I talked to several members and was having a hard time finding exactly where Sky Way was and how to get to the trailhead, etc. and what to run. So today the 
and I went up there through the pouring rain and all and ran it the whole way and I mapped it out on Motion X GPS. If you don't have this app, get it. It allows you to download maps for offline viewing either in a specific area or in a track. You can get Motion X road maps, Motion X topo, Bing roads, Bing satellite, and NOAA maps for offline viewing which is great for forest service roads since cell coverage doesn't allow you to pull them from cell networks.
Here is the Motion X track that I mapped out below. You can open the route through Google Maps, download the KMZ file for Google Earth, download the GPX file which will allow you to see where I began and ended along with pics and waypoints, or click follow this track from your iphone or android and it will open up in the Motion X app which is only .99.
http://gps.motionx.com/maps/7024e84da4893b7ba4d5ec41f5a40c9f
These are the stats from the track that I created through Motion X GPS. It just hits the high points, but it is some interesting data.
Date: Sep 3, 2012 10:55 am
Distance: 63.2 miles
Elapsed Time: 3:57:30
Avg Speed: 16.0 mph
Max Speed: 72.6 mph
Avg Pace: 3' 45" per mile
Min Altitude: 550 ft
Max Altitude: 2,085 ft
Start Time: 2012-09-03T15:55:15Z
Start Location:
Zone: 16S
Easting: 603586mE
Northing: 3713374mN
Finish Time: 2012-09-03T19:52:45Z
Finish Location:
Zone: 16S
Easting: 570560mE
Northing: 3670542mN
I bought a forest service map at Cheaha for the Talladega and Shoal Creek districts which was $20 which was a huge help when looking at that compared against the topo as it scrolled and Bing maps which was overlayed with road names.
I began on McIntosh road off of Hwy 21 in Oxford. Turn right onto Kentuck Dr (651) and immediately you have an oppurtunity to enter Kentuck OHV area which we didn't do but looked like it might be fun. Follow Kentuck Rd until it turns into Duck Nest motorway (651) until you come to a 4 way(intersection of 651 and highway 42/Cheaha Rd). At that point there is a sealed surface that is Cheaha Rd (we took a side trip to the mountain). Cross Cheaha Rd and that is the start of Sky Way motorway (600.3). You will follow that for a little way and it runs into 281. Turn right and go about 4 or 5 miles and it ends and you are then on 600-2. It is an intersection of Hanging Rock Rd. and Guntur TN rd, when you cross that it is still Sky Way motorway/ Sky Line Dr. and this is when it really gets rough. It is washed out badly and has large rocks/scree scattered throughout. Follow that until Union Town Rd and you will cross the train tracks. It comes to a 4 way stop with a church on the right and turn right. It will dead end into Highway 77 and turn right then immediately left on County 307 (600-2). This is quite smooth for some time but is still pretty unkempt. There were three lookout points all located on 600-1, which is also County Road 307 in Bing Maps or Google Maps. It is also labeled as Sky Way Motorway in some maps.
I have tried to use the names on Google maps or Bing maps first and in parentheses it is how they appear on the offical forest service map. Hopefully this will help some people out and if anyone wants to use my Forest Service map, feel free and just let me know. I also saw lots of cool off shoots and the sky way would be awesome in the winter or the fall, it was too foggy today for many good pictures.
Sorry to direct everyone to another site but these are some photosynth panoramic pictures that I took and they are pretty awesome. I couldn't embed them here and get the full effect.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...0636537233821:-1.06829858116861&p=0:0&t=False
This was the first lookout point on 600-1.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...5369064199563:-1.02989789304693&p=0:0&t=False
This was lookpoint 2 on 600-1. Oddly enough there is a person buried up there or there ashes were scattered. There was a cross with a name and date. I also saw a bald eagle from this lookout point circling and diving. It was pretty cool.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...7220553014538:-1.88013470353922&p=0:0&t=False
And this is a 360 from a powerline cut. You could hear the buzzing from the lines overhead. A little nerve racking.
Overall a fun day. French and his his gaggle of children started the day with us looking for some trails in Leeds. Keith will have to help us with those so we don't get arrested for tresspassing.
and I went up there through the pouring rain and all and ran it the whole way and I mapped it out on Motion X GPS. If you don't have this app, get it. It allows you to download maps for offline viewing either in a specific area or in a track. You can get Motion X road maps, Motion X topo, Bing roads, Bing satellite, and NOAA maps for offline viewing which is great for forest service roads since cell coverage doesn't allow you to pull them from cell networks. Here is the Motion X track that I mapped out below. You can open the route through Google Maps, download the KMZ file for Google Earth, download the GPX file which will allow you to see where I began and ended along with pics and waypoints, or click follow this track from your iphone or android and it will open up in the Motion X app which is only .99.
http://gps.motionx.com/maps/7024e84da4893b7ba4d5ec41f5a40c9f
These are the stats from the track that I created through Motion X GPS. It just hits the high points, but it is some interesting data.
Date: Sep 3, 2012 10:55 am
Distance: 63.2 miles
Elapsed Time: 3:57:30
Avg Speed: 16.0 mph
Max Speed: 72.6 mph
Avg Pace: 3' 45" per mile
Min Altitude: 550 ft
Max Altitude: 2,085 ft
Start Time: 2012-09-03T15:55:15Z
Start Location:
Zone: 16S
Easting: 603586mE
Northing: 3713374mN
Finish Time: 2012-09-03T19:52:45Z
Finish Location:
Zone: 16S
Easting: 570560mE
Northing: 3670542mN
I bought a forest service map at Cheaha for the Talladega and Shoal Creek districts which was $20 which was a huge help when looking at that compared against the topo as it scrolled and Bing maps which was overlayed with road names.
I began on McIntosh road off of Hwy 21 in Oxford. Turn right onto Kentuck Dr (651) and immediately you have an oppurtunity to enter Kentuck OHV area which we didn't do but looked like it might be fun. Follow Kentuck Rd until it turns into Duck Nest motorway (651) until you come to a 4 way(intersection of 651 and highway 42/Cheaha Rd). At that point there is a sealed surface that is Cheaha Rd (we took a side trip to the mountain). Cross Cheaha Rd and that is the start of Sky Way motorway (600.3). You will follow that for a little way and it runs into 281. Turn right and go about 4 or 5 miles and it ends and you are then on 600-2. It is an intersection of Hanging Rock Rd. and Guntur TN rd, when you cross that it is still Sky Way motorway/ Sky Line Dr. and this is when it really gets rough. It is washed out badly and has large rocks/scree scattered throughout. Follow that until Union Town Rd and you will cross the train tracks. It comes to a 4 way stop with a church on the right and turn right. It will dead end into Highway 77 and turn right then immediately left on County 307 (600-2). This is quite smooth for some time but is still pretty unkempt. There were three lookout points all located on 600-1, which is also County Road 307 in Bing Maps or Google Maps. It is also labeled as Sky Way Motorway in some maps.
I have tried to use the names on Google maps or Bing maps first and in parentheses it is how they appear on the offical forest service map. Hopefully this will help some people out and if anyone wants to use my Forest Service map, feel free and just let me know. I also saw lots of cool off shoots and the sky way would be awesome in the winter or the fall, it was too foggy today for many good pictures.
Sorry to direct everyone to another site but these are some photosynth panoramic pictures that I took and they are pretty awesome. I couldn't embed them here and get the full effect.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...0636537233821:-1.06829858116861&p=0:0&t=False
This was the first lookout point on 600-1.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...5369064199563:-1.02989789304693&p=0:0&t=False
This was lookpoint 2 on 600-1. Oddly enough there is a person buried up there or there ashes were scattered. There was a cross with a name and date. I also saw a bald eagle from this lookout point circling and diving. It was pretty cool.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid...7220553014538:-1.88013470353922&p=0:0&t=False
And this is a 360 from a powerline cut. You could hear the buzzing from the lines overhead. A little nerve racking.
Overall a fun day. French and his his gaggle of children started the day with us looking for some trails in Leeds. Keith will have to help us with those so we don't get arrested for tresspassing.
Good info for those of us who haven't been.
