Finally Some More AT!

This Columbus Day, while most little Ferdinands and Isabellas are decorating their Columbus Day mast with decorative sails in anticipation of New World gifts of gold and silver, Michael and Wanda and I will be back on the ol' AT. You may recall our last trip was canceled due to illness (Wanda, a native Alaskan, contracted smallpox from a settler). Then other things cluttered the schedule like Michael getting a new job, moving to a new city, and other lame excuses. But tomorrow we have a plan. Here's the email from Michael:

Ok so a 2 day, 1 nighter. Here are my thoughts.

We left off at Neel's Gap. Roads and parking areas seem to get farther and farther apart as we progress north, so we'll have to change our strategy a bit. How about going from Neel's Gap to Low Gap shelter on Sunday (11 miles), then from Low Gap shelter to Unicoi Gap on Monday (9.9 miles). A lot of it is *supposed* to be really easy.

This would involve getting an early start both Sunday and Monday. Sunday, because we would have to drop a car off at Unicoi Gap and get started at Neel's Gap (which, as you remember) involves parking farther down the street and walking a 1/4 mile or so to the trailhead. Monday, because we still have to hike 10 miles, get the car, drive to the other car, etc., etc. and still get back at a decent time for work the next day.

So the agenda would look something like this:

Saturday

* congregate in Atlanta in the PM

Sunday

* early start (6:30 maybe?)
* drive to Unicoi Gap (hwy 76) and drop off end car
* drive start car to Neel's Gap (hwy 19/129)
* 11 mile trek to Low Gap shelter for camp

Monday

* early start (early is relative to our usual start times on these trips... I mean like up at 7ish and 8am on the trail)
* 9.9 mile trek to Unicoi Gap
* back to Atlanta


Should be pretty easy I would think, at least logistically speaking. The hiking looks to be simple enough as well. No dogs involved this time, unless we get some boots for JD ;-)

Thoughts?