March 17, 2015
| Today, we hiked the Logan Turnpike Trail from Tesnatee Gap to the Kellum Valley Trailhead and back. The Logan Turnpike is the historic road built in the early 1800’s to become the only way that wagon trains could cross the rugged mountains in this area. The turnpike was abandoned in 1922 giving way to more modern routes.
HIKERS: Geri Barrios, Wayne Barrios, Joe Collins, Pam Euliss, Tim Hale, Bill Hunt, Dick Metzgar, Trushna Nadig, Dave Norton, Mary Lu Norton, Jeanne O’Connor, Tony Presley, Vic Robson and Carole Wintle. TRAIL INFO. – We hiked from the Tesnatee Gap end of the trail down to the Kellum Valley trailhead. The trail is rocky and steep for one mile on the Tesnatee end and then it is more flat along Town Creek to the southern end of the trail. Returning back to Tesnatee is easy for the first mile and very strenuous for the second mile. Total hiking distance today – 4 miles Difficulty rating – mostly easy for the lower end and very strenuous for the upper end. DIRECTIONS: From Cleveland, take Highway 11/ US 129 northward for 3 miles and turn right on 75 alt. S and continue 5.9 miles and turn left on GA-348 W and continue 7.6 miles to Tesnatee Gap on the left. Another great day for a hike! Fair with temperatures ranging from 42 to 50 degrees F. WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM: Chickweed, Halberd-leaved Violet and Purple Toadshade Trillium. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: American Crow, Cardinal, White-breasted Nuthatch and Pileated Woodpecker.
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