Aspenator

Wanting to go hit the gaps on an upcoming Saturday. Looking for any advice on where to start/end the ride. Looking to do 3, neels, hogpen, and I forget the name of the other. Going to wake up early that Saturday morning, get some food during the 2 hour drive, and then head to a good safe jump off point.

If you have done a similar route and have it in a format for Garmin that would be great.

Any tips appreciated, and if anyone wants to ride then send me a PM.

Menel

Easier to do and makes more sense to do Neal's -> Wolfpen -> Woody.
You can use the Six Gap's event website to look at maps, start off with the lower loop. The above makes a 34ish mile loop.

Start and End at Tuner's Corner General Store. Run by cyclist. Park area there marked off and welcoming cyclist, don't forget to show your appreciation of the support.

Aspenator

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking of just doing the back half of the ride. I want to try out hogpen. I thought about starting at some park up there and then it is just a short drive to the "start" of the back 3 gaps. I made a route that came out at 47 miles on mapmyride. I am driving 2 1/2 hours to get there, so I would like to get at least around 50 miles before heading out, and I think I can shower at the park when I return.

I do appreciate the help, doesn't seem like many on here were interested in any tips. I will look at the route you suggested, it might be closer and easier to just park at the store.

Menel

It's not that they aren't interested... it's that this forum get low traffic. I check the road cycling forum at the least every few days... it's rare very bored moment if I venture deeper off into here.

There's a park near Helen some people park at, to ride the upper loop, not done that so not familiar with it. I do know they mentioned that it's $3-5 to park. Which is normal assuming it's a state park and you don't have an annual pass.

Hogpen is painful, I rode it last month for the Six Gap event, good luck.

RamahX

If you are looking for company, try here: https://d2540572.296.windnetdns.com/i...pro&Itemid=118

Maps of the Gaps: https://www.wheelworksga.com/index.ph...=87&Itemid=125

dobovedo

A little late with the response.. just seeing this topic. When I ride that area I always do one "triangle" or the other: Neel's/Wolf Pen/Woody or Unicoi/Jack's/Hogpen. I usually choose the latter, and more often than not, go up Brasstown Bald, too. What can I say - I'm stupid. When I do that loop, I usually start at the top of Unicoi since it's the closest to Helen (food/beverages afterward). But you can park at the top of any of the three since there are trailheads and gravel lots. I've done that loop in both directions and don't really have a preference as far as difficulty goes, but I think counter-clockwise is the nicer ride. Climbing that steeper side of Hogpen is a real challenge tho.

When doing Neel's/Wolfpen/Woody I usually start at the little trailhead/parking lot that's about a half mile below the top of Neel's to the north (can't think of the name, but it's a gravel loop on the left when going downhill towards Vogel State Park). As Menel said, riding from Turner's works great too.