American Tobacco Trail pics

[LynnG]

From our 9-30-07 ride.... on the American Tobacco Trail, 30 minutes southwest of raleigh, NC. This is a 2-county multi-user trail that goes about 22 miles following the old railroad bed from southwest Wake County, New Hill, NC (10 minutes from where I live) and goes north into Durham County towards Durham, NC. It has wonderful wooden bridges built going thru swamps and over creeks, practice golf course (caution sign for golf balls), beautiful woodlands, and an "under a busy highway" tunnel. It was a first cooler day and everyone was out on the trail it seems... cyclists...large-small, fast-slow, with bike carts behind with flags; hikers, walkers, runners, some with dogs, some with small childen, some baby-carriages, a few other horse riders....

Maja and Ladybug were well-behaved and took most of the human activity in stride. Questionable to them were the bridges and the tunnel (a no-no for them..too much overhead noisy traffic).

Here are a few pics Jeany took:

http://www.geocities.com/lynngallup/trailRides/ATT/9_30_07ATT_MajaGraysonBridge.jpg
Grayson on Maja (BeechTree Majatisa) and Lynn on Ladybug (Novia Dulce de Gracia) in the parking lot

http://www.geocities.com/lynngallup/trailRides/ATT/9_30_07ATT_LynLBugBridge.jpg
Lynn and Ladybug gait the bridge! Even Paso Fino old-timers can still have that big Paso smile!

http://www.geocities.com/lynngallup/trailRides/ATT/9_30_07ATT_MajaGrayson_Bridge1.jpg
Grayson & Maja being more cautious.... there is something under those boards!

This bridge is about 20 feet up over a creek which leads to the large recreational Jordan Lake.

We are all going to the NC State Fair Monday, October 15th! Seeya there!

[paintedhorizon]

I grew up in Durham, NC!

Great photos! Wish there was a bridge around here

[LynnG]

Michelle

I haven't ridden past the highway 64 tunnel... but the trail has been being developed for about 5 years now, and goes toward Durham with several places to enter the trail. The other riders we encountered on Quarter Horses and Walking Horses were all from New Hill. The parking lot allows room for trailer parking. Its a good trail for conditioning horses and working on consistency. The trail footing will allow your horses to ride barefoot with ease.

The bridges are fun to ride. They are made out of treated lumber. You can see the sidebars so no one falls over the edge, like small children.

[Blameitonbrio]

It was a very nice place to wait for them too. Tony, Bailey and I played on the bridge and saw lots of turtles and fish. We even spotted a beaver -- in the middle of the day.

Maja was so funny. She was laid back and calm the whole ride according to Grayson, but when she came across the bridge, there was a small pebble on it. Apparently it looked quite threatening, because she snorted at it several times. That showed it who was boss!

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Great pictures!!! thanks for sharing!


Saludos!

[Kerry W]

Great shots! Looks like fun...I think it's great that they've saved a place for horses and their people.

[Soltera]

Sounds similar to the Moses Cone trails in Boone, NC. Didn't know Durham had that sort of deal for horses. Thanks for sharing the pictures, and the smiles!

[Laura S]

Nice pics! I love the cautious bridge pic, so so cute!

[LynnG]

Glad you liked the pics.

Here are some interesting reading on the trails...including about deer hunting season; why we rode on Sunday!

http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM

http://www.ncdot.org/programs/environment/awards/AmericanTobacco.html

http://www.wakegov.com/parks/atc/equestrian.htm


enjoy

[Soltera]

Wow, iI bet you DID ride on Sunday! Makes me want to wear blaze orange just reading about the hunters.

I lilved in CHapel Hill for about 15 years, on and off, and remember hearing about the Rails toTRails. I'm surprised and happy that they get it together!

[Finogirl]

You guys are so lucky , you have miles of trail rides, over here we are lucky if we can go for a mile without having to go on a road. :(

Looks like so much fun. :smile:

[Soltera]

Not only are ya'll groundhog deprived, you are trail poor, too? :shock:

I used to work with a bunch of gals from the British Isles at summer camp. Camp staff was often hired thru overseas agencies, and travel expenses plus a short tourist visa was part of their pay. It always amazed me at the beginning of the summers how they were incredulous on trail rides that we would never, ever see anyone else on the trails. They said "back home" you'd pass someone every 10 minutes no matter what! Of course, when they were from Glasgow or certain parts of London, I couldn't get thru the accent, and the other ladies had to "translate" your English into mine!

You just come on over here, Finogirl, we'll take you on some mighty long rides!

[Finogirl]

Soltera, I'd love to come over. Actually I did camp once but never again, it's basically slave work and some camps can be quite nasty to their staff too. :(

Your trails rides can include a camped night, we'd have to go to Scotland to do that and even then we'd still see cars and traffic. :D

[Soltera]

Soltera, I'd love to come over. Actually I did camp once but never again, it's basically slave work and some camps can be quite nasty to their staff too. :(

Your trails rides can include a camped night, we'd have to go to Scotland to do that and even then we'd still see cars and traffic. :D

:oops: Yeah, well, you nailed that one right thru the wall. I don't actually recommend those jobs. Head staff work longer hours, but those girls were "rode hard 'n put up wet" six nights a week. I took them on lots of trail rides for therapy! 8-)

Europe seems so small when you think about trail rides. But riding thru such "old country" is quite enticing. Maybe we could do one of those traded vacations, where you swap for a while? :D

[Finogirl]

Maybe we could do one of those traded vacations, where you swap for a while?

Now that would be fun !!! Wonder if my hubby would go for that !! :D :D

Edited to add that your Avatar says NC - North Carolina - isn't it ? That's where the camp was, it was called Greystone - do you know of it ?