April Fool on the Hill Hike

Looking for other fools to join me on this foolishly hard hike.  Testing our winter fitness and uphill legs we'll be climbing Brasstown Bald from a foolish direction starting at Unicoi Gap. This hike is no joke.

From Unicoi Gap we'll head south on the AT to Chattahoochee Gap where we turn north on Jacks Knob Trail following it to the summit of Brasstown Bald. This is a very long and difficult hike with lots of climbing. The total leg aching mileage is 20 miles with over 5600 ft elevation.

We'll start our magical mystery tour on the AT with a 1000 ft, 1.5 mile climb up Blue Mountain to the shelter. From there it's an easy(ish) cruise to Chattahoochee Gap and the intersection with Jacks Knob Trail. Turning north we'll continue down to cross Hwy 180 at Jacks Gap before the tough climb up Brasstown Bald (1600 ft, 2 mile). At the Brasstown Bald parking lot we'll check the time and assess our legs and fortitude before making a game day decision whether to climb the last 0.4 miles to the summit tower. After lunching on Brasstown Bald we retrace our footsteps for the long but easier hike back our cars.

This hike features panoramic views atop Brasstown Bald as well as a nice vista from Blue Mtn. Those inclined can also check out the spring source of the Chattahoochee river near Chattahoochee Gap. But mostly it features over 5600 ft of climbing and pain.

Due to the difficulty of the hike you need prior strong D6 experience or the equivalent.  Average pace should be 2.5+ mph.  This is a high end D6 hike and you should be comfortable on hikes lasting 8 hrs at a quick pace with minimum breaks. If there are no previous D6 hikes in your profile expect an email to assess your compatibility for the hike.

Unicoi Gap Trailhead - There's several spaces on the east side of Rte 75.

Directions to the trailhead