The Silver Comet Trail

This is a project that I've been working on for a while. I've geist myself to try and walk the Silver Comet Trail from its beginning on Marvell Rd in Smyrna, GA. to the state line going west and coming back. It will be a trip of 60 miles one-way or 120 miles round trip. The Silver Comet Trail connects with the Chief Ladiga Trail at the state line and continues for 33 miles to just north of Anniston but because of my new schedule, it would cost way too much P.T.O. time to walk the full 180+ miles.
What got me started on this?
Well, I've always loved to walk. I always did a lot of walking in Washington St. and California when I was station out there, plus when I was over sea. However, it was just one of them thing I've gotten away from with a self impose busy schedule.
I have been walking around, and would walk into Newnan (about seven miles north of me) when time permitted but walking along a busy road isn't too bright an idea, especially Hwy 29 going into Newnan The motorist tend to swerve towards you and there just not that much room to walk on the side of the roads.
But for those that have used the link above, you see that the Silver Comet Trail is made for non-motorize travel. It's a nice 12-foot wide paved path with many stops along the way, (called trailheads), to rest, toilet, get water, even food, (some trailheads are located near restaurants).
The plan is for me to start on a Monday, October 26. I work the 25th and so won't be able to get to Smyrna until about 11 am. But I should have daylight until 19:45. I plan and am training myself to walk about an average of 3 miles an hour so I should get to Rambo (outside of Dallas, GA) on the first day. I've located a small hotel within a mile of the trailhead where I'll spend the first night.
I'm going to try and get started on the trail again by 0700 on the 27th. That should be first light and walk to Cedartown, were there is a hotel I can stay.
On Wednesday, I should make the state line where I'll turn around, head for home, and make it back to Rockmart by nightfall. There I hope to be able to spend the night with my friends the Clarendon up on Paris MT. It would be nice if I could make Coots Lake trailhead by Wednesday night but that would be pushing it.
Then Thursday, it will be a push towards Smyrna, and I am not sure where I will be because it will all depend on where I end up on Wednesday night. But by Friday, I will get back to Smyrna, pick up my truck, and head home so I can return to work on Saturday.
But one thing for sure, If I’m not already headed back to Smyrna by Wednesday noon, I’m turning around and going back. No sense in trying to over extend myself.

Now some of the problems I’ve had with the trail so far are that there is no clear listing for the locations of the trailheads. I’ve notice that they have a Trail Guide for sale on the website and maybe that has all the trailhead’s addresses and maybe direction to them but nothing I can find on the web.
I know that there is access to the Marvell Rd. Trailhead from the Publix Shopping Center and that there are some signs directing you from Cooper Lake Rd. to the trail but if you’re coming one way on Cooper Lake it’ll have a sign but none coming from the opposite direction. I found the Marvell Rd. Trailhead by parking in the Publix’s Parking Lot at the corner of South-Cobb Dr. and The East West Connector and walking the 3/4 mile to the trailhead and then marking it with my GPS on my phone. I’ve done that with most all of the Trailheads I’ve came upon.
The Marvell Rd Trailhead is nice; it has parking, toilets, picnic tables, and water plus a 911 emergency phone.
The trail going from Marvel Rd is flat, not much of a rise or fall in elevation and is nicely shaded. At the 1.20 mile, you’ll come to a path that cuts off to the Fontain Rd Trailhead. That trailhead is located at the corner of the East West Connector and Fontain Rd. and is only a parking lot. You have to cross the East West Connector to get to the path that leads you to the trail.
At the 2.6 mile marker is the Concord Rd Trailhead. It has parking; toilet, a 911 phone, picnic tables, and a truck turn around for those idiot drivers that didn’t see all the signs coming down Concord Rd telling them that the cover bridge in the area has a clearance WAY TO LOW for anything higher then a pickup truck to pass. I believe that if you’re trucks has anything over a 3’’ lift on it, it will be too high.
Then comes the Floyd Rd Trailhead at mile 4.20. This one has a convenience store handy, a bicycle shop that sells, rent, and repairs bicycles, and all of the paraphernalia that goes with bicycles, plus the toilets, and picnic tables.
From there you have nearly a 4 1/2 mile stretch until you come to the Carter Rd Trailhead, and here there be only parking and no shade on the benches.
Not even 3/4 of a mile up you come to the Sailor Parkway Trailhead, which is off the Richard D. Sailors Poky SW. This one has parking and several fast food joints if you head toward Lindley Rd.
Now still heading west you will come to an overpass that crosses US 278 and still on the east side of that overpass is a trail that crosses the Silver Comet but I don’t know from where it comes nor where it goes. I’ll have to take the time one day to walk it.
Then we come to the Florence Rd Trailhead. Toilet, Parking, Water, not much shade unless you get under the overhang for the roof. And that is the last trailhead until you pass out of Cobb Co into (*) and then come to the Hiram Trailhead.
All in all, there are twenty trailheads in Georgia and seven so far in Alabama.

Now, I'm going to be carrying a pack with food and clothes and other paraphernalia needed and a water pack, a battery bank for my cell phone and camera. I'll be taking lots of pictures.

And oral gel for any blisters I get on my feet.

Hmmm, this just about covers it for now.

More when I can think of it.