Sheltowee Trace TN/KY Presidents Day Weekend 2012

[Rain Man]

Sheltowee Trace TN/KY Presidents Day Weekend 2012

Am headed out to the Sheltowee Trace this three-day Presidents Day weekend for my first time ever on the ST. Another hammock hanger is going with me and at least two tenters.

Anyone interested in tagging along? Let me know ASAP.

We leave Pickett State Park in Tennessee on Saturday morning and come out at Yamacraw Bridge on KY 92 on Monday. That's about 30-32 miles or so total. Lots of stream crossings and even some fording.

Rain Man

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[wornoutboots]

the BSF has been calling my name but I am waiting on the new arrival of a grandchild any day now so I'm on hold as far as my backpacking goes in the near future. I've hiked most of that section & it is really a great hike!! I'd be happy to join you otherwise!

[Taba]

Hey Rain Man,
How was the hike?
Taba

[Rain Man]

Hey Rain Man,
How was the hike?
Taba

Hey Taba, well, it ain't over yet! Here's a photo album with captions (some photos are mine, some are others), which are my initial trip report--
Trip Report Photo Album

The cold and snow hit hard on Sunday, as you probably know. I-75 in the next county over, down in Tennessee had a 20-vehicle pile-up with serious injuries. One or two of the hikers in our group had problems with getting wet on the two dozen or so stream crosses on the way up Peters Mountain on Sunday morning, we we all agreed to bail and do a 9-mile (?) Forest Service Road walk from Peters Mountain in Kentucky back to Pickett State Park in Tennessee. We split into "fast" and "slow" pairs. The fast pair got picked up eventually by an SUV of hikers we had met the day before, and went to get the car at the trailhead. However, after doing so, they could barely (almost didn't) make it up one hill on the highway back to the (closed) ranger station/visitors center at Pickett. A ranger did come by the station and agreed to come "rescue" the other two of us off the Forest Service road, which he did. After discussing with him about my truck at Yamacraw Bridge, we decided to "abandon" it and come back another day. Just as we were about to leave the station, a snow plow came down the highway in the direction we were headed, so we made it out all right after that and drove home Sunday night.

Plans now are to go back Friday, park at the Peters Mountain trailhead (where we left the Sheltowee) and pick back up for an afternoon hike of a few miles. Saturday morning, we'll meet the Sheltowee Trace Association group that annually hikes the entire trail in sections, for their February hike, at Beech Grove. We'll hike with them Saturday morning up to Yamacraw Bridge and hope to find my truck still there. (I called the Big South Fork and the USFS rangers and reported I had to leave it, but my group was all safe and sound. The Pickett ranger told us they all were rescuing folks from various trails and roads, and would like to know not to fret about my truck meaning lost hikers.)

So, I hope to have a finish to my trip report after the weekend!

RainMan

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[traildust]

Good stuff. Glad you all got out safe. See you Saturday.

[Gladiator]

Started Friday from Leatherwood Ford hiking West along the 'Muir. Weather on Friday and Saturday was nearly perfect. Then Sunday came, along with the heavy, wet snow. I had made it to the Sheltowee by late afternoon, but I was cold and wet, and didn't think I could make it back to the trailhead, where my car was parked, before nightfall. I spent a long night burrowed in my sleeping bag, praying that I would not become a victim of the numerous widowmakers I heard snapping all around me. It was quite unnerving, and I was thankful to wake up the next morning. I was also thankful for the gradual warmup yesterday afternoon, even though the wet conditions made for a very muddy and sloppy day of hiking. If I could do it over, I would have hiked out on Divide Road when I crossed it earlier on Sunday. So much for perfect hindsight ...

Glad you guys made it out!

[Rain Man]

Good stuff. Glad you all got out safe. See you Saturday.

Yes, Greg and I are scheduled to meet y'all Saturday morning around 8:30-9:00? We'll hike with y'all to Yamacraw and hopefully my truck will still be there!

RainMan

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[Rain Man]

Went back this weekend (well, Friday and Saturday) and finished off the section hike we began last weekend. Here's a link to a photo album. Every pic I posted has a caption, which gives a trip report. Enjoy!

Photo album of second weekend.

Was super nice to meet WBers Traildust and Starter58 and hike with them and the Sheltowee Trace Association folks on Saturday!

RainMan

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[58starter]

Met up with Rainman on this hike of the Trace. No matter what others say about him he is a really nice guy. It was nice to put a face to a name I read on WB all of the time. It go down in the 20's Saturday night but Sunday was a nice hiking day. The trail reminded me of parts of the AT as there were ups and downs. Hope to meet up with other WB's on the Trace.