Sat, Mar 21 2009 - Dayhike the GA AT - Section 6: Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Jennifer Rush, Tony C, Scott Looper Participants: Tony C, Jennifer Rush, Scott Looper, Caroline, Ed Doran, patricia, Noreen, Marshall, Duane B, Kay, Terry, Pavan, Alex V

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Write Up:
Well this was the toughest section of the series and it definitely felt like it.   At least we had a nice cool day to tackle it...actually almost on the chilly side at the beginnng, but it warmed up nicely. 

We  hit the trail at Unicoi Gap for the big climb up Rocky Mtn...up about 1000 feet...then down to Tray Gap and up another 1000 feet to the top of Tray mtn.  After enjoying the views there (see pics), we stopped at the Tray Mtn shelter for a break.   There was rolling terrain for the next few miles before a big 900 foot climb up Kelly Knob which felt brutal after already doing about 4000 feet of ascent and about 14 miles.  But we all made it up and over and down the descent to Dicks Creek Gap.

Because this was such a long, strenuous hike, the group went at their own pace...so some finished in just over 6 hrs while others took just over 8.  The distance with side trips to both shelters (Tray and Deep Gap) was about 17 miles with just over 5000 feet of total ascent.   So we felt a good bit of satisfaction in finishing this and looked forward to the last section in the series, coming up in a couple of weeks...

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