Day 2 [Georgia: Mile 4.3 - Mile 16.9] 3 Forks -> Gooch Gap
Date: October 14, 2024 (Monday)
Total Distance: 12.5 miles
The night before, I set up the shuttle service with Ron (706) 669-0919 to pick us up at 3 Forks in the morning and send us to Gooch Gap, so we can hike back to 3 Forks. But from Ron we learned that the norm for the day hike is parking your car in the destination in the morning, and shuttle will drop you off at the starting point to hike to the destination.
Mile 4.3 - Mile 8.6: 3 Forks -> Hightower Gap
While we were waiting for Ron in the car in the morning, from the back-viewing mirror of my left side window, I saw a black bear crossing the road. It happened so quick that left no time for me to take a photo. We also witnessed three Turkeys crossing as well on the way to 3 Forks in the morning. That’s all the wildlife we have identified throughout the day. Hightower Gap is accessible by cars, so shuttle service is available for this stop.
We passed:
Mile 6.2 Hickory Flats - a big lawn on the right next to the AT trail - which I believe used to be Hickory Flats School.
Mile 7.4 Hawk Mtn Campsite, by hiking a short distance left from AT
Mile 8.1 Hawk Mtn Shelter
Mile 8.6 - Mile 10.5: Hightower Gap -> Horse Gap
There are several small hills to Horse Gap, which is also accessible by shuttle service.
Mile 10.5 - Mile 12.2: Horse Gap -> Cooper Gap
This section is to climb over from the one side of Hawk Mountain to the other, which is Cooper Gap. We had zero cellular signal from 3 Forks, but here we did see 1 or 2 bars. It was the steepest climb of our day. At 10.9 mile, half way to the peak, there is a small open sky that allow you to see the mountain ranges in distance. We missed this photo opportunity, and there is no view anymore from the top due to the dense tree tops.
Cooper Gap again is available for parking and shuttle service. There is also a water tank parked on the side of the road. According to Ron our shuttle driver, it is unlocked and available for refill your water supply. It does tastes a little bleach but it is totally fine to drink.
Mile 12.2 - Mile 16.9: Cooper Gap -> Gooch Gap
No more major mountains to climb, this section is relatively smooth. Gooch Gap has parking and shuttle service. Our driver Ron picked us up here and drove us back to 3 Forks to pick up our car.
We passed:
Mile 14.3 Devil’s Kitchen Campsite
Mile 15.7 Gooch Mountain Shelter
All the campsites and shelters are marked with signs and/or blue paint on the tress for direction.