Mapping the Sheltowee

Traildust · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:10 am Post subject: Blazing Help Needed

The STA has received our shipment of 500 blazes so now we are in need of volunteers to spend two to three days hiking and blazing new trail extension in the Big South Fork. The team will head out on 10 December and spend the 10th and 11th in the woods, hiking the new trail and blazing. If you are interested in helping, respond here or send an email to director@sheltoweetrace.org.

flatfeet · cub Joined: 21 Nov 2011 Posts: 9 Location: Lexington, KY

I wish I could help, but those dates don't work for me. So is the Trace going to follow the John Muir Trail? Does that mean the 5 or so miles in Pickett State park will not be part of the new Trace?

Traildust · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject:

Flatfeet. Sorry you can't help this time. Maybe it will work out next summer when we have to build five more miles.

yep we are going onto the John Muir but not all the way. If heading south you will hand a right over to Charit Lodge, then down to Bandy creek Campground then back over to John muir and down to Leatherwood.

The five miles to Pickett will remain open and plans call for this section to be part of a loop trail. We understand that Pickett is looking to add 30 miles of trail on the park and state forest land in that area.

AndyBees

My wife and I took our two grandchildren for their first visit to Pickett State Park today (Sunday afternoon). We did the 3-mile Ridge Loop hike in about an hour and half.

It's good to hear that Pickett plans to add about 30 miles of trails.

We drove the Divide Road back to Bell Farm on our way home to Jellico Creek in Whitley County. That was my first time on the Divide Road since 1993.....sure has changed a lot.

We got interested in hiking about 4 years ago! We have section hiked about all of the Sheltowee in McCreary County.

We saw the John Muir trail where it crossed over the Divide Road. I've studied it's course on maps obtained from the US Forest Service a few years ago.

I wish we had been aware sooner of the request for help. I am into a concrete job next Friday and Saturday ....

We may try to get involved with maintenance, etc., in future!

Traildust · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:23 pm Post subject:

Andy,

We certainly can use volunteers down in the Big South Fork with this added 20 miles of trail. Stay in touch. Send me an email please.

director@sheltoweetrace.org

Traildust · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:33 am Post subject:

Looks like we have five to blaze starting tomorrow. We will be base camping tomorrow and maybe Monday at Bandy then camping on the trail. We will post route info and photos with map for this new addition to the Trace when we finish blazing.

Chilton · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:12 pm Post subject:

Good luck, I hope all is going good down there!

Traildust · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:08 am Post subject: Blazing Done

Friends,

The Sheltowee Trace Association blazing team of Bob Pritchard, Bill Cooke, Curt Thomas and David Gagnon along with Executive Director Steve Barbour has completed the blazing of the extension of the Sheltowee Trace down in the Big South Fork.

Effective 1 January 2013 the southern terminus is now at the Leatherwood Trailhead off Highway 297 as you go down the big hill and before you cross the bridge across the Big South Fork River. Right now the pedestrian bridge across the river is out so you have to park at the trailhead, walk back up the road, cross the bridge and at the end of the bridge go back into the woods to the right and follow the Sheltowee Blazes.

YOU MUST HAVE A BIG SOUTH FORK MAP to hike the new section if you are not familiar with the BSF. You travel on several multiuse trails, through Bandy Creek Campground, through Charit Lodge, pass Maude's Crack, over John Muir Overlook.

More info will be posted to our webpage in the coming days. Questions please ask them here or email director@sheltoweetrace.org. We do not control this site - the great guys at Outragis Mapping do and we trust they will update the online interactive map here.

Steve "Traildust" Barbour

Traildust · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:10 pm Post subject:

More information on the ST extension is posted to our webpage.

www.sheltoweetrace.org