NC/TN Appalachian Trail - Section 12 - Sams Gap to Devil Fork Gap

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
11/27/2021	9.5 miles	5 hours 33 minutes	1,741'	1.7 mph	502.3

Map: 

• Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Tennessee-North Carolina Maps 3 & 4
• FarOut app (Guthook)

Parking: 2 cars, one at Sams Gap, one at Devil Fork Gap

Directions: Starting at Sams Gap, walk on road under overpass. Head southbound on AT to Devil Fork Gap.

We ended up not hiking on Black Friday. I was physically tired, and it was a cold windy day. We worked on getting some stuff done at home. After a rest day, we headed out to work on another section of the AT. I was still tired today. The hike starts off steeply uphill on pavement, and then more uphill on trail. My body was not ready for immediate climbing. The beginning of the trail had soooo many water bars and graded dips (trail features that divert water off the trail to prevent erosion). I was seriously impressed - kudos to whomever maintains this section. The trail was often bordered by an old barbed wire fence. We passed by a few places with views, but kept moving as it was chilly and windy. Lots of leaves on the trail made for slow going on the downhills. Tired body made for slow going on the uphills.