Mapping the Sheltowee

[rootman]

From March 21 to 23 we backpacked the 20 miles from Turkey Foot campground to Heidelberg. Turkey Foot has some damage to the bridge leading into it but you can walk around the damage and access all of the campsites. It’s a nice place, with pit toilets and an adjacent stream.

There were just a couple of items of note in this 20 mile section. Otherwise it's pretty routine.

1. There are LOTS of dogs on the road sections. Most of them are tethered or confined but all are noisy. I was aware of this issue before we started so I carried a small can of pepper spray that is available at bike shops. It is called “Halt!” and works great. Mail carriers use it. None of the dogs that approached us seemed really vicious but some were persistent and a little too close for comfort. I nailed a couple of them with the spray and they backed off.
2. The new ST hiking guide takes Hale Ridge Road to bypass a 1.6 mile section of trail that looks overgrown. We took the trail instead and it is easy to follow until the last half mile or so. (We were northbound so this was the “northern” part of this section. The section actually lies in an east-west orientation, with entry at the west for NOBO hikers.) The problem is that there is no well defined entry to the trail if you are approaching from the south. You can see the markers for the trail off to the right about 25 yards as you walk a short distance up Hale Ridge Road. Between you and the trail is some thorny overgrowth but once on the trail you can easily follow it. Then when you approach the last half mile of the section there are many downed trees and the trail vanishes. Just keep going in the same general direction, keeping an eye to the left toward the creek. Eventually you will see a marker down by the creek. We found one around coordinates N37*30.9212, W083*51.5457. Don’t lose sight of the creek. There are many good campsites along the bottomlands of this section, with some very large, flat sites after you regain the trail at the eastern end. This 1.6 mile section needs a lot of maintenance but will be a real gem when it is fixed up. It was the only part of the 20 miles where we digressed from the new trail guide.

On the 23rd we met our wives for two nights in a cabin at Lago Linda Hideaway. The place also has a campground and is close to the trail as it progresses up Rt. 399 from Heidelberg. Three hours after we arrived there was a rain and hail deluge of biblical proportions. Fortunately we were comfortably lodged inside the cabin. We did the 8 mile road walk along 399 southbound from Lago Linda to Heidelberg on the morning of the 25th and finished it in time for our noontime checkout. Our wives picked us up at the end and we drove back to the cabin. Having the luxury of walking this paved section southbound allowed us to experience the approach to the Kentucky River as a steep descent rather than a very steep ascent away from the river. This must be a real challenge for NOBO hikers.

We’re looking forward to finishing the many roadwalks that the northern Sheltowee Trace is notorious for. Then we’ll start working our way south from Turkey Foot.

[Traildust]

Thanks for the info. The bridge at Turkeyfoot is schedule for repair before summer.

Item 2 - The section of trail is high on our list for maintenance and removal of those trees so you are not forced onto the road. Next years guide will reflect the change.

Steve "traildust"
Xdir sta