I decided to just knock this 16.7-mile gap out in one, very long day. I got up at 3:30 in the morning to be on the road by 4:45 in order to drive 2+ hours and meet my shuttle driver, Gene Roll at 7:00 a.m. at Dick’s Creek, a main road through the mountains, and an easy access point with trailhead parking where I could leave my car – for the day. I was living in Brevard, NC at the time.
Gene then drove me another 30 minutes south to Unicoi Gap where I finished the last time just a few weeks earlier. One nice thing about doing a long day hike is my pack was a lot lighter, maybe 15 pounds including snacks, lunch, water filter and water; as well as emergency essentials like rain gear, head lamp and a first aid kit. It’s amazing how much easier, or should I say not as hard (none of it is easy!), climbing mountains is when you don’t have 30+ pounds on your back.
