Eagle Mountain and Bell Mountain - Autumn Colors - RESCHEDULED - Sun, Oct 31 2021

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Eagle Mountain and Bell Mountain - Autumn Colors - RESCHEDULED


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Hiawassee, Georgia   Hike: Eagle Mountain and Bell Mountain - Autumn Colors - RESCHEDULED  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Oct 31 2021  9:00 am >> Sun, Oct 31 2021 4:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 7:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Mon, Oct 18 2021 7:01 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Oct 29 2021 3:30 pm
Event Duration:7 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D5: Difficult
Distance:12 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Steve H
Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.
Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:10
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 9 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Eagle Mountain is one of Georgia's 4,000 ft peak (#13 on the list), close to Hiawassee, with great southerly exposure that is virtually unexplored by most hikers. 

We will begin this hike after parking on Bell Gap Road (FS 829), depending how far we can drive down the road without four wheel drive vehicles. We may need to park about half way down, there's a space for 1-2 vehicles and walk to the trailhead. For this reason, there will be limited "meet at the trailhead" for this hike. We can meet locally at the Ingles in town to consolidate cars, if needed.

The iron gate is the "official" start of the hike, walking along the undrivable part of FS 829 as it continues past the gate. We will follow several old logging roads, with three major turns, and eventully the summit of Eagle Mountain, reaching it at 4.2 miles. The summit will have two different overlooks, one is much better than the other. The second overlook that looks to the south is where we will take a break and enjoy a liesurely lunch. From here, we will enjoy great views of Hiawassee, Lake Chatugue, Brasstown Bald and the AT on either side of Unicoi Gap (Blue Mountain, Rocky and Tray are in full view). 

After enjoying our views of what we hope will be full Autumn colors we will descend 4.2 miles back to the iron gate near Bell Gap. We will make an attempt another FS road plus a short bushwhack to the top of Bell Mountain to enjoy the 360 degree views of Eagle Mounatin and the entire area. 


Required Items to Bring:

2-3 liters of water or electrolytes

sturdy boots

long pants and shirt

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

sunscreen

bug spray

rain gear


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Due to limited parking at the trailhead, Meet at Event will be the Ingles in Hiawassee. 

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):0Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 7:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions

Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.