Apr 01 2010

Preparing for New Orleans trip

I can already taste the chicory coffee and beignets at cafe dumonde in New Orleans.

Normally I plan my trips totally around the bike trails. But my upcoming trip to the Tammany Trace Bike Trail in Louisiana and the Longleaf Trace Rail Trail in Mississippi is planned mostly around the trails and partially around the food in New Orleans … specifically the breakfast @ Cafe DuMonde.

I made sure my New Orleans hotel was close to Cafe DuMonde. It didn’t hurt that I also got a good deal on the weeknight stay. (Not such a good deal after paying for parking.)

Stay tuned for more information about the trail rides and, of course, the coffee and beignets.

Here’s what I have so far on the Tammany Trace Bike Trail in Louisiana. I’ll add pictures & descriptions after I go on the ride in late April.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/04/01/preparing-for-new-orleans-trip/

Mar 30 2010

New format again

I love some of the new layouts/templates for Blogspot. I enjoyed putting together the new format for the trailsnet blog.


Now if only they would make it easier for people to comment and follow blogs. That’s definitely a flaw in their system.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/30/new-format-again/

Mar 29 2010

Caribou cross-country ski trail

I know most of my posts are about bike trails.

Well this post is different… or is it?

I had the good fortune to help lead a group of girl scouts on a nordic ski trip to Caribou, Colorado. Caribou is a ghost town near Nederland, CO. I had just skied this trail a couple weeks ago, and it was mediocre and deteriorating fast.

Not this weekend. It was fantastic. There was just enough new snow to make it enjoyable. And it snowed lightly (heavily for a very short while as you can see in the accompanying picture) for about half the trip. It was a winter wonderland … in spring.

For those of you who are disappointed that this isn’t a bike trail blog post, I’ve got good news. In the summer, this trail is a mountain bike trail. You share the trail with 4WD vehicles, but if you go up on the weekdays, you may not have to share it with anyone.

To check out my  review of the Caribou Trail near Nederland, Colorado, visit trailsnet.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/29/caribou-cross-country-ski-trail/

Mar 27 2010

Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama

First, so you don’t make the same mistake I did, Chief Ladiga is pronounced with a long i like in tiger.
However you decide to pronounce it, you need to ride this trail. It is 33 miles of easy ridin’, smooth-sailin’, soul-soothin’ fun.
If you combine it with Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail, (the two trails meet @ the state line) you’ve got over 100 miles of pure pleasure.
To ride the full trail, you’ve got two choices of starting spots. One of them is between the towns of Anniston & Weaver in Alabama. The other one is at the Georgia/Alabama state line. However to start from that end, you’d have to ride at least a portion of the Silver Comet Trail. And when I say “have to,” I mean “get to.”
When I rode the Chief Ladiga Trail, I started in Smyrna, GA and rode the full Silver Comet Trail first. I overnighted in Cedartown, GA. On the way back, I spent the night in Rockmart, GA.
When riding east to west, the first town you’ll come to on the trail is Piedmont, Alabama. I highly recommend you stop at the Eubanks Welcome Center in Piedmont. It’s located right beside the trail. It has trail maps, souvenir t-shirts, extremely friendly people, and more information than you can shake a stick at.
The Chief Ladiga Trail is much less rigorous than the Silver Comet Trail with just about as many road crossings. Be cautious at these road crossings since they aren’t always noticeable to drivers. One of the “Trail Rules” is “Users must stop at all crossings.” Bicyclists and hikers put the you in users.
This trail is appropriate for all kinds of bikes, but I found that my rented recumbent bike was perfect. The amount of traffic on the trail was steady but not at all crowded. The closer you get to Weaver, the more people you see.
You can easily do the whole Chief Ladiga Trail in one day on a bicycle. If you want to include the Silver Comet Trail, you’ll want to plan overnights along the trail or riding the two trails in sections. If you stop a lot for pictures, snacks, and sight-seeing, like I do, three days  will probably be just about right.
This is definitely a destination trail and the people I spoke with were glad they put the Chief Ladiga Trail on their list of must-do destinations.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/27/chief-ladiga-trail-in-alabama/

Mar 25 2010

Silver Comet Trail in Georgia

Sorry for the gap in posts, but I’ve been on a bike adventure in Georgia & Alabama. While there, I rode the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia. Check out that link. I think you’ll like some of the pictures and info about the trail.
The Silver Comet Trail is part of the longest paved trail in the U.S. Combined with the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama, it’s a little over 100 miles.
I rented a recumbent bike and spent a couple nights @ motels along the trail. I had incredible weather and met lots of nice people along the way.
Each time I go on these trips, I meet more people who, like me, enjoy traveling the country and trying out rail-trails.
If you haven’t been on one yet, you’ll want to give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/25/silver-comet-trail-in-georgia/

Mar 22 2010

Canada bike trail

I spoke with some bike riders from Canada last week. They told me about a trail called Petit Train DuNord in Quebec. Now I can’t wait to try it. It starts near Niagara Falls and goes to Mt. Laurier? I’m not sure about that ending point. I’ll have to look it up. If any of you know about the Petit Train DuNord, let me know details. Thanks.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/22/canada-bike-trail/