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  1. #1

    Question What trail do these blazes below Fontana Dam reference?

    This is the bridge at the start of the road that takes you to the bottom of Fontana Dam. I can't find the trail these double blazes reference. Neither the AT or the BMT are near this road. Anyone know?

    4fLiyRh.jpg

  2. #2
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    They might have been a part of the reroute when the dam was closed [in 2008 I believe]

  3. #3
    Easy Strider, section hiker hiker33's Avatar
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    Bypass when the dam was closed following 9/11/2001.
    ===================
    Easy Strider
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  4. #4

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    and it means to turn hard left

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by trailmercury View Post
    and it means to turn hard left
    So it may have also been a NASCAR track?
    The older I get, the faster I hiked.

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    This must have been for southbound hikers. This shot includes the TN river bridge entering Graham Co from the north on NC28 heading to Fontana Village. Snipped from Google maps.


    TN River Bridge.png

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    Oops, the Little Tennessee River

  8. #8

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    Interesting. Reroutes and SOBO sound plausible. Does anyone know what trail would exit near the road leading to the bottom of the dam so that you'd see these blazes as you approached the bridge?

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    The trail would have been a temporary reroute. Doubt if it was ever on a map or had a name. The signs have probably been removed. Well most of them. It was used (by some) in 2008 when the bridge was repaired and again after 9/11. No doubt there is a route somewhere but overgrown. It might get some horse traffic. Old posts indicate it was mostly on paved and dirt roads probably connecting with NC-1245 just west of the dam. This is a great blue-blazed side trail for you to search out and explore. Here are the 2008 archived whiteblaze posts.
    https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arc...p/t-32667.html

  10. #10
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    i know 9/11 is before 2008. time for bed.

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    I hiked in 2008 and there was a blue blaze around the dam. I wrote in my journal that the the detour was 4 miles but I don't remember much about the route. Here is a picture of the dam from the blue blaze trail.

    DSCN0102.JPG
    If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Daybreak View Post
    The trail would have been a temporary reroute. Doubt if it was ever on a map or had a name. The signs have probably been removed. Well most of them. It was used (by some) in 2008 when the bridge was repaired and again after 9/11. No doubt there is a route somewhere but overgrown. It might get some horse traffic. Old posts indicate it was mostly on paved and dirt roads probably connecting with NC-1245 just west of the dam. This is a great blue-blazed side trail for you to search out and explore. Here are the 2008 archived whiteblaze posts.
    https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arc...p/t-32667.html
    Thanks for the info. Those blazes do have a hint of blue to them and have clearly faded over the years. I bet they were originally blue blazes as you mention. I'll check out the links.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by TexasBob View Post
    I hiked in 2008 and there was a blue blaze around the dam. I wrote in my journal that the the detour was 4 miles but I don't remember much about the route. Here is a picture of the dam from the blue blaze trail.

    DSCN0102.JPG
    Thanks for the photo to add some context.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by trailmercury View Post
    and it means to turn hard left
    When there is a double blaze, the upper one indicates the direction to turn.

    http://howtowilderness.com/trail-signs/

  15. #15

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    Another member provided this info about these blue blazes on the bridge below Fontana Dam...

    "after 9-11-01, the dam was closed to traffic in case there was going to be more terrorist attacks....
    so, the blue blazes showed how one could take the alternative route and still complete the AT..
    both northbound and southbound...
    so what happened is that they rereouted it to below the dam, cross the
    bridge and goes on the paved road to the tailwater area...
    about midway or so up the paved road, there's a dirt road
    that goes to the left....
    this dirt road was part of the structure of dirt roads from decades ago...
    there's a couple of old cemeteries along that road and the road
    is kept fairly "cleaned up"......as in, blowdowns are removed, and the
    dirt road gets leveled out every now and then...
    i have driven this road years ago in my nissan sentra and had no problems....
    so the AT reroute goes along the dirt road, and then wraps around to
    the road that goes across the bridge......except now on the opposite side of the dam...
    these roads should be on the NG Map of the Park..
    take a left and go along the road and it will lead to a dead end,
    where the AT trailhead going into the Park is at........
    so basically, if the dam needs to be closed down for any reason,
    there is still a way of doing the AT.......just need to take the reroute.."

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