Spencer Gap Trail (#600)
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Route map of the Spencer Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Route map of the Spencer Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Spencer Gap Trail/F.R. 5000 Junction -- 2,840'
The lower terminus of the Spencer Gap Trail is here, along Forest Service Road 500 about 1.5-miles south of Bent Creek Gap. There's no trail marker here, you'll just have to look for yellow blazes and the F.R. 5000B sign seen to the left of the gate in this shot. The trail begins beyond the gate...
The Spencer Gap Trail begins a moderately steep ascent as it follows the gated F.R. 5000B up the side of the ridge...
The trail quickly makes a sharp turn west to cross a small tributary and continues its moderately steep ascent...
Crossing a low shoulder along the ridge the trail/road passes this large but narrow wildlife opening...
This isn't the most attractive trail to be honest...the woods have a charm though...
Looking down the steep slopes along the trail...
About 1/3-mile above Wash Creek Road (F.R. 5000), the trail (on the right) finally splits from the old logging road (left)...
The first such marker denoting the trail is at the above split from the logging road...
Within a couple minutes of splitting off on its own, the trail pulls up alongside and then passes through another long, narrow wildlife opening...
Despite the relatively steep slope, the narrowness of the wildlife opening prevents there being any decent views back to the south...
Continuing the uphill grind...
The grade begins to ease up again as the trail curves into the drainage of yet another tributary of Wash Creek...
It appears as if, except in the wettest conditions, the floor of this drainage remains devoid of moisture...
It's easy to see why riding trails like this is so popular...
Now rounding the upper end of the Wash Creek watershed the trail is still climbing, but at a bit more comfortable rate than earlier...
Lest you enjoy it too much, there are a handful of steep pitches...
The trees in some of these coves are very stately...
Passing through the next drainage which is also usually dry...
Continuing its winding journey along the ridge...
...and curving up into yet another drainage...
No water in this ravine either, but there's some cool boulders strewn across the hillside...
Please stick to the trails folks...there's no reason for there to be erosion problems like this...
