[at-l] Trip Report - Day 3, Sunday, July 28, 2002 - From Long Creek Falls to Hightower Gap (Long)

[RET33@prodigy.net (Robert Tomlinson)]

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Trail information from various Internet sources (trip journal comments prec=
eeded by >> and /or in red type):
Day 3, Sunday, July 28, 2002 - From Long Creek Falls to Hightower Gap:

>> The next morning, we got up to discover that something had chewed a few =
small holes in the bear bag (Robert's sleeping bag cover), but did not get =
to the food. We had hung the bag in a tree that had a few small branches, b=
ut did not worry since the branches were way too small to support a bear's =
weight - but we did not think about smaller animals. And then just before l=
eaving, Robert noticed another hole gnawed right through the top front pock=
et on his pack. Darn mice! And we thought we only had to worry about them a=
round shelters.

>> Before leaving the Falls area at about 9:45AM, we had a short prayer tim=
e and even sang the doxology - it was Sunday morning after all. We had left=
 our water bottles over night in the creek. It was nice to have cold Gatora=
de to take with us, since based on our map and other advance information we=
 expected a bit of a tough climb to get out of there and over the mountain =
to where Gene, our shuttle back to Amicalola, would hopefully be waiting.

Coming back on the spur trail that accessed Long Creek Falls, rejoin the co=
mbined AT and Benton Mackaye trails. Very quickly, the AT then curves back =
to the left, reverting back to its own rectangular white blazes. From here =
the ascent begins on changing terrain and winding ridges.

>> Leaving Long Creek Falls, the trail makes an immediate double switchback=
 climb high above them, and we could hear the falling water one last time, =
before continuing straight and away from the area. The trail was fairly lev=
el for a while after this, and nicely wooded.

5.5/12.1 Stream (2800 feet). No word on water.

>> We did not see this stream.

5.8/12.4 Logging Road (3010 feet). Right to church picnic pavilion, no wate=
r.

>> At the road, in addition to a sign for the pavilion, we saw a sign for a=
 graveyard, but since we had hopes to get to Hightower Gap early and theref=
ore get on the road to arrive back home at a more reasonable time, we did n=
ot stop to explore. Any other time, Robert would have dragged his companion=
s on a side trip.

The trail ascends to a knob at approx 3400 feet at the 6.5 mile point befor=
e it descends slightly, levels out for a short distance, and then climbs qu=
ickly to the upper levels of Hawk Mountain.

>> The initial climb did not seem that onerous, and then the path did indee=
d even out nicely for a time. Then we encountered two strenuous, but relati=
vely short, climbs, before we finally seemed to "top out". We reached the t=
op sooner, and with less exertion, that we had expected based on our previo=
us reading.

>> At the top, Robert tried to call Gene, the shuttle, to let him know we w=
ould be ready to leave more like 12:30PM rather than the 2:00PM pickup time=
 that was previously arranged. Although he had trouble getting an adequate =
cell phone signal, he eventually succeeded but was only able to leave a mes=
sage on the answering machine.

7.5/14.1 Stream (3230 ft). Unreliable in late summer.

>> We did not see this stream.

The trail does not actually climb to Hawks' crest. Passing several grassy a=
nd heavily used tent areas a sign marks the junction of the spring's and sh=
elter's spur trail. Follow the spur trail straight ahead about 150 ft to th=
e shelter off to the left. Go directly behind the shelter following the blu=
e blazes to reach the spring for water. Camping at Hawk Mountain is recomme=
nded since it is the last water source for the next 5+ difficult miles and =
the next shelter is 8 hard miles ahead. Before you continue on be sure to f=
ill up with water, you will need it...

7.6/14.2 Hawk Mountain Shelter (3260 ft) with privy and water down path 400=
 yds behind shelter.

>> As we passed this spot, in the clearing to the left just off the trail w=
e spotted the hiker and his son whom we had briefly encountered at Three Fo=
rks. He was just taking down his tent and shared with us in some detail an =
anecdote about spilling tea all inside the tent the previous night - I gues=
s you had to be there. We continued down the trail - it was only a little p=
ast 11AM at this point - we could hardly believe that we were moving so fas=
t.

8.1/14.7 Hightower Gap (2854 ft), junction with gravel USFS Road #42. No wa=
ter.

>> We arrived at 11:45AM, still surprised at our time and the fact that the=
 downhill hike, although a descent of 400 feet over just one-half mile, was=
 not that tough. Had our stamina really improved that much in just two days=
 of hiking? We could have definitely hiked further on our third and last da=
y, but who knew?.

>> Robert tried to call shuttle Gene again - answering machine again. So th=
e hikers resigned themselves to sitting there a couple of hours. It was act=
ually a pretty nice spot to sit along the road - shady with nice breezes. P=
aul, drawing on his youth pastor training, was the main entertainer. We did=
 everything from playing "props" (think "Whose Line is it Anyway") with a h=
iking stick to inventing and endlessly rehearsing a "hiker's rap", complete=
 with three verses, a chorus, a bridge and even some choreography.

>> Another unpaved road joins USFS 42 here - two or three cars were parked =
at this three-way intersection. Eventually, a family came out of the woods =
headed for one of the cars, and guess who they had picked up along the way =
- our hiker friend and his son from the top of the mountain. He had persuad=
ed this family to take a lot of his excess food and gear off his hands and =
mail it to him. As it turned out, this hiker was taking his nine year-old s=
on all the way through Georgia, sedning him back to school, and then seeing=
 how far on he could continue. He was very glad to get rid of the excess fo=
od and gear - he told us he had started with a sixty pound pack, which is b=
ad enough, but his young son started with thirty pounds, much worse on a pr=
oportional basis. Our hiker friend was very talkative, and could converse a=
t length on about any subject - when he finally decided he and his son need=
ed to get back on the trail to make it to the next destination, we could st=
ill hear him, in his deep and booming Southern drawl, expounding on mileage=
s and elevations for the next mile as he and his captive son climbed the tr=
ail out of the gap. The son seemed very quiet - I'm sure the jury was still=
 out on whether he liked this backpacking thing. Although nice enough, Dad =
was a bit of a stereotype (complete with hocking up his snuff and spitting =
it out, just for us), and so he made it into our hiker's rap.

>> A few cars passed while we were sitting there, but not many. Gene arrive=
d at 2PM on the dot - he was in church when we were trying to reach him - h=
ard to fault a guy for that. Anyway, Gene told us he turns 80 in two weeks,=
 but he was no slouch at the wheel. Boy, did we have an eye-opening ride ou=
t of the mountains back to Amicalola. Let's just say that Gene had no probl=
ems with curves, narrow spots, or even large ruts in the road. Even with Ge=
ne at the wheel, it still took us over an hour to get back to Amicalola, mo=
st of that on bumpy, rutted, unpaved, Forest Service roads. Paul and Jonath=
an had earlier been giving Robert a little bit of a hard time about hiring =
a shuttle, but they stopped after seeing what was involved - Robert's nice =
van never would have been the same if it would have had to encounter those =
roads. And we had a new expression for the drive home - when we wanted some=
one to step on it, we would just tell them to "Drive like Gene". We love ya=
, Gene.