Natchez Trace Bike Trip: Kosciusko to Choctaw Agency

60 miles

The campground in Kosciusko is adjacent to the National Park Service vehicle compound. I mention this because when we asked locals for direction it seemed very difficult to describe for them, but if you stay on the trail and take the service road exit for the Kosciusko District Facility you'll see a small camping icon-sign by a path into the woods, and there you'll find the campground.

It was a very nice, primitive site with a water supply. The floor of the outhouse (which looked very much like a Cool Hand Luke sweat-box) had rusted away, so if you needed that facility I think you'd be pedaling off into town which is quite close.

This is what my sleeping rig looked like:


It was a cool night but not cold, and this was a good campground. We broke camp a bit early, which was something that has eluded us all week, and departed southbound. There isn't a lot of variety in the countryside, but at MP120 we stopped at the River Bend trailhead to see a huge body of water which is actually a reservoir.



It's a beautiful, tranquil scene and we enjoyed a few quiet, holistic minutes until a few local fisher-folk caught a poisonous snake on their hook. From an outsider's perspective, remarkable stupidity followed until the snake got tired of scaring them and returned to the water. At least, they think it did.

Camped at the Rocky Springs campground which was very nice. This was a warm evening that didn't call for sleeping bags. Some local residents found a small bag of our oatmeal and grapefruit and seemed to enjoy them mightily.

Bicycle Tour via Natchez Trace Parkway: Pharr Mounds to Witch Dance

25 miles

still a work in progress

Our evening's sleep from Friday night to Saturday morning was accompanied by a chorus of owls. I don't know what type of owls except that they were verbal owls with something to say, and they were persistent. It was a cold night for my experience (probably 40F) but the sleeping bag with a thermal pad and a wool layer made for a very comfortable night's sleep.

In the morning our neighbors from the next campground came over to say hello and we were pleased to offer them a cup of coffee, they were three Australian cyclists on Day45 of their adventure having started at the LAX airport. They had ridden across the Southern Tier Route to New Orleans and were now joining the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Underground Railroad Bike Route.

They were fascinating people and experienced travelers, Jose and Linda were married and their friend Geoff. All were very efficiently outfitted; they'd been doing this for a while. I was pleased to introduce them to the American healthfood known as Pop Tarts. Very nice folks.



Joined the trail at the Pharr Mounds, which were very impressive and the placards explained our best contemporary understanding of them.

There is a general guidance to avoid the area around Tupelo Monday to Friday, 0700 to 0830 and again from 1530 to 1800 during the local rush hours but we were riding on a Saturday and it wasn't bad at all. There's a nice visitor's center in Tupelo, wifi and rest rooms and trail info and I believe there's a primitive bicyclist campsite there as well.

We made camp at the Witch Dance campground, another very nice NPS campground. ("oh, if they only had a shower in the restrooms!") We met another bicyclist who was already in the camp (Fons) and then later another cyclist arrived to set up camp (Roxy). This campground was entertained by a pair of vocal roosters on the adjacent property, who may (or may not) have been commissioned by a landowner who wasn't wild about having a campground next door.

This was the first night I got to use my solar shower (in conjunction with the JetBoil to heat water) and it wasn't bad. It wasn't a hotel shower, but it wasn't bad.

Natchez Trace Bike Trip: Dogwood Mudhole to Colbert Ferry

45 miles

As we adapted our plan to a line of severe weather, we drove from Pittsburgh beyond Nashville and overnighted at the Natchez Hills Vineyard which also hosts a small Bed and Breakfast operation. They're very bicycle-friendly and have the best bike trail-to-B&B shuttle car setup I've ever heard of. Although we were uncertain of our surroundings when we arrived in the dark, sunrise presented gardens and fields and some very pretty buildings. The proprietor was excellent, they're a retired military couple, the breakfast was awesome and we probably overstayed our timeframe in conversation but it was very interesting. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

This is what the Natchez Trace Parkway looked like when we first got on it, and as far as road surface, width, shoulders etc it never really varied much:


We stopped in Collingwood TN at MP355 for a snack at Miss Hazelbea's Sweets and Treats, very biker friendly, right next to the visitor center, and lest you think Miss Hazelbea was a pushover they'll have you know she was a WAC in WW2.



We continued south into the prevailing winds, which would turn out to be a theme. Perhaps there was a reason that all the other cyclists were riding northboung? Hmmm.

Approached the Tennessee River crossing to Colbert Ferry, the map really didn't provide much advice in terms of what to expect, but it was really very nice:


We camped that night at Tishomingo State Park at MP305 and paid $13 for the priviledge. There's a curious overlay of all sorts of government; the feds and the NPS run the Trace Parkway, the rest stops and shelters and several of the free campgrounds; the state parks run other facilities; counties provide yet another layer.

S. stayed at the Belmont Hotel which was very nice, an old school hotel but still kept up, staff was extremely hospitable. We took advantage of S's lodging to glomm some hot showers before heading to the campground.

Bicycling the Natchez Trace: Plans and Notions

still a work in progress

The Natchez Trace is a historical footpath of 440 miles (710 km) from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. It was created and used for centuries by Native Americans, and later by early European and American explorers.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a two-lane road from Natchez to Nashville that closely parallels the route of the Natchez Trace, serving to commemorate the route while preserving the path. The Parkway is operated by the National Park Service and is advertised as dual-use for bicycles and cars.

Our initial plan to ride the Natchez Trace Parkway by bicycle was to proceed as two bicyclists (with a support van) to the northern end, and to bike-camp our way to the southern end, whereupon we'd drive back to the center of the universe (Pittsburgh).

Our original itinerary, for those who like such things, went something like this:

Thurs 11 Apr: Day 1 of 6 riding North Terminus MP445 to MP388 MerriwetherLewis (57 miles)
last coffee: 8400 Tennessee Hwy 100 Nashville, TN 37221 http://www.lovelesscafe.com/
trailhead bike shop: http://tracebikes.com/ 615.646.2485
445 START
444.0 TN Hwy 100 - market (gas) .1 mile east of parkway
429.0 STOP (15 miles) TN Hwy 46? (prob 96) – market/gas .8 miles east of parkway,
town of Leiper's Fork 1.3 miles east of parkway
Leiper's Fork Joe Natural's Restaurant http://joenaturals.com/joes-menu/
Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant http://www.puckettsofleipersfork.com/
427.5 Garrison Creek trailhead (restrooms)
415.7 STOP LUNCH (15 miles) TN Hwy 7 – market 1.7 miles east of parkway
408.0 TN Hwy 50 – market (gas) 1.1 miles west of parkway
407.7 Gordon House trailhead (restrooms)
404.7 Jackson Falls (restrooms)
392 STOP (23 miles) US 412 - Fall Hollow Market at exit
385.9 TN Hwy 20 - market (gas) 1.3 miles east of parkway
385.9 END (8 miles) Meriwether Lewis National Monument, 191 Meriwether Lewis Parkway, Hohenwald, TN 38462
Camp: Meriwether Lewis campsite (restrooms)
Bnb: Natchez Hills B&B, 906 Ridgetop Road, Hampshire, TN 38461 http://www.natchezhills.com
dinner in Hohenwald, 2 miles from trailhead
Junkyard Dog Steakhouse 18 N Maple St Hohenwald, TN 38462 (931) 796-0041
River Rat Grill 35 N Maple St Hohenwald, TN 38462 (931) 796-4330

 

Fri 12 Apr: Day2 of 6 riding, MP388 to MP305 Tishomingo State Park, camping (83 miles)
388 START
385.9 TN Hwy 20 - market (gas) 1.3 miles east of parkway

380.8 Napier Road - market .5 miles east of parkway: Naco Natchez Trace Wilderness Store
377.8 Jacks Branch (restrooms)
372.6 Laurel Hill Lake & Wildlife Mgt Area with market 2 miles east of parkway
370 STOP (18 MILES) US 64 Lawrenceburg Hwy - market (gas) .9 miles west of parkway
364.5 Glenrock Branch trailhead (restrooms)
354.9 STOP (15 miles) TN Hwy 14 – town of Collinwood .5 miles west of parkway with market (gas)
G G's Market 1271 Railroad Bed Rd Collinwood, TN 38450
350.7 TN Hwy 13 – market (gas) .1 miles east of parkway
4 Mile Market, 1609 Chisholm Road Cypress Inn, TN 38452 (931) 724-5320
Tennessee / Alabama border
337 AL Hwy 20 market 3 miles east of pkwy
331.9 AL Hwy 14 – market (gas) 6 miles west of parkway
327.3 Colbert Ferry (restroom)
320.3 STOP (25 miles) US 72 – market (gas) .5 miles east of parkway
Alabama / Mississippi border
305 END (15 miles)
Camp: Tishomingo State Park
BnB: Belmont Hotel, 121 Main St. Belmont, MS 38827
Dinner: Four small restaurants in Tishomingo, MI 4mi NW

 

Sat 13 Apr: Day3 of 6 riding, MP305 to MP232 WitchDance, (73 miles)
305 START
303.2 Market MS Hwy 25 – market (gas) .5 miles west of parkway
286.7 Stop (19 miles Self Support) Pharr Mounds trailhead (restrooms)
270.7 MS Hwy 363 – market (gas) .8 miles west of parkway
266.0 LUNCH (20 miles) Tupelo Visitor Center (restrooms, visitor center) Numerous restaurants
262.3 McCullough Blvd. – markets (gas) 2 miles east of parkway
260.0 MS Hwy 6/Main Street – markets (gas) .4 miles east of parkway
255.7 Palmetto Road (Verona exit) – market (gas) .7 miles east of parkway
251.6 STOP (25 miles) Pontocola Road/CR 506 – market (gas) .3 miles west of parkway
233.2 END (18 miles) Witch Dance
BnB: Bridges-Hall Manor B&B 435 N. Jackson St, Houston, MS 38851 (15 miles from campsite)

 

Sun 14 Apr: Day4 of 6 riding MP232 to MP160 Kosciusko(72 miles)
232 START
219.6 MS Hwy 46 – market (gas) .1 miles west of parkway.
204.2 STOP (28 miles) US 82 – market (gas) .5 miles east of parkway.
Trace-Way Restaurant .7 miles east open b,l&d 7x/wk. Subway, BBQ.
195.3 MS Hwy 9 – market (gas) at the exit
193.1 Jeff Busby (note: restroom and water only - market/gas station is closed)
180.7 STOP (23 MILES) French Camp (Council House Cafe Mon-Sa 10:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.) Market on MS Hwy 413 .2m W of Pkwy
159.8 END Kosciusko Information Center - market (gas) .2 miles north of parkway and .2 miles south of the parkway
Camp: Kosciusko Depot Campground
BnB: Days Inn Kosciusko/1000 Veterans Memorial Drive Kosciusko (.3 mi off Trace)

 

MONDAY 15 Apr: Day5 of 6 riding MP160 to MP55, Rocky Springs camping (105 miles)
159.8 START Kosciusko Information Center - market (gas) .2 miles north of parkway and .2 miles south of the parkway
154.3 Holly Hill trailhead(restrooms)
146.2 MS Hwy 429 – market (gas) .5 miles west of parkway.
135.5 STOP (25miles) MS Hwy 16 – market (gas) 1.5 miles west of parkway
123.8 Ratliff Ferry Rd - market/gas .5 m east pkwy (clsd Dec-Jan, clsd MONDAY b4 MemDay and after Labor Day)
122.6 River Bend trailhead(restrooms)
114.9 MS Hwy 43 – market (gas) 1.5 miles west of parkway
103.4 Old Canton Road - markets .3 miles east of parkway
102.4 STOP LUNCH (30) US Hwy 51 - markets (gas) .6 miles south of parkway. The Trace Grill restaurant .6 miles north of parkway.
89 STOP (11) Pinehaven Drive - Clinton Visitor's Center (west) and market (gas) .4 miles east of parkway
79.0 MS Hwy 467 – town of Raymond is 2.5 miles east of parkway with market (gas)
59 Fisher Ferry Road (Utica/Vicksburg exit) - market .8 miles west of parkway (CLOSED ON MONDAYS)
54.8 END (35miles) Rocky Springs campground
BnB: Isabella B&B at Port Gibson (1.7 from the Trace, about 15 mi south of campsite)

 

Tues 16 Apr: Day6 of 6 riding. MP55 to MP0 (55 miles),
then drive nine hours to Nashville hotel
54.8 START Rocky Springs
41.3 STOP (13miles) MS Hwy 18 - Port Gibson (south on US 61) with markets (gas) are 1.1 miles west of parkway
37.5 US Hwy 61 – market .4 miles north of parkway
30 MS Hwy 552 to US Hwy 61 South – Old Country Store Restaurant 2 miles east of parkway
17.5 Coles Creek (trailhead, restroom)
15.5 STOP (26 miles, No logistics) Mount Locust (trailhead, visitor center, restroom)
00 FINIS (15 miles) 31.544875,-91.367587 377 Liberty Rd Natchez, MS 39120

 

And that's what the plan was, FWIW. No plan survives contact with the real world, as Clausewitz suggested, and Thursday was a day of thunderstorms and Tornadoes so instead of driving south on Wednesday and riding Thursday, we drive south on Thursday through the rain and stayed on schedule, beginning our ride on Friday morning.

 

We did discover two gems on the way to the trail. We found the River Terrace in Columbia, TN for our last meal before joining the Trace and it was very impressive. I had some andouille sausage and then New Orleans style crabcakes, which was excellent; all three of us were very impressed with the food and service.

Our BnB for the night was Natchez Hills Vineyard which we approached in total darkness so we really didn't have an appreciation of the setting, but when we arrived the two little cottages we saw were very nice so we set ourselves up for the night and turned in. It's a remarkable Bed-and-breakfast, very bicycle friendly, veteran-operated, great all around. Highly recommended.

 

81F and Icy

4/10/2013 249# 33M

Rode the Montour Trail from McDonald Trestle at MP17 to Farmhouse Coffee at MP32, round trip, with R. It was great to be out on the Montour Trail, especially in 81 degrees on April 10th. Remarkably, there was still quite a bit of ice on the floor of the National Tunnel:

Jill Masterson's Dinosaur in Oakmont

3/30/13 23M

Beautiful day for a ride. Started at 28F, ended at 40F.

Started in Millvale at 0800 with S., crossed the Allegheny River at the 40th Street Bridge and rode north-east out of town along Allegheny River Blvd. Stopped in Verona to photograph this veteran's mural:

Continued to Oakmont, where we expected to find a Dino-Mite Days dinosaur at Pennsylvania Street. We started riding inland on Pennsylvania Street and (inevitably) it was uphill and I was inclined to bag it, but we stopped a local police officer who knew about the dinosaur and told us, It's all the way up the hill on the 1400 block, once or twice the neighborhood kids have dragged it out and put it in the middle of the street. He was very helpful and nice to strangers.

We worked our well up the hill, passed the library and the schools where we would have ordinarily expected to find a dinosaur, and eventually came upon this:

Wow. That wins the pink flamingo contest, hands down. This is actually #97 of the original 100 DinoMites (plus one later additional Dino), and it was given the name Dino-Gold. That's not gold paint, but rather gold leaf installed by Parisian master gilder Joseph Youss-Kadri, whose other works include the restoration of the Statue of Liberty's torch flame, the prestigious monument Les Invalides, and the Alexandre III Bridge.

Back down the hill and we rode over to the world-famous Oakmont Bakery, which was quite an active place on the day before Easter. The joint was hopping, but they sure kept everything moving and it wasn't a long wait.

People were ordering multiple pies, cakes, pastries - big orders of exotic stuff - and when my number was called, I asked for a french cruller, boston cream, and a large coffee and the counter lady couldn't help but chuckle that I had such a routine order on a day for the heavy hitters.

I really like riding out to Oakmont Bakery, I think I've been out there four or five times now. It's always excellent food and coffee, first of all, but it's always pleasant, there's a sitting area with a fireplace, just a really nice bike ride destination. It's a "destination bakery".

Reversed along Allegheny River Blvd. Drivers were very courteous on both legs. Crossed the 40th Street Bridge, rode into Millvale looking for James Simon's sculpture of a Schnauzer dog. Found the dog, Pages with books balanced on its head outside the Millvale Community Library which is scheduled to open in June.

We fell into conversation with a few of the folks working there and they took us in to see some amazing ironwork from Red Star Ironworks that's bracing the overhead support beams - really beautiful structural art, with images bringing in the history of Millvale and the importance of books and libraries. It was cool to see people excited about their town and about their library.

Back to the trailhead at about noon, and by this time of day there were a lot of people on the trail - families with bikes, solo cyclists, runners; it could make you think it was springtime.

** Jill Masterson was the character in the movie GoldFinger who was killed through epidermal suffocation when the villain painted her skin completely gold, which as we all know causes certain death.

Holy Angels Fish Ride

3.29.13 26M

Nice day for a Good Friday ride.

Started at the Bastille at 1230 with S. and R. Rode through uptown to check on Sir Samelot, but no Easter decorations. Crossed the Birmingham Bridge and rode through Keystone Metals; I was surprised that there wasn't more progressed on the trail through there.

Turned inland at Keystone Metals and went to Holy Angels in Hays for Friday Fish Lunch, boy what an operation. A packed auditorium and they run it like a chow hall, very efficient and very friendly. Very very good food. Saw several other bicyclists there from the Bike-Pgh crew, it was nice to see fellow cyclists out.

I realized we had missed our opportunity for Fish'aneuring, an activity that calls for cycling to eat church fish on Lenten Fridays, but we'll be emotionally prepared for next year.

Rode through Sandcastle southbound, noticed a lot of work that had been done for the trail. One of the wooden perimeter walls by the waterslide had been moved a few feet back to make room for the trail.

Continued to Eat N'Park Corporate Headquarters in the Waterfront, where Diner-Saurus graces the lobby:

Reversed course, stopped by MP5 north of Keystone Metals and got to see an eagle circling and eventually landing in the trees near their nearby nest. Magnificent bird.

Continuing north on the Baldwin Borough Trail, had a somewhat disconcerting mechanical in which I was unable to disengage my left foot from my left pedal, it was stuck quite permanently in there. Rode over to REI, took my foot out of the shoe-pedal-bike assembly, they were very helpful. One of the two retaining bolts had disappeared into the ether, so the pivot-and-exit maneuver was not possible. A bit of wrenching and I was back on course, they were very helpful.

We went over to Big Dog Coffee to plan Great Strategies for an upcoming ride. R. was surprised to see another Rivendell parked out front, a very nice Hunqapillar (three bars in the front triangle, as opposed to the rear triangle like a mixte) with a Pitt sticker on it. The odds of seeing two Rivendells in front of one coffee shop in Pittsburgh are rather slight.

Back on the trail, saw a few of the BikePgh lunch cohort returning from McKeesport, continued across the Ft. Pitt and Ft Duquesne Bridges to the Bastille. A very pleasant ride, 26 miles.