This Outing is a part of our Clean Mountain Streams Campaign
Mapping Workday at Tray with Andrew 3.15.21
Date: Monday March 15, 2021
Time: 10 am – 3 pm
Leader(s): Andrew Linker
Location: Tray Mountain Road (Western half)
Outing Description:
Let the mapping begin! Help us record the mileage and location of all major illegal trail networks on the Chattahoochee National Forest, starting with the western side of Tray Mountain Road (FS79) in White County. We will split into groups of two or three and walk as many illegal routes on Forest Service land as we can by 3 pm. We will start recording a track where illegal trails intersect the system road and follow it until it ends or intersects another system road. We will start mapping close to where Tray Mountain Road meets Hwy 75, but if we get further up the road by the end of the day, vehicles with good clearance are encouraged. The western side of the road is a part of Andrew’s Cove Georgia Mountain Treasure.
This is a work day; come prepared with a willingness to work in small groups and using the Avenza app on your smartphone so we can have some fun in the forest!
We will cover the basics before we travel out of cell service: What makes a trail illegal? Where are the Forest Service boundaries? How to use Avenza mapping app, the basics of understanding Forest Service topo maps, and options for backup maps.
Meeting Place Directions:
Cool River Adventures. 112 Poplar Stump Rd, Helen, GA 30545. From Downtown Helen, travel 1.5 miles north on Hwy 75 towards Hiawassee. Left onto Alternate 75 (75A) and an immediate right onto Poplar Stump Road and turn into the first parking lot to your right. Cool River Adventure is like an extravagant jungle gym on the Chattahoochee River, not to be confused with Cool River Tubing. We will caravan about 2 miles to the beginning part of Tray Mountain Road and teams will park along the road near the trails we will be mapping.
See meeting place on Google Maps
Distance and Difficulty:
Unknown! We will be tracking unknown trails, thus speed and distance will be according to your team’s ability. Estimated 3-5 miles walking with mixed terrain. May include steep slopes without maintained trails. A decent sense of adventure and ability to navigate back to your car is required.
What to wear and bring: fully charged phone and/or portable power bank, lunch, plenty of water, snacks, face-covering, comfortable hiking boots, raingear if forecast predicts.
Cancellation: If Outing is cancelled due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, we will notify you via email by 6:00 pm on the evening before.
Pet Policy: No pets this time please.
Participation Limit: 10