Best Appalachian trail beginner's hike: Bring the kids
By George columnist

Famed

naturalist and conservationist

John Muir once exclaimed, "John the Baptist was not more eager to get all his fellow sinners into the Jordan than Ito baptize all of mine in the beauty of God's mountains." His motive reflects mine in offering the following trek.Let's take the world's most famous hiking trail, the Appalachian Trail (AT), and narrow the beginning hiking choice to the easiest section between two very accessible roads anywhere south of the Smokies.

In my book, that is the 3.6 miles that varies just each side of 3,000 feet elevation between Woody and Gooch gaps near Suches, GA. Here I have introduced a number of novice hikers to the trail, including preschool children. If you have two cars, run one a short shuttle to Gooch Gap. Then begin at Woody Gap's parking lot on GA Highway 60.* Your first mile around the side of Black Mountain is rather flat, easy walking. In this mile on my May 20 afternoon hike

I encountered: a young father with a small child on his shoulder, a guy from Atlanta with his son age six, and a scout group from Buford, GA exiting from an overnight camping trip. Along the way birds were

trilling while Solomon's seals were a'blooming underneath the leaves.Reach Tritt Gap (3,050 ft.) at 1.0 mile.limb your first little knob, Rampart Mountain, gaining only 150 feet to 3,200 feet and a 20-yard side trail that ends at a great open vista southward. If clear, in the far distance towards the right the ridge rearing its head over the flatter Piedmont is Sawnee Mountain at Cumming.

Atlanta and Stone Mountain may be seen on cool clear days, October through April. Not today.

Leaving this first summit, one drops into Jack's Gap at 3,000 ft. The tall, straight trees here with tulip-shaped leaves are yellow poplar, also call tulip poplar. This stand towers above all else, and reflects this tree as one of the dominant Southern Appalachian trees taking the place of the area's deceased chestnuts in climax forests. Both leaves and the yellow-green-orange buds are shaped somewhat as tulips. The tree is not actually a true poplar, being instead a member of the magnolia family.

Climb another little peak (your second). Again at the top you are rewarded with a second lovely vista to your left, this time tilted as preview of the route ahead on your right. A story here: Thirty-plus years ago I was leading a hike on this section. A large, hanging grape vine was spotted along the trail. We all took turns swinging on it. A friend of mine, Jerry, then holder of the hundred-yard-dash track record at Emory University, decided to show us all up.

He did - running hard and sailing high - right into a brush-hidden hornet's next. We all ran, but hornet justice picked out Jerry as the true culprit and punctured his rear end at several points. To this day, somewhere in my color slide files, resides one that shows Jerry at this overlook holding his butt with pained grief. Coming off this second knoll you drop a bit into Liss Gap at 2.1 miles with an even better stand of yellow poplars. You wind around and down through pleasant, somewhat open forest for the next half mile. Cross an old abandoned roadbed. From here climb moderately for 300 yards to walk rather level on a steep side slope below the ridgeline.During your last mile you are walking mostly flat or downhill.

Just before arriving at your vehicle in Gooch Gap, there is a blueblazed side trail 200 yards to water. Here I saw my first blue-purple spiderwort of the season blooming beside the spring run.The trip is complete; your car awaits ahead at the gap. As best I've been able to determine over the years, this is the shortest, easiest AT walk anywhere around. It's great for beginners. However, if you only had one vehicle, it's time to turn around and move toward completion of a 7.2- mile hike by returning to Woody Gap.

*DIRECTIONS: Woody Gap is on GA Highway 60 two miles southeast of Suches, GA. Run a shuttle first to an abandoned white store, "Tritt Country Store."Turn left here onto Forest Service Road 42, and continue 2.7 miles (gravel road last part) to Gooch Gap, with AT crossing marked by white 2X6-inchblazes, a parking area on left, campsite beyond. There is a semi-rustic restroom at Woody Gap (no running water).

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