Club Gap Trail (#343)
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Club Gap Trailhead (F.R 477) -- 3,400'
The trail leaves the parking area by heading straight up the adjoining hillside...
Club Gap Trailhead (F.R 477) -- 3,400'
The trailhead is located at a pull-off alongside Forest Service Road 477, approximately 0.4-miles above its northern junction with US-276...
The grade is moderately-steep right out of the gate...
Descending off the back side of the ridge from the parking area...
Soon the trail crests the ridge above the parking area and begins to descend for a time down the opposite side...
At this spot the trail reaches its low point on the far side of the ridge. It's now all uphill to Club Gap itself...
The deep gully the trail runs through here tells of an earlier time when this was likely an old road...
The climb to Club Gap is a bit of a leg-burner as the grade is moderate to steep most of the way, without let-up...
In a couple places other old roadways branch off, but the main route of the trail is fairly obvious...
Curving steeply up through an old cut...
Ascending one of the long, steep switchbacks up to Club Gap...
Looking downhill you get a sense of the grade, as well as how quickly the trail is gaining elevation...
Looking uphill as the trail nears Club Gap...
Club Gap (Club Gap/Avery Creek/Black Mountain/Buckwheat Knob Trails) -- 3,780'
Club Gap is a major junction where four busy trails meet. Behind me in this shot is the Club Gap Trail, which has now reached its upper terminus. To the right (west) is the Buckwheat Knob Trail, straight ahead (south) is the Avery Creek Trail, and the Black Mountain Trail departs here to the left (east).
Route map of the Club Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Route map of the Club Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...