Uwharrie Trail Map - 2010 Update, Need your Input!

DRaider90

DRaider90

Uwharrie Off-Road Volunteering
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Location
Weddington, NC
Uwharrie Trail Map - 2010 Summer/June Release!

Ok, here is the way the trail map looks right now with a few things I have found out:

badinlaketrailmaprevise.jpg


Also while I was out at Uwharrie yesterday I picked up the latest edition of the Forest Service map. Unless I am mistaken they have changed a few things:

Rocky Mount. Loop is now rated Moderate
Dickey Bell is now rated Difficult
Falls Dam is now rated Moderate

Since obviously over time the trails change, especially over the off-season when trail repairs/work will be done. Like the yellow by pass line (the illegal bypass) on Falls Dam for the little rocky climb will go away if we put the guard rail up this coming Friday. You may notice the rut and the rut bypass on Sawmill is gone, because they once again (its a regular deal) filled in the rut (but this time they blocked off the bypass).
So as you find out trail repairs have been done (if your club has adopted a trail etc), or after the trails open have seen areas are less challenging or more challenging post up here. Or if you think the difficulty rating should be change, or any other opinions feel free to share.

I have heard different things about some areas of other trails, but until they are confirmed I figure wait on changing the map.
 
4bangertj said:
thats a nice map
Click to expand...
Thanks, its always a work in progress.

Again, if anyone has ideas/comments please post them. Would like to get all the stuff in at once to keep updates to a minimum. I am sure it would be a pain in the butt to be updating the link to the map in the "Where to Ride" section on here every couple weeks. :beer:
 
DRaider90, very nice map! Two things that are missing are a " you are here" arrow, and ME! LOL.........Good Job seriously!
 
Granny said:
Very nice map! I have been considering the idea of "retiring" the old map that my wife and I put together years ago, and your map would be a perfect replacement for it.

How 'bout it folks... does anyone still use our old map?

http://home.windstream.net/ezduzit/uwharrie.gif
Click to expand...

I used your guys map for a couple years when I first started going to Uwharrie. It has been of a great use to me, and I am sure many others. If you decide to retire your map and use mine it would be a great honor. Right now the only location of the map is here on NC4X4 under the "Where to go Wheeling" article. And the links don't even work anymore:

http://www.nc4x4.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/badinlaketrailmaprevise.jpg

http://www.nc4x4.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/arrowheadnewfsversion.png


Your Hot Dog Guy! said:
DRaider90, very nice map! Two things that are missing are a " you are here" arrow, and ME! LOL.........Good Job seriously!
Click to expand...

I could make custom maps for you to hand out if you want with a "you are here arrow", I am sure new comers would find it helpful.

Seeing JC has released all the information that I had found out from Terry as "public knowledge" I updated a couple other things on the map. The goal is to by April 1st have something up on here that is close to up to date, and then have a revision with the current trail conditions added on April 11th. With the next revision coming some where around late Summer/Early Fall pending how the conditions on the trails have changed.

aimg406.imageshack.us_img406_8030_badinlaketrailmaprevise.jpg
 
Since I included the Outpost on the map I think its only fair the Mountain Market also be included. After doing some research on other forest service ratings and considering a number of things the ratings on the trails have been further revamped.

The biggest thing I thought about was who actually pays attention to the trail ratings. The answer being someone that hasn't been to Uwharrie before or hasn't been that many times. I asked myself the question, What kind of map would I want to have if I were a new comer to the Uwharrie trail system running a stock rig?"

I also took into consideration how difficult the trails are when they are wet and when they are dry. The previous ratings were more geared to just dry, this time around I took both and then came to a middle ground rating. The diamond ratings were changed to reflect a more non-biased rating system that the Forest Service actually uses out west. I didn't think it was fair to make vehicle equipment recommendations when every rig/driver is different.

badinlaketrailmaprevise.jpg
 
Well done! Someone will have to get me up to speed on the hot dog guy! Does he have a stand there or something? I assume that it is run by the same Hot Dog Guy that posts here? I guess I'm out of the loop (pun intended).
 
Thanks for all the kind words and support. Here is the latest revision:

badinlaketrailmaprevise.jpg


There are quite a few changes but the most important one in my opinion is the color coded trail key. No longer do you have to go back and forth between the trail key area and the map to determine trail difficulty and other information. The trail key now has the numbers color coded to match its difficulty rating. This also allows you to pick trails by difficulty without having to look at the map section. You reference the trail difficulty section, then the trail key and you can pick which trails to do based on difficulty without even looking at the map section.

Also I remember some people had trouble finding the trail key. So that area has been re-arranged and sectioned off to hopefully help with clarity. There are a couple other changes but not as important as the ones listed above.
 
Very nice map, I know it will be referred to a lot. Good job and thanks.
 
Its a good map Eli. thank god you stopped having a Font Party in your work.

Also Don, your map was the first one I used. Now I don't even look at one. Not hard to find your way around when you been there a thousand times.
Not like Calla in TN... where you need two maps and a sea-turtle like compass in your head to get around.
 
Fantastic. I'll cross-post this to the MD Creepers board for future reference, they have a thread w/ all the East Coast wheeling spots, maps etc.
The only thing I wonder about is the color/rating scheme relative to other places and the terms used. While Daniel is clearly the most difficult trail out there, and Dutch John has some tough/tight spots, by comoparison to other parks these are not really "black" trails - you can still do them w/ say 33-35s, a locker, and some testicles. At a place like Rausch Creek or Paragon these would be Blues and rated moderate.
All I'm saying is that somebody who dosn't really "know" the general level of the park might see this and expect something different when they show up if they went based solely on that legend. To alot of folks "extremely difficult" means if you don't have 37s+, expect major body damage...
One option would be to change it to "mostdifficult" and "easest" just so that it is clearly relative and not the global "blue-green-black-red" scale used other places.
On another note - why the list of trail names under the red "trail direction" sign? I don't get that.
 
I think its because most people prefer to only go a certain way on those specific trails. (Am I reading your idea correctly Eli?)
People know what you mean when you say "i'm going down daniel" or "up dickie bell" - not really a north south thing but in relation to the obstacles...
you go up kodak and what not... you go up daniel's ledges and the 3 way.... etc etc etc

most people can go any direction on Saw mill, or slab pile and the (daniel) side of RML. Because its really either way you come in or are going out... since there is a Y intersection there
 
Lorenzo816 said:
I think its because most people prefer to only go a certain way on those specific trails. (Am I reading your idea correctly Eli?)
People know what you mean when you say "i'm going down daniel" or "up dickie bell" - not really a north south thing but in relation to the obstacles...
you go up kodak and what not... you go up daniel's ledges and the 3 way.... etc etc etc

most people can go any direction on Saw mill, or slab pile and the (daniel) side of RML. Because its really either way you come in or are going out... since there is a Y intersection there
Click to expand...

I got that, what I meant was, why are all of the trail names listed there? It just seems like a random list that contains no additional information besides the names themselves.
This thing is clearly crowded for space, if there's no need some something to be on there, take it off.
 
Trail name list tells the distance
 
Lorenzo has gotten the gist of it.

First off I listed the trails under the "Trail Direction" arrow/box so people knew which trails have are directional. If you notice Slab Pile and Saw Mill aren't listed. It was a way to tell which trails are directional, and to explain why Saw Mill and Slab Pile don't have the arrows. Because I was sure someone would have thought:

"Why don't Slab Pile and Saw Mill have directional arrows? Did he forget? etc etc"

Because like mentioned those trails are directional as far as obstacles are concerned. If you are going "down" the trail you will be making all the obstacles easier etc, while most people prefer going "up" the trails. Its a key point when you consider things like the Hill Climb on Dutch John, Kodak on RML, and the Ledges on Daniel. Other wise you look at the map and have no clue if you will be going down lets say the Hill Climb on Dutch John, or up it (if you have never been on the trail that is, or have forgotten).

As far as the trail ratings go I will take a look at that. I will either go the route of:

Easiest
Easy-Moderate
Moderate
Moderate-Difficult
Difficult
Most Difficult

Or put what used to be on there back:

(Stock Vehicle on Street Tires)

Maybe revise it:

(Difficulty for a Stock Vehicle)

That would clear it up. Then easy-extremely difficult works because for a MOST stock rigs Daniel would fall under extremely difficult etc.
 
I agree with Ratty on the trail difficulty ratings. I like your idea of "Stock Vehicle on Street Tires" or "38"+ Tires & Two Lockers - Expect Body Damage" as ways of rating trail difficulty. Would make it more useful to a Uwharrie newb.
 
I really like the map!! It will be much easier to use when on the trails since I can print it on regular size paper and not have to spread it out all over my steering wheel or look through all the horse and hiking trails.

I really like the names next to the trail numbers, example wolf den 89, because the group i go wheeling with only knows the trails by their names like wolf den. then i would have to look up wolf den find that it is 89 then look for it on the map. Thanks very much for this map it makes that easy. Having the 89 in green so i can tell the difficulty right away is great!!

one thing im confused on is Kodak rock the rock garden or the 5 foot high triangle shaped rock that every on drives their front tires on :confused:

i think the ratings are ok. people should get the picture. i think it will take too much space to put thinks like 37"+, lockers required things like that. and that is to opinionated.
 
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