Woody Gap to Hogpen Gap Day 1 4K

Second backpacking trip of 2024 .. March 16 - 17, 2024
Included ... Caitlin, myself, and Sally
The initial plan was to backpack up and over Brasstown Bald then reconnect with the AT to Hospen, Gap over 2 nights 3 days - but due to forecasted thunderstorms we decided to do an overnight from Woody Gap to Hogpen Gap instead.
Day 1 ... March 16, 2024
After an early wakeup to hit the road and make the 2-1/2 hour drive to Hopen Gap and dealing with stomach issues along the way - I enjoyed the drive especially through the german themed town of Helen, GA with it's rooftops all illuminated with lights. Then enjoying the sun coming up - before disappearing as I got into the clouds/fog at Hospen Gap - where we met up with Caitlin! We left one car at Hopen Gap and made our way to Woody Gap (about 35 minutes). We arrive at Woody Gap - which was packed with lots of cars and I grabbed what seemed to be one of the last parking spots. Finally, it was time to hit the trail and uphill we go! It's still early spring/late winter - so we had fantastic ridgeline views most of the day. Along the way, we got to see the view from Preachers Rock (where there were several day hikers) - this was about 1 mile into the hike - and we continued making our way through the Blood Mountain Wilderness Area. There were a lot of people out on the trail it seemed like - especially one group of like 8 people who was just oblivious to us 3 that were moving a bit faster than they were.
So, we took a snack break to give ourselves some space from that group (and their music) before carrying on down the trail - thankfully that group had taken a break further down the trail and we were able to pass them! As we continued climbing up and down over various ridges ….. the views were very enjoyable with less people. Finally, after 8.4 miles we made it to the summit of Blood Mountain - where everyone else seemed to be as well (they'd taken the shorter 2 mile way up!). After exploring around the old stone shelter and scrambling around the rocks - we found ourselves a nice spot to sit and enjoy the sun for a little while.
After a nice break and realizing that if I wanted to explore the shop at Mountain Crossings - we needed to get on the trail! Thankfully after Blood Mountain - it was almost all downhill - but the views didn't stop - so I was struggling with wanting to get to Mountain Crossings versus enjoying the views! But - the downhill was technical on this side with more rock scrambling and some wet areas. But it wasn't long until we could here the motorcycles from the road out for a ride enjoying the beautiful weather. And then - through the trees - there was our goal - Mountain Crossings. It was a very busy area - with people driving by, some thru-hikers, and other day hikers ... but it was a great place to sit for awhile, The store was very nice with a great variety of things ... they even carried brands like Gossamer Gear and Montbell - and Sally was able to come into the store tool But we just grabbed a couple of Cokes, a jerky stick (for Sally), and of course a couple of stickers! We grabbed a picnic table .. and I decided to go ahead and make my dinner there - so I didn't have to do it once we got to camp. It was nice to have a table to cook on ... the meal was good but it was A LOT of food (Firepot was the brand).
After all that ... it was time to head to camp - up a hill of course! I started questioning myself - hiking up a hill with a full stomach - but we made it to camp at Bull Gap at 12 miles - and I was grateful that I'd eaten so all I had to do was to set up camp and just enjoy watching the sun set behind the ridge!
Things to note ... overall the trail is very nicely maintained and the for the most part the climbs are moderate. There were some sections that were a little more technical - but most people didn't seem to have any issues. Blood Mountain was cool but the view coming down from Blood Mountain was better I thought - and there were less people. The shelter was stone, cold, and dark - not really something I'd personally want to stay in but it was cool to see. Definitely recommend Mountain Crossings ... they're basically an outfitter and they'll even do pack shake-downs for a fee. The campsite at Bull Gap had a lot of dead looking trees ... so just be mindful and look for any widow makers before setting up camp. Also, if you're a group hiking along a trail - be mindful of fellow hikers/backpackers that come up on your group and let them by - don't hog the trail please. Overall, a great first day!