Where is the route I have heard so much about?

Well folks, the route is still not wrapped up and I've been busy enjoying life.  Back in June I mentioned the final scouting trip to areas west of the Cohutta Wilderness.  I'm rather disappointed in what I found and I'm now left with a dilemma.  I originally intended to build an off-pavement route across the northern section of Georgia but I'm finding the gaps between pavement and non-pavement are a bit too large to consider for the route.  Do I link together the bits and pieces of dirt and gravel road, even if there is an undesirable amount of pavement, just to complete the route 'across' Georgia to Alabama?  Or, do I end it on the west side of the Cohuttas and be done with it?   Anyone have any thoughts on this? 

I'm also now considering the creation of a loop into Tennessee and North Carolina, rather than the East-West route I initially intended.  Why not?  Loops are more fun, right? 

Stay tuned and maybe, just maybe, I will get this finished up with a nice set of cleaned up .gpx/.shp/.kmz files to share with everyone.  And perhaps, a fancy printed map too. 

-David


Another reason I have not made more progress is I choose to squander my time doing fun stuff.  Here's a few pics from the 2012 Overland Rally...

On my way to the Rally, I passed this sign.  Scott, this is for you!



What every back road traveller likes to see





Fooling around with the Panorama option on the new iPhone




The Rally was held at Crawford's Campground near Murphy, NC.
Crawford's was a popular launching point for many offroad trips
 prior to the closure of Tellico.

 

Exofficio and Oztent, along with many other vendors,
as they just begin to set up

  

The van gurus of U-Joint Offroad were present







On top of Buck Bald with the dual sport guys.
This was my introduction to dirt and gravel on the Sherpa.



Great bunch of guys.  Duncan, Daniel, Joe and the South Brothers.