Newton Trails

The sun won't set for another 45 minutes on this enchanting late Spring evening.  The air is warm, not hot, but it still bears a  coolness from the low humidity  -- something we'll miss for months to come.  All in all, it's a perfect time to venture out for an evening stroll along the rail trail near my back door.  Not far from home, I encounter an older couple from Decatur who've biked to Covington for the weekend.  They ask directions to the Hampton Inn, and I suggest a bike-friendly route to their evening's slumber.  I also recommend some dining choices on the Square.  Not long after that, I pass a boy scout troop on the final leg of a hike to Camp Bert Adams.  I assume they're from the area, but they proudly tell me they have journeyed here from Alabama.

Do my musings sound far fetched?  Think again!

Earlier this month, the PATH Foundation announced completion of another section of the South River Trail, a 12-foot-wide concrete path that, when completed, will combine with the Rockdale River Trail to link the Atlanta Belt Line to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers.  Three miles of the South River Trail are already built, connecting to the Arabia Mountain Trail leading to Lithonia.  This newest section, between Bouldercrest Rd and Clifton Church Rd is the start of the BeltLine connection.

Much of the linkage to Alabama is already in place, between the Silver Comet Trail running from Smyrna to the State Line and the Chief Ladiga Trail linking to Anniston, AL.

There is no doubt the path will travel east from the Monastery, the only question is:  by what route?  The City of Conyers and Rockdale County are actively working with PATH on those steps as well.  Phase 1 of the Olde Town Conyers Trail opened earlier this year, and phase 2 is slated for construction in 2012.

A connection through Newton County is far from assured at this time.  But, the blueprints are there.  In 2009, Newton County, the City of Covington, Rockdale County, and the City of Conyers jointly funded a conceptual plan with PATH for linking Olde Town Conyers to Oxford, Covington, and Porterdale.  You can view that plan on our website.

If these dreams sound ambitious, then read up on projects like the Coastal Georgia Greenway and the even more expansive East Coast Greenway.  Once upon a time, the national railroads and the federal highway system sounded equally incomprehensible.  Yet, with so much already built or being built around us, we only have a few small puzzle pieces to supply ourselves in Newton County.  The work starting now along the Yellow River in Porterdale is one such piece.

Let's get 'er done!

Sunday morning, I drove to Hiram, Georgia to ride with some friends from Nashville, in town for the weekend to bike the Silver Comet Trail.  They needed to be on the road to home by 1 pm, so we rode 18 miles out to Coots Lake (almost to Rockmart) and then back.  It was an overcast morning, and we were starting our ride east of where the most populous sections of the Comet run through west Cobb County.  But, we still had plenty of company on the trail.

It had been over a year since I'd made it out to ride the SCT, so I enjoyed being back on everyone's favorite rail-trail in these parts.  Just like all of my other visits, I was struck by the diversity of people who use the trail.  We saw triathletes out for morning training rides mixing in with elderly couples out for a stroll.  We witnessed families biking together in no particular hurry mingling with joggers out for a morning run.  We met people walking dogs and friends just sitting and chatting on the many benches along the trail.  It was a "slice of life" journey that never grows old each time I pass that way.

My friends talked about their 100-mile ride on Saturday, which took them across the Alabama state line, onto the Chief Ladiga Trail, and back.  As I have seen on past journeys, they too met up with several Boy Scout troops on excursions to earn their 50-Miler Merit Badge.

Back home that evening, I tried to recall the surroundings of the trail and what kind of areas we passed through.  What I realized, was my only real recollection was of the trail itself.  Except, perhaps, the unforgettable smell of the water treatment plant we passed! :-)  Curious, I checked the satellite views on Google Maps to see just what had been near that section of trail.  I was surprised to see residential neighborhoods, industrial plants, schools, forests, and farms.  Surprised, because you rarely notice these things from the trail itself.   Partly, I guess, because the treeline buffers so well, and partly because you're so caught up in your own ride, that only the beautiful vistas from the bridges and overpasses are enough to jar you from your immediate focus.  I bring this up, because I know some folks worry about privacy living near such a trail.  I think if they would visit the Silver Comet, and see it from a trail users perspective, they might see that issue differently.

I also share this story to highlight another benefit we tout so often about trails...  the economic impact.  My friends were part of a group of 15 riders from Nashville's Harpeth Bike Club.  They drove down from Tennessee for the weekend.  Four stayed Friday night and the other 11 stayed both Friday and Saturday night.  Between hotel stays, meals, snacks, entertainment, gasoline, and supplies, they easily spent over $3,500 as a group for the weekend.  And, I couldn't help but notice the cars in the hotel parking lot with bike racks and license plates from other states.  The Silver Comet is an economic engine for Cobb, Paulding, and Polk Counties.  You can see that everytime you visit.

My only lament from the weekend was that I had to drive 125 miles and nearly three hours round trip to enjoy the rail-trail experience.  If only there were someplace closer to Newton County with a railroad waiting to be turned into trail...  Hmmm...

Even the staunchest supporters for developing a rail trail in Newton County think of such an endeavor as a generational undertaking...  as an effort  whose fruit may be born not in this lifetime.  While the vision is fresh and real, the journey from here to there -- the jump from now to then -- seems so abstract and so far.  Perhaps, a journey back in time only 20 years can provide a different perspective.

On a warm, sunny day In 1991, three buddies chatting on a bike ride conceived the notion that Atlanta needed better places to walk and bike.  The city had only recently been selected to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, and Ed McBrayer, Pete Pellegrini, and Maxine Rock believed they could build a system of greenway trails before the world arrived in the Summer of '96.  On that day, the PATH Foundation was born.

This year, PATH turns 20.  And, in two short decades, the group has built over 160 miles of greenway trails around metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia.  PATH's most ambitious and best loved undertaking is the Silver Comet Trail in Cobb, Polk, and Paulding counties.  The group's partnership with those three counties and the state was created in the July of 1998.  And, by that Fall, the first section of trail was already open for use.  By 2003, 38 miles of trail had been built.  And, in 2008, the final section was completed to link 61 miles of trail in Georgia to 33 more on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama.  All that the Silver Comet Trail encompasses today was build in one decade.

From ambitious beginnings, a small group of dreamers and doers has given the people of north Georgia more than 160 linear miles of passive recreation area across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes.  And, another 100 miles of trail are on the drawing board and under construction.  PATH trails are used by tens of millions annually, providing healthy recreation for residents and attracting tourism dollars that have revitalized communities.  For an up-close view of thee incredible facilities, check out the slide show on the PATH website.

Maybe we have to start small.  But, won't get anywhere if we think small.  As the saying goes:  "Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it."  And, PATH has shown us what can be done.

Some local rail-trail opponents want you to think trails like the Silver Comet in west Georgia or the Chief Ladiga in Alabama are more dangerous than the Wild, Wild West.  They whisper rumors of rampant crime that leave the uninformed thinking trails are a dangerous place.

Sure, we have all the statistics and law enforcement reports to verify trails are safe.  But scaring people is always easier than informing them.  That's why I was delighted this week to have two great stories fall info my lap, each involving grandmothers biking the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails.  If these women, ages 48 to 76, are not afraid and genuinely enjoy these trails then...  maybe... just maybe... they're safe enough for the rest of us!!!

  I'll let these ladies speak for themselves on what you're missing if you let fearmongers scare you away:

Grandmothers Bike 62-Mile Silver Comet Trail

Read here the October Atlanta Journal-Constitution story about five women, ages 48 to 63, all grandmothers, who biked the full 62 miles of the SCT from Smyrna to the Alabama State Line and then made the return trip as well.

Lawrence septuagenarian completes 98-mile bike ride

In this story, available here, a 76-year-old woman, three daughters, and a friend biked the full 98 miles of the combined Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet Trails from Anniston, AL to Smyrna, GA.

Come on, gang.  Don't let these grannies outdo you 'cause you're scared!