Everywhere else in the world they are called passes– or at least where I am from. Here in Geogia, the low passage points over mountains are referred to as gaps. In North Georgia there is an area situated between the mountain towns of Dahlonega and Helen referred to as Six Gaps- or simply The Gaps, that is comprised of 6 mountain passes that can be ridden on a single 104 mile bike ride of a lifetime, or three gaps for 58 miles.
The annual Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty ride is renowned as one of the most challenging rides in the United States with over 11,000 feet of elevation gain and grades of up to 15% on the infamous Hogpen Gap. By comparison, the Tahoe Century ride I completed in 2010 was a paltry 6300 feet of elevation gain- or just more than half of the full Six Gap ride.
From 2003-2008 the area served as a challenging mountain stage of the now discontinued Tour De Georgia. “Brasstown Bald is a very, very tough climb” said Lance Armstrong of the 2004 breakaway with Voigt to steal the win from stage leader Chris Horner. Hors catégorie is a French term used to designate a climb that is “beyond categorization”, an incredibly tough climb. Most climbs in cycling are designated from Category 1 (hardest) to Category 4 (easiest), based on both steepness and length. A climb that is harder than Category 1 is designated as hors catégorie– such as Brasstown Bald with the steepest grade at 24 percent.
Today I rode the “front three” gaps- Neels, Wolfpen and Woody for a total of 62 Miles (the route map says 58). I arrived at Lumpkin High School around 8 am and was wheels-down by 8:30 so as to try and beat the hottest part of the day in the afternoon. I immediately appreciated the rolling hills along Black Mountain Road as a nice warm-up and lead-in to Neels- something I usually hit cold when starting the ride from Turner’s Corner General Store. It was a gorgeous morning and I had the roads nearly to myself- even though it was the start of the July 4th weekend. What little traffic there was consisted of other cyclist and motorcycles.
Black Mountain Road becomes Yahoola Road just before the sharp turn and climb onto Route 19. I stopped my to toss a stone on Trahlyta’s Grave at the foot of Stonepile gap before heading west to Turners Corner. According to Cherokee legend, Trahlyta was a beautiful local woman who was kidnapped by an unrequited suitor. In captivity her beauty and health declined and on her death she asked to be buried in her native hills. Cherokee, and later whites, adopted the custom of tossing a stone on her grave as they passed in the hopes of receiving her beauty. The Stone Pile now sits in the middle of the intersection of routes 19 & 60. Read more about the legend [here].
I stopped in to Turner’s Store to replenish my fluids and buy some preemptive Advil before hitting Neels. This climb winds nearly 8 miles and rises to an elevation of 3097 feet to the top of Blood Mountain. Any way you cut it, an 8 mile climb is just no fun at all- but my legs felt strong as I cranked my way along 129 in light traffic and made it to the top in just under an hour. Situated at the the top of Neels is perhaps my favorite outdoor store in the world- Mountain Crossings. It is not just any store- housed in a solid granite building that was build as lodging for the Conservation Corps workers during the depression. Mountain Crossings is a critical supply link for hikers on the Apalachian Trail. Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the “AT” is a 2200 mile trail network attracting hikers from the world over. At Mountain Crossings, the trail route actually goes through the breezeway between two buildings and represents the only covered portion on the entire trail! The side patio offers a peaceful resting place for weary hikers and bikers while enjoying a panorama of the valley below. It also gave me an opportunity to feel slightly superior to the “weighty” tourists who 0ooe’d and ahhh’ed at the view- I had earned my view!
The screaming descent down the backside of Neel’s made the climb totally worthwhile- reaching speeds of 40+ miles per hour, a quick brake-check before heading down is a must. From Neel’s, I turned left onto Highway 180 at Vogel State park- immediately heading into the climb at Wolfpen. Featuring steeper, but shorter stretches between turns, the summit of Wolfpen tops out at 3369. I was not feeling on top of my game at the summit- as the picture shows a forced grin bathed in sweat. I downed both water bottles and a gel pack to replenish my energy before heading down the backside of Wolfpen into Suchess Valley for the route 60 tie-in. In addition, my mysterious bottom bracket creaking returned on this climb- it is time to break out the sledgehammer of scientific investigation on this problem when I get home. I need to develop new hypothoses.
The final gap ascent today was up the back side of Woodys which would deliver me back to the Stone Pile and about 15 miles from the car. When riding with Team In Training I had made this ascent, but from the other direction- and I dreaded this last climb. I could feel my fuel needle clicking on empty, it was getting hot and another 8 mile climb was not at the top of my list. The cycling gods were with me though because I did not realize that with each climb up Neels and Wolfpen, did not correlate to an equal distance down. The result was a 15-minute climb to the summit of Woody’s. It was almost anti-climatic! The descent was absolutely incredible though- nearly 10 miles of winding speed to the rock pile and I was on my way home!
The final miles back to the car were tough- I was now officially dehydrated and it was hot. This ride kicked my ass- but it was wonderful and terrific and I cant wait to go again! On the way home I stopped at Taco Bell on 400 and ate 8 soft tacos- yummy! I have renewed respect for the Gaps- and am considering an entry into the main event this year for all six. It is another 50 miles and double the elevation gain from today’s ride- but what if I did it? What if I have what it takes to earn a coveted six gap jersey? What if….
Sean,
Thanks, for the post as I am going up to Blaisville, Ga. at the end of July and plan on doing some mountain biking and road biking. I have a carbon framed Bianchi 2010 Infinito with an 11/28 rear cassette and a compact front gear.
Hope I can handle the hills there as not many here in South Florida.
SRcycler
Awesome! I ran into another couple from FLA who were blown away by the mountains but were taking them in stride over three days. You can do it! I ride a 20 year old Specialize M2 with Dura Ace 8 speed groupo. The compact gearing and better ratios will make a ton of difference for you for sure- just work on the engine and you will do great!
[…] challenging riding in the area between Dahlonega Helen after a solo ride along this route in A Day of Cycling in North Georgia several weeks ago. The basis for my nervousness is multi-faceted; but primarily centers around […]
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