Spring Gear Shakedown - Neel Gap to Whitney Gap Shelter

Time to dust off your gear and get ready for this year's backpack adventures.  This event is intended for folks with upcoming backpack trips to test, try-out, practice and generally shakedown your backpack equipment. The hike is challenging and will remind you what it's like to carry a full pack over mountains and miles. Each day will cover about 9 miles with 2500 ft elevation gain.

We'll start at the Byron Reese parking lot and head uphill to join the AT.  From there we'll follow the AT north for about 7 miles before turning onto the Whitney Gap Shelter trail.  The trail will take us downhill over 1 mile to the shelter.

Since the shelter is so far off the AT it's usually less crowded.  There should be room for about 6 tents there with bear cables and a reliable spring nearby.  Since I've never been down to the shelter before I marked this event as exploratory.

Along the way we'll pass through Neel and Tesnatee gaps and over Levelland, Cowrock and Wildcat mountains.  We'll probably stop for lunch on Cowrock the first day.  It's a tough climb out of Tesnatee Gap both ways and the hike down to the shelter is supposed to be a bit steep.

At camp we'll setup our tents, check over our gear, settle in and have dinner.  In the morning we should have plenty of time for a hot breakfast and pack up.  We'll plan to go to bed around dark and wake up around dawn (the way nature intended). 

Unless arrangements are made with others, everyone should bring there own food, cooking gear, tent and backpack. (That's kinda the point of the trip.)

This is a D5 backpack event with a 9 mile hike to and from the campsite. Total elevation gain is around 5000 ft.  Extensive backpacking experience is not necessary but you should have all your own gear and be responsible for carrying and setting up your own stuff as well as preparing your own dinner and breakfast.

Please meet the Byron Reese Trailhead parking lot by 9:00am.

Click here for trailhead location