Eagle Mountain & Hollifield Ridge Loop - Sat, Jan 27 2018

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 & Hollifield Ridge Loop


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: near Hiawassee, GA   Hike: Eagle Mountain & Hollifield Ridge Loop  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Jan 27 2018  8:00 am >> Sat, Jan 27 2018 6:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 8:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Wed, Jan 24 2018 8:04 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Jan 26 2018 4:44 pm
Event Duration:10 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult (Exploratory)
Distance:9 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Mark
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:4
Number Registered So Far: 5 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

Eagle Mountain (4,240'), located in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area, is one of Georgia's highest peaks and sports some fantastic vistas at its summit. The Georgia side of the Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area is almost completely devoid of maintained trails, so it contains some of the most unspoiled land in the State.

Although there are no official maintained trails in this part of the Wilderness Area, there are a number of old logging roads and unmaintained trails which we'll follow to the top of Eagle Mountain. The trails/paths going to the top of Eagle are fairly wide in most places until reaching the Wilderness Area boundary. We will hike approximately 4.25 miles along these 'trails' to reach the summit of Eagle Mtn, After we reach the summit, there are a couple different overlooks which provide views of the Hiawassee River Valley, Lake Chatuge, the white quartz dome of Bell Knob, Brasstown Bald, Tray Mtn, Unicoi Gap, etc. We will find a nice spot to eat lunch at one of the overlooks while enjoying the views. After lunch, we will head “off-trail” down Hollifield Ridge for about 1.25 miles passing a couple more overlooks on the way down. We will eventually come to an old logging road/trail which we'll follow for about a mile until we get back to the main trail which we'll take back to the cars.

On the way back, and if time permits, we may make a stop at Bell Mtn to observe the views from the newly constructed platforms. This is just a short drive from the trailhead, and on the way back.

This hike will be approximately 9 miles long, with about 2,300 feet of ascent, and have about 1.5 miles of off-trail hiking... so it should be considered at the upper end of the D4 range. If you do not have recent D4+ hiking experience, then the trip leader will be contacting you to determine if this hike is appropriate for you.


Required Items to Bring:
  • Hiking Boots/Shoes
  • Food - lunch & snacks
  • Water/sports drink - at least 2 liters
  • Rain gear - even if the chances of rain are slim
  • Change of clothes/shoes for the ride home
  • Sense of adventure
  • Cash for the carpool driver
Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • Camera
  • Rice Crispy treats

How to Get There:
Event Directions:

N34° 57.424' W83° 43.335'

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):188Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 8:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $75.20 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

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


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