GET Section 7d Trail Report

August 22, 2010

CR 14 to Lake Sherwood, 10.7 miles.
This is Section 7W5 of the Great Eastern Trail and includes mile 64.09+ to 55.08 of Section 3 of the Allegheny Trail. It includes the length of the Upper Meadow Trail. This was a mostly cloudy day with highs in the low 80s. With me was my dog Sid. Tom Johnson shuttled me from the Lake Sherwood hiking parking to the trailhead on CR 14.
Some observations:

The Allegheny Trail map does not show the total mileage of Section 3--it indicates 64.09 where the Trail crosses CR 14, but there is an additional 0.14 to the Trailhead parking that splits Sections 3 and 4.
The ALT map indicates an intersection with the Meadow Mountain Trail, coming up at mile 58.57, but I could not find it at all.
There is something not right on the Allegheny Trail map about the mileage at either the Upper Meadow Trail (55.08) or the Meadow Mountain Trail (53.98). That is a difference of 1.10 mile, while it measures only 0.42 on the map. The measurements of the sections just north and south of this section reasonably agree with the printed mileage, so the problem is just between these points. I will count it as 0.5 mile, in agreement with Lake Sherwood signs and the slightly higher values on the map compared to map measurements.
From the south end of this hike, the Trail starts out on a road grade parallel to CR 14 (not along the road, as I thought), and the first 100 yards is even mowed! But mowing stops before the road grade does. Then the Trail crosses CR 14 and then Meadow Creek by an arched bridge.
This section of the Allegheny Trail, although not well worn, has been cleared of blowdowns earlier this year. But some trees have fallen since then.
There are fewer noxious plants on this section. The tall annual growth is mostly White Snakeroot. Most of the rest were Black Cohosh and Striped Maple. There was a little Black Locust. I did not get many plant seeds sticking to my socks.
While the map shows an intersection with Meadow Creek Mountain Trail at Mile 58.57, I could not find it. To the south of this area the Trail is all foot path, to the north is mostly jeep trail, although the part just south of Dilley Run is foot path.
The crossing of the Rider Trail (a dirt road) is not directly across, but goes right on the road for about 100' then goes left.
There is a communication tower just north of the Rider Trail with the Trail crossing the access road.
There are viewpoints along this section of trail, including a view of Lake Sherwood from south of the Upper Meadow Trail.
Going down the Upper Meadow Trail, I found where the Trail leaves the old road (obscured by a Rhododendron branch). While on the road, the blazes (blue diamonds) are very widely spaced. They are closer on the foot trail, which seems to swing way to the south before crossing Lake Sherwood Road, about Â¼ mile outside the gate. My best estimate is that the Upper Meadow Trail length is 1.5 miles.
No ticks or chiggers, and no poison ivy seen. There was some Fragrant Sumac, which looks like poison ivy, though.

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