If you are a trail runner here in the Southeast and have a bit of the competitive nature in ya you’ll be interested to know that the 2010 Rockcreek Trail Series is underway with the next competition, the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race coming up March 27th. The races are a 10.2 mile starting at 8:30am / and a 6.5 mile starting at 9:00am.

Taking place among some of the most dramatic ridges, gorges, and waterways in the mountainous areas surrounding Chattanooga, TN, the Rock/Creek Trail Series beckons runners of all experience levels to experience self discovery.

For more information visit: http://www.rockcreek.com/rivergorge/
For registration: https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=901

The campground is just okay but the cool thing about it is that its free and the area gives you direct access to all the trails and waterfalls nearby. At one end of the campground you have the trailhead for the Wildcat Creek Trail which connects to the Fall Creek Trail and on the other end of the campground a footbridge crosses the creek to access the Turner Trail. We are thinking of heading up to camp up here sometime in the next few weeks.  We will let you know how it goes.

Directions:

From 575 go South on 53 approx. 1.8 miles, take a left on Burnt Mtn. Rd (which turns into 136). Right on Steve Tate Rd. Right on Wildcat Campground ( DIRT ROAD )

GPS data: N34° 29.72′ W84° 16.85′

It started with me going down to Florida, then out to Utah for the Outdoor Retailer 2010 etc.. and of course, to get some snowboarding in. After returning I was here a couple days and was able to recoup before traveling back down to Florida for our family vacation at Disney.

Leading up to my trip out west I was doing a lot of hiking every day but on local trails we have previously posted on. We also have been finishing up a clubhouse we’ve been building for our kids which we’ll likely post on in the near future.

The trip to Utah went very well and the timing could not have been better. I’m told the snow was slim pickins’ for a month or so previous and it started snowing the morning of my flight out. It snowed just about every day while I was there so needless to say we had plenty of  powder. When I lived in Utah I hiked Park City Mountain Resort but this was my first time snowboarding there and I have to say I enjoy it more than the Canyons.

I was out there for a full week this time and we were able to ride just about every day and even managed to work in some cross country skiing as well.

Burton Moto Snowboard Boots

I’ve been using a pair of Burton Moto Snowboard Boots for about four years now and been happy with the performance. The new Burton Moto design is still supposedly the number one selling snowboard boot and has been for about 8 years running.

Like my older model boots I would consider the new Moto’s to be an all mountain freestyle boot. Good for most terrain. Very comfortable and warm with a cinch string that allows you to hug your feet with the inner liner. They provide the perfect amount of support. They are a little tight at the end of the day when your all worn out but a full day of top to bottoms always feels worth it, right?

Burton Moto Liner

A cool feature added to the newer boot is a lacing system Burton calls the Speed Zone Express Single Pull Lacing which makes it possible to tighten up with one pull and will get you to the front of the tram line a lot quicker. Wish mine had those!

New Burton Moto Snowboard Boots:

I would recommend these to anyone looking for a time tested all mountain boot. Read more about the current model or check on other snowboard boots.

Dakine Dually Ski/Snowboard Bag

I’ll be leaving near the end of January to go back out West to one of my favorite spots, Snowbasin in Utah! For the past few years I’ve been able to take a trip out there for work and of course to snowboard. This year it appears I’ll be able to stay a few days longer than normal.

I’m so ready to get out there I’ve already started getting my gear together. I usually pack my board along with all my snowboarding gear, clothes and boots and everything else into my board bag and I have to say, its been nice to be able to fit everything in one bag.

I’ve been using an older model Dakine Dually (190 cm) that has treated me well! It has heavy padding to keep your skis or snowboard protected, heavy duty detachable padded straps with metal buckles, two smaller storage compartments separate from the ski/snowboard compartments, and rollers to keep things moving.

Dakine Dually-rear view of rollers

I’ve heard you have to pay for an additional bag if you exceed the weight limit but you’d have to double check the rules. Eventually I’d like to get a smaller bag like the Dakine Boardpack Snowboard Bag around the 157 cm range but will mostly stick with Dakine. Very happy with the quality!

Shot from along the Windy Ridge Trail

Wildcat Tract Trails

Nearest Town: Jasper, Georgia

Trailhead Location: Monument Road - Dawson Forest

Trail Lengths/Difficulty:

Tobacco Pouch - 2.0 total 1.2 out to Rocky Ford from Monument Rd.

Rocky Ford Trail - 1.7 miles

Windy Ridge Trail - 1.7 miles

Turner Trail - 1.7 miles

Directions: From 575 go South on 53 approx. 1.8 miles, take a left on Burnt Mtn. Rd (which turns into 136) for approx. 10.8 miles, take a right on Monument Rd.  After about (2.1 miles) the paved road will become a gravel road. Continue on gravel road for about 0.8 miles. Trailhead Parking on left (covered sign).

Quick Stop Along The Trail

I’ve been doing a lot of hiking lately but because I’ve been hiking trails I’ve already posted on like the Boling Park Trails, Pine Log Creek Trails, and Garland Mountain as well as other trails near Canton I’ve saved you from having to read the same old blubber.

Rocky Ford Trail

With that said, this last week I went back up to the Wildcat Tract to hike more of the trails in the area. A perfect day for hiking with no rain in sight! The trails I hiked this time were the Tobacco Pouch Trail (Blue Blaze), to the Rocky Ford Trail (Red Blaze), Windy Ridge Trail (Aqua), and the Turner Trail (Orange). Most if not all of the Rocky Ford Trail is a descent all the way to the Turner Trail but after a wide creek that I had to do a little rock hopping on, I met up with and took the Windy Ridge Trail.

Top of Windy Ridge Trail

Ravine along the Windy Ridge Trail

Another shot from the ravine along the Windy Ridge Trail

Wildcat Creek

Big tree just off the Turner Trail

…The first half is another old road but once I reached the crest and it turned to the left down the ridge it quickly became one of my favorites in the area. The trail leads you down through a ravine and after some nice scenery meets up with the Turner Trail.

Along the Turner Trail

The Turner trail leads two directions here along a old dirt road. I went to the right for a ways towards the Wildcat Campground then turned back and headed the other direction. In a short while there was an intersection on my left with the end of the Rocky Ford Trail. I continued on the Turner Trail for now until it met Wildcat Creek and a bridge crossing it that connected to both the Wildcat Creek Trail (Green Blaze).

Bridge at Wildcat Creek

Shot from the Bridge on Wildcat Creek

I turned around and headed back on the Turner Trail and went right up the Rocky Ford Trail. Note: The ascent from here all the way back to Monument Rd should be considered moderate to somewhat difficult only because it is a long ascent.

Waterfalls along the Rocky Ford Trail

Waterfalls along the Rocky Ford Trail

As I got  close to where I had branched off to take the Windy Ridge Trail earlier I came across a few more of the areas waterfalls. I stopped to take a few pictures and then continued all the way back to the trailhead at Monument Rd.

I also was able to see some wildlife along Monument Rd. when I was first driving in and here are a few pictures:

]]> http://www.campnpost.com/hikes/hiking-trails-near-jasper/feed/ http://www.campnpost.com/camping/appalachian-trail-dicks-creek-gap-to-bly-gap/ http://www.campnpost.com/camping/appalachian-trail-dicks-creek-gap-to-bly-gap/#comments Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:51:26 +0000 Admin 1 http://www.campnpost.com/?p=1635 The weather was a little rough this past weekend. Near freezing temperatures and of course more rain, even freezing rain at higher elevations. A friend and I had planned to go backpacking on the Appalachian Trail with the intention of completing the last section in Georgia before moving on to North Carolina.

Despite the weather we decided to go ahead with our plans to take drive up early Saturday with his son and nephew who planned to come with us for their first backpacking trip.

Earlier in the week I was trying to plan out the trip. I couldn’t find anything definitive online so I drove up to see if we could drop a car off near Bly Gap/North Carolina, drive back to the trailhead at Dick’s Creek Gap and hike from point A to point B. NO LUCK! There were gates on the two dirt roads at the end of Right Fork Rd. that get close but after hiking a ways up the roads, in the rain, I never linked up with the Appalachian Trail. It didn’t matter anyway because it wasn’t the kind of place to leave your car  for the weekend. We all had to work on Monday so we decided rather than hike to the next accessible intersection along to A.T. we would hike in and back to the truck on Sunday. Our last trip we left off  at Dick’s Creek Gap so that would be our starting point.

We arrived at the Dick’s Creek trailhead later than we wanted and didn’t get on the trail until around 11:30 but after some minor adjustments to the packs we were on our way. I had read somewhere that the first ascent was difficult but it didn’t take long to realize that was less than accurate. The ascent was actually easy compared to most of the previous hills encountered while hiking from the Southern Terminus. Btw, like most of the 75 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia this section is a series of up a hill then down the other side but there were a few decent flats which made this one of the easier sections I’ve done since I’d say maybe the approach trail but I have a pretty bad memory.

The temperature was cool and the rain held off for most of the day Saturday which was nice. Near the end of the day it did start drizzling so we quickly found a spot, pulled off the trail, set up our tents and made a fire. The rain wasn’t heavy so we were able to keep the fire going a few hours or so while we wound down. Once we decided to get some sleep and all headed to our tents we noticed sheets of ice had formed over them. I always sleep better when its cold.

The next morning it was raining so after some breakfast and coffee we decided to head back and schedule another trip where we will start in North Carolina and backtrack to where we left off which is fine, it just gives me another excuse to have to come back to the mountains.

Nearest Town: Hiawassee, Georgia

Trailhead Location: 76

Trail Length: 8.7 miles to Bly Gap one-way

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Marker: White Blaze

Directions: From Hiawassee, head east on (76) and watch for signs for Appalachian Trail Crossing. Parking lot on left.

Get stocking stuffers for the outdoor enthusiast in your family from RockCreek.com ! Maps, headlamps, and outdoor toys make great gifts all UNDER $25.

Directions: From Blairsville, GA take U.S. Highway 19/129 south for 17.0 miles to campground entrance on right.

From Dahlonega, GA take Highway 19 north for 18.0 miles to campground entrance on left.

On Thanksgiving day we went out to eat at The Smith House in Dahlonega with our extended family. We all ate too much so everyone was up for a hike afterward. De Soto Falls is only about 20 minutes outside of town so we headed up there after dinner.
The de Soto Falls Trail begins at the bridge in the lower loop of the de Soto Falls Recreation Area campground in the Chattahoochee National Forest. This trail is short and easy . The Lower Falls are 0.25 mile downstream but the trail is steepest  here. A short ascent up some switchbacks and you’re there. There’s a deck platform with benches to sit and take in the falls at both ends.

The Upper Falls are 0.75 mile upstream from the trailhead so if you do both, you cover 2 miles in and out.  This is definitely more of a scenic walk than a fitness hike but it is very relaxing and worth checking out. We had 10 children with us ranging from ages 1 to 12. The 1 year old was in a backpack, but we had a  2 year old on foot and he had no problem with this hike.

We have never camped here, but the camp area looked nice and clean with most of the sites running along Frogtown Creek. It is a good spot for car camping and we plan to check it out in the spring.