TRAY
Last
week I was given a last-minute, one-day work assignment near Atlanta. I had to be in Kennesaw by 7:30 on Friday
morning, so I drove down Thursday afternoon and spent the night. I travel for work almost every week, and I
like to make the most of my opportunities.
On this occasion, I was able to meet up with a friend in Kennesaw on
Thursday evening for dinner and a few beers.
On Friday afternoon, I hoped to squeeze in a hike in the mountains of
northern Georgia before heading home.
Tray
Mountain has been on my to-do list for years.
Several people have told me that it has great scenery. Recently, Backpacker magazine ran an article
listing the “best” view in every state.
They chose Tray Mountain, and the article reminded me that I still hadn’t
been there. For Friday afternoon, I
planned a hike on the Appalachian Trail to the summit. The best option was a hike from highway 75 at
Unicoi Gap, 9 miles north of the touristy town of Helen. The round-trip hike would be over 10 miles,
with more than 3,000’ of elevation gain.
In the end, I extended the hike to 11 ½ miles by continuing on to the
Tray Mountain Shelter beyond the summit.
I
finished my job at 10am and drove north.
The drive took longer than expected, and I didn’t reach Unicoi Gap until
shortly after noon. There were four cars
there when I arrived, along with a solo backpacker that had just finished a
short section hike. I organized my gear
and hit the trail, which starts with a steep climb up Rocky Mountain. I passed a couple that had climbed up the
trail a short distance from the parking area.
The guy asked me if there were any views ahead. I told him that I wasn’t familiar with the
trail, but that Tray Mountain was supposed to have great views. I then mentioned that it was 5 miles farther
on. At that, they headed back down. Surprisingly, they were the only people I saw
all day.
It
turns out that there are quite a few other views along the way. I stopped for a quick lunch on the wooded
summit of Rocky Mountain. A hundred yards
farther on, I came to the first of several overlooks. This stretch of trail skirts the summit, but
traverses a series of cliffs along the south side of the mountain. Those cliffs offered some nice views, which
was a nice warm up for the scenery to come.
A descent to a forest road followed.
From there, I hiked through long tunnels of rhododendron and galax before crossing a second forest road. A bit later I reached a great campsite in a
clearing. The A.T. Database calls it the
old cheese factory site. Was there
really a cheese factory here once upon a time?
A
bit farther was another view. This one
encompassed most of Tray Mountain, though the actual summit was blocked from
view by trees. A third forest road
crossing followed, before I finally entered the Tray Mountain Wilderness. The final climb up Tray Mountain began
here. Along the way I was treated to
another view, this one a narrow window through the trees to the north.
A
final climb brought me to the rocky summit.
There is another narrow view to the north from here, and a nicer,
broader view to the south. The A.T.
Database mentioned more great views from the trail leading to the shelter, so I
continued on. A short, steep descent
brought me to the spur trail, which I followed past several campsites. One was situated near the brink of a cliff,
and it featured another fine view to the east.
The shelter was just beyond, with a blue-blazed trail continuing on
towards a spring. I turned around there
and headed back up.
Shortly
before the summit I reached a small campsite next to the trail. I was looking for an unmarked trail that
leads out a spur ridge to a sub-peak. I
hadn’t seen it on the descent, but I found it behind the campsite. I followed the narrow path through tangles of
rhododendron to an isolated campsite in a small clearing at a wide spot along
the ridge. I found a rocky perch just
beyond the campsite, with a fantastic view east and south. It was the best vista on a day that was full
of them.
So,
was it the best view in Georgia? Possibly. I’m no
expert on the mountains of Georgia, and no doubt there are many good views
there that I haven’t seen. Of the places
I have been, only Rabun Bald is in the same league.
I
had a snack there before heading back. I
returned quickly, as it was almost 4pm when I left, and I still had a long
drive home. The return hike went
quickly, though the steep climb back up Rocky Mountain slowed me down a
bit. The walk back was pretty
uneventful, except for spooking a bunch of wild pigs. They scattered in every direction, and I
wasn’t able to get a photo of any of them.
It
was almost 6 pm when I returned to the parking area. I still had a long drive home, but it was
worth it. I’d hiked in a new area – one
I’d like to explore further. I’d seen
some great views, but had barely ventured into the Tray Mountain Wilderness
Area. A great 3-day backpacking trip
would be from Unicoi Gap to the Standing Indian Campground in North Carolina’s
Nantahala National Forest. Heading south
from Unicoi Gap also sounds like a nice trip.
Back to Georgia
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