Address: (Parking only) Hiawassee, GA 30546
Telephone: (888) 867-2757
Lat/Long: 34.801642, -83.742959
Website: https://appalachiantrail.org/
Date: September 6th 2024
Hardware used for media: GoPro 10, Galaxy S22
Resource Links: Destination: Appalachian Trail
I had been planning this trip for nearly a year — gathering gear, studying the trail, and mentally preparing to spend several days deep in the wilderness. I left home around 3 PM on September 5th and arrived at Dicks Creek Gap around midnight. That stretch of road was genuinely terrifying in pitch black, made worse by a vehicle riding my bumper trying to push me faster.
I spent the night camping in the backseat of my truck (this was before I got my Rooftop Tent). The occasional car passing through kept me from sleeping much, but honestly, I don’t think the excitement would have let me sleep anyway. My trail guide, Bandit, came and picked me up and dropped me off at Unicoi Gap.
Not even 20 minutes into the hike, I heard rustling in the woods. A black bear was up in a tree. I only managed to get one picture before my trek pole clipped a rock and spooked him. That bear was down the tree and gone in seconds.
I was caught off guard by how quickly the elevation climbed. The first mile or two was a gradual ascent, and my Florida calves were already feeling the burn. The rocky terrain was a whole new experience — back home, trails are mostly dirt and sand, so navigating a path layered with actual rocks and boulders was an interesting change.
A few miles in, the trail rewarded me with some stunning views. The first time I got a clear look out over Tray Wilderness from the ridgeline, I genuinely could not make myself walk away. 
I reached Tray Mountain Shelter around 1 PM — but the ascent came with a cost. An ankle injury had been quietly making its presence known. I attempted convincing myself I could “just live with it”, but finally hit its limit. By the time I made it to the shelter, it was so sore I had to change my plan.
I reached out to Bandit from Tray Mountain Shelter, and thankfully he was able to come get me right away. On the drive out, he mentioned that the rest of the section is considerably more forgiving than those first brutal 3–4 miles — which, honestly, made me feel a little better about the whole thing. I’ll get back out there and finish this section. The A.T. isn’t going anywhere.
Happy Camping!
See you on the trail!
~T.B. Pug