Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bartram Trail at Petersburg Campground

The Petersburg Campground is also host to the Bartram Trail, a new trail system being constructed on the Georgia side of the Strom Thurmond Reservoir, opposite the Modoc Campground in SC.

The trails in Bartram are very flowy and smooth and a grade less technical than FATS, which is to say they are not technical at all. This would be a great trail system for beginners or for flat out speed. One small hitch, the trail builders around this area are addicted to the idea of manufactured trail features, which isn't to say that Bartram, or FATS for that matter, are packed to the gills with skinnies and ladders, rather that they are infested with random piles of dirt. Smooth fast corner?...great place for a random pile of dirt! Speedy straight-away?... three random piles of dirt! I know that the fad in biking right now is 4" travel carbon cross country machines, but they should be used on trails which require a 4" carbon cross country machine. I'm not so sure I get the whole build a dedicated trail style to suit a dedicated style of bicycle. What's next...random piles of dirt at Pisgah? Mouse and Thompson out at Tsali both converted to giant pump tracks? Doesn't anyone want a natural trail anymore? Why does everything, even trail systems 20 miles away from the parking lot, need to be cultivated and plowed for the full-face helmet Youtube crowd?

I mean really, shouldn't the trail dictate the bike and not the other way around?

There are still lots of fast sweepers at Bartram, so all is not lost, although if that comment above about piles of dirt out at Pisgah gets you all freaked out, know that a survey was recently circulated asking that very question, as in, "would you like random piles of dirt to pump off of with your bad a$$ dirt jump rig, dude?" So sad.

Bridge. Features like these were lined with wire matrix to increase traction. Nice touch.


The Turner was overkill out here, but it is a comfy beast.


Matt was cold-chillin' at his cabin when we returned from the Bartram ride. Frosty Jagermeister in hand. He's in there somewhere... check the den.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dig random piles of dirt. At last count, there were 53,537 piles at Bartram. That is per mile.

Dan O said...

Fun looking, smooth fast trails. The truck/tent rig is pretty cool...