Ace Gap (5.6 mi. in & 5.6 mi. out--5.6 mi. new)

Just prior to my start at Rich Mtn. Road 3 pick-up trucks pulling horse trailers arrived; surprisingly each trailer carried but one horse. I talked to the third arrival and he said that they too were doing Ace Gap trail.

I started off at the trail head on Rich Mtn. Road at 9:30. In a short while I met a father and son who had camped at #4; evidently I told him a little about myself (see last para). I reached Beard Cane (the terminus for the 5.6 mi. trail) at 11:22; however, my pedometer only registered 5 mi. This suggests that the trail was very easy and that my stride was longer than I had set for my pedometer.

At 11:37 I had finished lunch and started my return trip. I met the 3 horse riders I spoke of previously and spoke briefly with them. Although I got a picture of the campsite #7 sign, my batteries were too far gone to get a picture of a relatively large house just off the trail on property outside of GSMNP; it reminded me of the house just out of the park on Indian Graves Gap or Scott Mtn. trail, but this one had an exceedingly large and what appeared to be an open gable—perhaps it was still under construction; unfortunately my batteries were too far gone to take a picture. About the same time I noted that my pedometer case was open and of course not recording.

At 1:24 I arrived at the trail’s end; thus according to the map I covered 11.2 miles in 3 hr and 39 min. (after taking off the 15 min. for lunch). This works out to a little better than 3 miles per hour (including stops to talk with 2 hikers and to the 3 horsemen). It would appear that my pedometer is accurate only when there is a good mixture of both up and down trails; in fairly level easy trails as seen today my stride exceeds my pedometer settings.

On the way home I stopped at Little River Trading Co.; ironically the son referred to above had stopped in previously and told Bert (the fellow showing me cooking eqpt.) that he had met a 71-yr old who had just started hiking less than a year ago and that he planned to do all 900 miles of trails; I guess he was impressed that one as old as me would have such a goal.