It rained most of yesterday and while I was planning to do some hiking at Black Rock Mountain State Park, I thought the trails might be too muddy and started looking for other alternatives. I landed on a new trail that I found while searching the internet. The Sutallee Trace White Trail is part of the Etowah Trail system near Canton, GA. It follows the believed route created by the Cherokee and Creek and later used by European pioneers to travel about these hills above the Etowah River.
The parking area is large finding parking wasn't a problem. The trail system begins with a large sign, with the White Trail being the main trial and then others splitting off of it further into the woods. For the first little bit, the trail runs parallel to a gravel track that I presume is used by the nearby high school for sports training. Soon though, the cleared area of the track ends and the trail enters deeper into the woods.
Almost immediately, I encounter a large aluminum span of bridge laying on the ground just before a side creek. Just a bit further a ramp leads up to wooden bridge mostly comprised of four tree trunks in an A-frame configuration and a floor to walk across beneath them. The wooden bridge appears to be aging and I surmise that the brand new aluminum bridge is intended to replace it in the near future. At least they are taking good care of these trails.
The trail continues on and offers some nice views of the muddy Etowah River and it's bends and shoals. It seems all rivers in the part of the country are shallow and full of rocky shoals, which must have made water travel challenging in the past.
Eventually, the trail leaves the rivers and follows the ebbs and flows of the nearby hillsides, crossing into an area that was obviously clear cut in the recent past. Few trees grow here and the yellow grasses reign supreme on these hillsides. A church and associated cemetery are visible nearby at a major junction of trails and old dirt roads. The trail re-enters the woods and spends the next couple of miles tracing the hillsides on very narrow foot trails.
Finally reaching the end at Jug Creek, the trail and white blazes that mark it, just end at an old boyscout-constructed bridge. Having looked over the trail before coming, I expected this. There is an old dirt road here, but technically this is the end of the trail and my turn point.
The trip back is uneventful, though I do encounter a number of other hikers as I get close to the starting point. When I reach my car, I check and find that I've hiked about 8.3 miles. Not great, but certainly not bad. I was also able to check out a totally new trail system. I think I will suggest this to the other organizers of the meetup as a potential destination for one of the Sunday hikes, as I think this would be right up the group's alley. For now, I will head home and enjoy dinner with my family.
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