Chief Ladiga Trail, Day 2 (June 20, 2009)
We got an early start this morning, leaving the hotel around 7:15 and got started riding about 8:30. Driving from the hotel to Germania State Park took almost an hour, and then our pre-ride rituals took a little while. Today I had to put the seat back on Karen's trike (removed to allow both cycles to fit in the truck), check the air in the tires, and put on sunblock. Karen stocked my bike bag with water and our lunch and we set off heading west toward the end of the trail (you can follow along on the map here if you want to).
We cleverly started out going west. Since it was early morning, this put the sun behind us and we didn't have it in front of us until we turned and started back when it was much higher in the sky. So it really wasn't in our eyes at all today.
A few miles after setting out, we passed through Jacksonville. Originally called Drayton, the town was formed in the early 1800's and was eventually renamed after Andrew Jackson. I learned this from an informational sign in front of the Jacksonville depot, which was built in 1860 to serve the railroad that has become today's bike trail. The depot is being renovated as a rest stop and visitor's center for the trail. During the Civil War, it was used to move Confederate soldiers and materiel.
The signs in front of the Jacksonville depot also told me about Terrapin Creek which we rode along Friday evening and finally provided information about who Chief Ladiga actually was. He was a chief of the Creek tribe. In the early 1800's, he was one of the Creek chiefs who signed the treaty turning the last of the Creek lands over to white settlers. After relinquishing Creek lands, Chief Ladiga moved with his family to the Cherokee Nation (which at the time included Piedmont, just to the north) and spent the rest of his life there. He was buried in an unmarked grave near his home.
After riding about eight miles (from marker 24.5 to 32.5), we reached the end of the trail. It was actually about a quarter mile beyond the 32.5 mile marker. The trail ends at a park named after a Dr. Mike Tucker in Weaver, Alabama. We took a break, ate a snack, drank some water, and started back.
The trail was much shadier than we expected, partly because the sun was so low in the sky when we started, but even after it got higher, the ratio of shady patches to sunny patches along the trail was still pretty good. I don't think either of us burned at all.
We saw a lot more traffic today than we did yesterday. There were lots of bikers out enjoying the warm, dry weather. When we rode in Georgia, we saw lots of recumbent bikes and trikes, especially in the segments near Atlanta. Today we saw only one recumbent other than ourselves. It was a fellow on a delta trike (one wheel in front, two in back) who flashed us a V peace sign as we pedaled in opposite directions. If I remember correctly, he was headed toward the west end of the trail and we were on our way back to our trailhead.
When we got back to Germania State Park after about two hours, we had another short snack and water break, then went on to cover the ground to mile marker 20.5. That leaves just 10 miles to cover tomorrow, from mm 10.5 (where we stopped Friday night) to mm 20.5 (where we stopped today).
After reaching 20.5, we turned back and made our way back to the truck. We rode about 24.5 miles in around 3 hours. My bike computer indicated 2:55 pedal time, and Karen said it took us about 3:30 by her watch (including breaks).
We saw lots more wildlife, especially early on today -- rabbits, a chipmunk, and lots of birds.
We also saw a number of things that made me go, "Hmmm...," mostly while driving to and from the trailheads:
We cleverly started out going west. Since it was early morning, this put the sun behind us and we didn't have it in front of us until we turned and started back when it was much higher in the sky. So it really wasn't in our eyes at all today.
A few miles after setting out, we passed through Jacksonville. Originally called Drayton, the town was formed in the early 1800's and was eventually renamed after Andrew Jackson. I learned this from an informational sign in front of the Jacksonville depot, which was built in 1860 to serve the railroad that has become today's bike trail. The depot is being renovated as a rest stop and visitor's center for the trail. During the Civil War, it was used to move Confederate soldiers and materiel.
The signs in front of the Jacksonville depot also told me about Terrapin Creek which we rode along Friday evening and finally provided information about who Chief Ladiga actually was. He was a chief of the Creek tribe. In the early 1800's, he was one of the Creek chiefs who signed the treaty turning the last of the Creek lands over to white settlers. After relinquishing Creek lands, Chief Ladiga moved with his family to the Cherokee Nation (which at the time included Piedmont, just to the north) and spent the rest of his life there. He was buried in an unmarked grave near his home.
After riding about eight miles (from marker 24.5 to 32.5), we reached the end of the trail. It was actually about a quarter mile beyond the 32.5 mile marker. The trail ends at a park named after a Dr. Mike Tucker in Weaver, Alabama. We took a break, ate a snack, drank some water, and started back.
The trail was much shadier than we expected, partly because the sun was so low in the sky when we started, but even after it got higher, the ratio of shady patches to sunny patches along the trail was still pretty good. I don't think either of us burned at all.
We saw a lot more traffic today than we did yesterday. There were lots of bikers out enjoying the warm, dry weather. When we rode in Georgia, we saw lots of recumbent bikes and trikes, especially in the segments near Atlanta. Today we saw only one recumbent other than ourselves. It was a fellow on a delta trike (one wheel in front, two in back) who flashed us a V peace sign as we pedaled in opposite directions. If I remember correctly, he was headed toward the west end of the trail and we were on our way back to our trailhead.
When we got back to Germania State Park after about two hours, we had another short snack and water break, then went on to cover the ground to mile marker 20.5. That leaves just 10 miles to cover tomorrow, from mm 10.5 (where we stopped Friday night) to mm 20.5 (where we stopped today).
After reaching 20.5, we turned back and made our way back to the truck. We rode about 24.5 miles in around 3 hours. My bike computer indicated 2:55 pedal time, and Karen said it took us about 3:30 by her watch (including breaks).
We saw lots more wildlife, especially early on today -- rabbits, a chipmunk, and lots of birds.
We also saw a number of things that made me go, "Hmmm...," mostly while driving to and from the trailheads:
- a sign advertising "fresh" produce, with the word fresh in quote marks. I wondered whether that meant the produce isn't really "fresh" or whether "fresh" is being used in some euphemistic way.
- two roads a few blocks apart, one named "Booger Hollow Road," the other named "Booze Mountain Road". I wondered what would happen if the boys from Booger Hollow went to Booze Mountain?
- a billboard that said, "Arrested? Call the dog." In one corner was a picture of a bulldog with a caption saying "The bulldog." In another corner were the words, "Bail bonds." So I understand that the billboard is advertising the services of a local bailbondsman (someone who posts bail for folks who have been arrested, if they give him enough money). But I wonder how someone who has been arrested is going to have the opportunity to see this billboard. And how will they call "the bulldog"? There was no phone number on the sign. Hmm...
Labels: 2009, ChiefLadiga
posted by GreenSkink at 5:13 PM
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