Mapping the Sheltowee

chester · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:26 pm Post subject: Wrong trail blazed?

I started hiking the southern terminus yesterday and went to make the first Rock Creek crossing (had to do it about 20 feet upstream). When I crossed, I noticed the Sheltowee Blaze to my left so that is the way I went and continued to follow the blazes for about two miles. First along JMT (when I turned left after crossing the Rock Creek) and next along the John Muir trail. The last blaze was close to the Rock Trail/Hidden Passage/JMT. I went about a half of a mile at each of these forks and the blazes disappeared.

After much confusion, I figured out what happened. It took me awhile to realize the trail was blazed wrong and not my GPS malfunctioning.

I told the Pickett Ranger about it and they said the trail had recently been re blazed because of a forest fire.

Traildust · Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:10 pm Post subject:

Sorry chester. Amazing. We gave them blazes and they were suppose to get this straight. I am very unhappy that they didn't do what we had assurance they said they would do. Thanks for the info. Guess another trip to Pickett is in order.

chester · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:53 am Post subject:

It was a lesson learned for me for sure. It taught me to coordinate my GPS, Map and Guidebook at the start of each day and check it throughout the trail.

The exact spot is a little over the five mile point at the first Rock Creek crossing where the JMT comes in from the left. The markers were the new white diamonds with Sheltowee Trace on them. The JMT on the left was blazed up to where it forks with the HPL and not past that point. But the HPL trail was blazed with the new markers on across the creek and on up the hill to the next fork (coordinate 36.57753ish, 84.78330ish). At that point the ST blazes disappeared.

If you are looking for a shortcut to the problem area, the following day, I was dropped off on the Rock Creek Loop trail where it meets a forest service road that veers off to the left off of Divide Road. The trail was only 1.2 miles and took me down the hill to Rock Creek just a bit up the trail from where I had left off.

I hiked from Pickett up to Flat Rock and overall, the trail is well marked and in great shape. I must say that I was extremely impressed by the lack of litter on the trail. In the past week I hiked over 56 miles and saw only 2 or three beer cans and one or two small pieces of litter in the back country areas. There are some down trees, but that is to be expected...we are in the woods after all! Smile

weeanme · in the stride Joined: 02 Feb 2011 Posts: 44

Where's Chester?

chester · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:52 pm Post subject:

I am in Cleveland right now for a family emergency. Had to get off trail for now. The 56+ miles I hiked were awesome, but it also killed my knees. More training with the heavy pack on and then back on the trail.