I need to vent. Went to Mountain City, Tn on Saturday with a couple of guys. This was my second time there. It is definately a fun place to ride, but the trails there are ABSOLUTELY THE WORST MARKED OUT I HAVE EVER SEEN. The map is awful and you spend most of your time trying to figure out where you are and not getting lost. I don't know why the folks that run that place don't do a better job of it. Just an observation......
The fact that the trails change is probably why. They are still logging and so trails are always being made or changing. But I still agree that the trails should be marked better. I wont complain too much though, it is still a place to ride and that is better than nothing at all.
Yep, I did notice that some of the trails had been rerouted from the last time I was there. And you are right about it atleast being a place to legally ride.
No logging being done on any of the trials we are allowed to be on. So if you see logging activity, you've gone to far.
I can't really publish our map of Callalantee any more places than we do. Just cuz you didn't print it before you left your computer....
Most of the trails have some kind of marking, it's just pretty subtle still. Alan and I do all our mapping and trail marking as volunteers. We can't afford to just move in up there and get it all done in one weekend. It will all get marked and mapped one day...
you have to just ride there a few times before you figure the trails out. the truth is the challenging trails arent on the map, you have to find them yourself
I didn't mean to come across as a butt head here. We were using that map and another different one. When you print it, even full sheet it's still pretty small to read. I think if the intersections out on the trails were better marked it would make things come together better. We would come to an intersection and try to figure out which was the correct way to go to get to a certain area. Always felt like a crap shoot.
Galen's map is much better than what they hand out at the shack (unless they are using his map now). I hate to repeat myself but I have been up there about a dozen times and each time I have gone I usually get lost somewhere along the way. The last time I went I used Galen's map and had no troubles. He has done a great job of mapping everything.
And, I should have added that I do appreciate any and all volunteer work that anybody does on our available riding areas. I should probably just shut up now.
I didn't mean to come across as a butt head here. We were using that map and another different one. When you print it, even full sheet it's still pretty small to read. I think if the intersections out on the trails were better marked it would make things come together better. We would come to an intersection and try to figure out which was the correct way to go to get to a certain area. Always felt like a crap shoot.
What??????? We never got lost when you and I went up there. But then again we spent most of the day at Crackers Neck. I wish Crackers Neck was still open...
i will agree, i have been there once, but if i hadn't had a knowledgable guide(thanks CYJKrawler), i would have been lost, but by the end of the day, i could kind of imagine how all the trails we had been on come together, and would feel comfortable piloting myself around if i were to go again
I agree with Webb about the map. We had the map referenced here on the computer in the field with us and the map we got at the shack and hard a very hard time figuring it out. We finally located ourselves on the one on tiredirons computer in his land crusier. From there we were ok but it was nearly time for us to leave when we figureed out where we were. My GPS unit does not work well there at all due to the cover. Even in the winter time I lose signal regularly. I would like to take a day and ride the "garvel roads" and locate all the trail intersection points then over a period of time take one at a time and ride them for location.
What??????? We never got lost when you and I went up there. But then again we spent most of the day at Crackers Neck. I wish Crackers Neck was still open...
What??????? We never got lost when you and I went up there. But then again we spent most of the day at Crackers Neck. I wish Crackers Neck was still open...
I can identify with this one. We were just trying to get by on memory the last time I was there. One wrong turn took us down the "yellow trail" in the pouring rain. Scariest descent I've ever made. Good thing I was already puckered up cause I was ready to kiss that gravel road when we got to the bottom.
I am going back up in a couple of weeks to map and mark some more trails.
When I get done I will publish an updated map and I can even break it into 2 or 3 pages so it is easier to read. The rock gardens will be marked on the new map too.
I am also working on a Waypoint file that matches the map so you can download the waypoints to your GPS and you will know exactly where you are on the map.
There is a ton of trail up there, it takes a while to get through it all and map it all out. We are discussing adding ratings to the trails too so you know what is easy and what is harder (downhill yellow in the rain).
What is the significance of the different trail colors on the map? I see the same colors in different locations. Also are some of the trails there "ATV only"? I ask, because we got down on a trail last Saturday that suddenly got real narrow and looked like it had only been run with ATV's. We ended up turning around before we got in to deep.
Bookmark this page: Callalantee Map. Since Alan and I are the only ones we know of doing any kind of mapping up there...We are likely to have the most up to date map. The link will not change, but the map will with each revision. We usually get on this board and let everyone know that it's been updated.
Galen, I appreciate the map and the effort that it takes to create/maintain it. For us guys that don't know it as well, do you think you could add the waterfall to the map?
We were using that map and another different one. When you print it, even full sheet it's still pretty small to read. I think if the intersections out on the trails were better marked it would make things come together better. We would come to an intersection and try to figure out which was the correct way to go to get to a certain area. Always felt like a crap shoot.
Good thing I was already puckered up cause I was ready to kiss that gravel road when we got to the bottom.
