Brasstown Bald, which is very commercialized and overcrowded. To me, Rabun Bald might was well be the highest mountain because Brasstown Bald might as well not exist.
After everyone left, I had an additional 2 hours before the sun would start to set. On soo many hikes, I am fighting the sun. I am fighting the sun to make it to camp on time before the sun sets. On this hike, I had a lot of time to kill. I set up my tent and got everything ready for night. I took a 45 minute nap right on the benches on the tower.
Finally, it was time for the sunset. I got an amazing sunset and then it got cold very quickly. It was supposed to drop below 30 tonight and it was going to very windy. I stayed out to get a few stars before I was forced to retreat into my tent because it was too cold.
I had a pretty damn good night of sleep this night. It was very cold, and that helped a lot. I was asleep pretty early and stayed a sleep longer than usual. Then I would sleep and wake up every 30 minutes until it was time to get ready to break camp.
I took my new 2 lb, 50 degree walmart sleeping bag. I wanted to test it out for my smokies hike. Since I sleep so warm, I took a risk on this cold night.
I wanted to catch the guys on the way down. If I did, I was going to take them up on their offer to take me back to Warwoman Dell. My knee was not great, but it wasn't bad. However, the downhill was awful. I was hurting a lot. It was the worst knee pain I had in a long time. That made up my mind, if I got to the guys before they got to their car, I would take them up on their offer. Luckily, I did and I got a ride to my car.
After this hike, I took nearly a month off to rest my knee.
The second part of the video can be found here. There is a really cool timelapse of the sunset from Rabun Bald.
Previous Section: Hwy 28 to Warwoman Dell.
Next Section: Rabun Bald to GA-NC Border.
I took my new 2 lb, 50 degree walmart sleeping bag. I wanted to test it out for my smokies hike. Since I sleep so warm, I took a risk on this cold night.
I wanted to catch the guys on the way down. If I did, I was going to take them up on their offer to take me back to Warwoman Dell. My knee was not great, but it wasn't bad. However, the downhill was awful. I was hurting a lot. It was the worst knee pain I had in a long time. That made up my mind, if I got to the guys before they got to their car, I would take them up on their offer. Luckily, I did and I got a ride to my car.
After this hike, I took nearly a month off to rest my knee.
The second part of the video can be found here. There is a really cool timelapse of the sunset from Rabun Bald.
Previous Section: Hwy 28 to Warwoman Dell.
Next Section: Rabun Bald to GA-NC Border.