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Last week I started making plans for the weekend. It looked like the weather would be warm for February so I began thinking the North Georgia mountains might be a welcome ride; I have not been able to find time for any road trips in quite a while and the camera has been doing nothing but gathering dust. My plan was to ride the back loop of the 6-Gap Century (Jacks, Unicoi, and Hogpen), plus the Brasstown Bald climb (all the way to the top if I can start early enough) and Wolfpen.
I was out of the house by 4:15 AM. There's not much traffic on the road that early in the morning so I made good time; pulled into Vogel State Park at 6:40. The temp was right around 40 and supposed to warn to the upper 50s so I didn't dress too heavy. I didn't think to bring my lights so I had to wait a while for enough light to ride - On the bike by 7:30.
From Vogel SP, I took 129 to 180 and started the climb up Jacks Gap to get to Brasstown Bald. After making the turn onto 180, the temp dropped 5 or 10 degrees so I was freezing my. . . it was cold. Looking back towards Vogel, I could see the sun warming the tops of the mountains but I wasn’t feeling it yet. The sun finally showed itself as I made the left turn to start up the Brasstown climb. This is one steeeep road; pictures don’t do it justice. When I reached the main parking lot, there were no Rangers around yet so I crawled under the gate and rode up the last, even steeper, section up to the observation tower, (this is a no-no and the reason I started so early). After taking in the view, I headed back down. The descent was a bit frightening because you gain speed so quick and there was a bit of dirt and other loose grit in the curves.
After getting back on 180, things were much warmer and I soon found myself turning onto 75 and making my way to Unicoi Gap. This climb is not so tough but it is a good climb. There were a lot of hikers at the parking area where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road; I took some pictures there but my camera really is a piece of crap. The descent was a blast! A few banked curves near the top and several tight curves further down, and nothing loose on this road, made for some speed and fun.
From 75, the course makes a right turn on 75 Alt. After a few miles I made the right turn onto 348 and began the climb up Hogpen Gap. This climb is long with a few fairly steep sections and has lots of scenic overlooks. From the overlook at the top, you can see the Brasstown Bald tower if you look really close. I think Appalachian Trail also crosses here. The descent had a lot of loose stuff the first half mile but was clear and extremely fast the rest. On my way down, I saw a couple other riders struggling up. Come to think of it, I had not seen any other riders up to this point. . . where was everyone?
Several miles after getting off of Hogpen, 348 connects to 180. A right turn here will take you back up Jacks Gap but I had other things in mind so I took a left, back towards Vogel SP. Just before the park entrance, 180 makes a right turn up Wolfpen Gap. I had a little time left so I made the turn. Wolfpen is different. . . much less traffic and the road is narrow with a lot of tight turns – a very enjoyable climb. When I made it to the top I noticed I had climbed 9200 feet for the day, so I kept going. I turned around and climbed the backside of Wolfpen, topping out just before hitting 10,000 ft. After a quick descent, it’s a short climb to back to Vogel SP and a nap in the sun.
All in all a great day! 4hrs 25min, 63 miles, 10,000 ft of climbing.
I was out of the house by 4:15 AM. There's not much traffic on the road that early in the morning so I made good time; pulled into Vogel State Park at 6:40. The temp was right around 40 and supposed to warn to the upper 50s so I didn't dress too heavy. I didn't think to bring my lights so I had to wait a while for enough light to ride - On the bike by 7:30.
From Vogel SP, I took 129 to 180 and started the climb up Jacks Gap to get to Brasstown Bald. After making the turn onto 180, the temp dropped 5 or 10 degrees so I was freezing my. . . it was cold. Looking back towards Vogel, I could see the sun warming the tops of the mountains but I wasn’t feeling it yet. The sun finally showed itself as I made the left turn to start up the Brasstown climb. This is one steeeep road; pictures don’t do it justice. When I reached the main parking lot, there were no Rangers around yet so I crawled under the gate and rode up the last, even steeper, section up to the observation tower, (this is a no-no and the reason I started so early). After taking in the view, I headed back down. The descent was a bit frightening because you gain speed so quick and there was a bit of dirt and other loose grit in the curves.
After getting back on 180, things were much warmer and I soon found myself turning onto 75 and making my way to Unicoi Gap. This climb is not so tough but it is a good climb. There were a lot of hikers at the parking area where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road; I took some pictures there but my camera really is a piece of crap. The descent was a blast! A few banked curves near the top and several tight curves further down, and nothing loose on this road, made for some speed and fun.
From 75, the course makes a right turn on 75 Alt. After a few miles I made the right turn onto 348 and began the climb up Hogpen Gap. This climb is long with a few fairly steep sections and has lots of scenic overlooks. From the overlook at the top, you can see the Brasstown Bald tower if you look really close. I think Appalachian Trail also crosses here. The descent had a lot of loose stuff the first half mile but was clear and extremely fast the rest. On my way down, I saw a couple other riders struggling up. Come to think of it, I had not seen any other riders up to this point. . . where was everyone?
Several miles after getting off of Hogpen, 348 connects to 180. A right turn here will take you back up Jacks Gap but I had other things in mind so I took a left, back towards Vogel SP. Just before the park entrance, 180 makes a right turn up Wolfpen Gap. I had a little time left so I made the turn. Wolfpen is different. . . much less traffic and the road is narrow with a lot of tight turns – a very enjoyable climb. When I made it to the top I noticed I had climbed 9200 feet for the day, so I kept going. I turned around and climbed the backside of Wolfpen, topping out just before hitting 10,000 ft. After a quick descent, it’s a short climb to back to Vogel SP and a nap in the sun.
All in all a great day! 4hrs 25min, 63 miles, 10,000 ft of climbing.
