Review Date
December 16, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: spkell ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I've had a theophany. In the parking lot was one like unto a son of man who verily hath a carbon Giant steed. he offered to show me the Way, but on the second switchback, verily were mine eyes opened and I saw he hath wings! Upward floated he, heedless of rocks hidden by the 6-inch carpet of leaves. As my leaden-feeling i-drive foundered on yet another hidden 5.5-inch rock (a proverb for the Faithful: "when the leaves are 6-inches deep, only the 7-inch rocks are visible"), he who was like unto a son of man ascended into the heavens as his disciple stood staring at the sky. Either it was the Lord Jesus hisself or Hermes of Greek renown.

Either way, it was good that the lord was out of earshot when my back wheel spun the fifth time as my front hit another rock playing hide-and-seek. Because had the lord heard what I said (not the last time), my immortal soul might have been in danger.

As it was, only my mortal flesh was when I made it to the "goat trail." I had to walk that final rock garden. I might have dared it had I been able to see it.

I rate the trail itself a 5 (holy ground and all), but my bumbling, cursing performance on it, 2.

Recommended Route:
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Pig Trail is my regular, Arrowhead when I have more time.

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Review Date
November 14, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: offspringin ,  Downhiller

Summary:
Been a few years since i have ridden this trail. Im saddened to learn so much as changed for it. I was in scouts from age 6. I have stayed at the scout camp many many times. As a camper, as summer/winter staff, as a troop scout master. Since 95 i have always remembered to bring my bike. Camp Thunder has so many good memories for me. Much of my first mountain biking was done at this camp. I even taught the mountain biking class one summer. The mogules were excellent, the 45 unmatched. The switchbacks are fun in either direction. Alot of great memories there.

Review Date
July 5, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: GrantB ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
The big news is that Thunder is back on the agenda of the middle Georgia chapter of Sorba. A small group of riders got out and marked the long, 8 mile or so loop with arrows last weekend. More stewardship is planned.

A complete surprise and a rarity this far south in Georgia, a trail that gains over 500 feet in about a mile of trail. For me, the switchback climb from the river road to the top of ridge is the signature feature of the trail. Steep, rocky and kind of loose. On a recent ride, I sucked it up and used my granny ring the second time up. Other similar climbs abound, and the descent down what they call the Goat Path had my seat bouncing against my stomach, I was so far off the back of the bike.

Recommended Route:
Print a map here..
http://pages.prodigy.net/bikemap/thunder.gif
then compare it to the map with words and marked features at the trailhead. The newly installed arrows should help out, too.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Arrowhead Park, East Macon Park, Pig Trail, Thomson (all in Macon)

Dauset Trails in Jackson.

Review Date
November 13, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: tmba2 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Camp Thunder is still open but is in need of maintenance. I (John Hightower) was responsible for the initial construction of this trail along with several other locals. However, most of us have grown up, had kids, moved away, etc. I moved away for a few years but have just moved back and want to get it going again.
For a while we were adding new sections every year and holding races annually and that kept the trail well worn and easy to follow. There is still more land to build trails on and I'm sure the Boy Scouts would welcome anyone willing to blaze trails. Some of the existing trails have been partially lost due to construction and logging on adjacent land that the trail cut through. Anyone interested in building trails or holding races should contact Joe Wortham (camp director) at jwortham@thunderbsa.org or myself at john_hightower@bus.emory.edu.

Recommended Route:
Just explore. Topo maps of the camp are available from the camp office. The trails aren't on the map but they weren't on the map but when I first started riding they didn't exist and all I needed was the topo map. Stay off the trail that follows the creek up the mountain (Moss Falls). This is a sensitive area (both ecologically and politically).

Other recommended trails in the same area:
I would also like to see the trails at Sprewell Bluff redeveloped. It has since turned into a state park and I don't know the status of the trails.

Review Date
October 8, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: BWatGT ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
It is sad but true that the trail is in a state of disrepair. This was at one time among the hardest and most fun trails in GA, IMO. If you knew the trail well, it offered a day-long epic of leg killing climbs, screaming fast downhills, fireroad cruising and beautiful views in the fall/winter. One reviewer says that this could be "as good as Blankets creek". Once upon a time it was MUCH better than blankets for the advanced rider.
Now the good news. The fire roads are still there, as well as much of the singletrack. I live in Kansas now, but my brother rides there a couple times a month. The following is straight from memory, but should be fairly accurate considering the number of times I've ridden these trails.
For the Thunder Epic:
Start at the Camp Thunder side. When driving in, go straight at the lake instead of turning left. Turn right (downhill) into parkinglot. Ride back out of parkinglot. turn right on road. road turns to dirt & climbs for about a mile. When the road *finally* levels off look for a gate on right side of road. Go around gate. You are now on Camp Thunder property. Follow doubletrack downhill. Go right at the fork. [along this fork there used to be a relativly long, blazing fast DH to the left down a valley. Worth exploring if ya spot it. Left at end on fireroad.] Fire road splits again go left. this goes to the Indian Camp. down to the camp and keep straight onto singletrack. A few creek crossings & mild confusion puts you out at the Flint river. Left, then up & left on singletrack. 1/2 mile of hard climbing with a few little downs. doubletrack returns you to 1st split. left again. After 2nd split look for doubletrack on rt. climb. After a couple miles stay left instead of taking "the 45" to cruise ridge, then right over ridge & left down mogul hill, launch jump into singletrack thru campsites if it's still there. either road ride back to car or backtrack all the way to 2nd split & take a loose and fast dh back to Camp Thunder proper.

Recommended Route:
See above. There are more trails, but that is a nice introduction. Go explore and find the challenging "goat trail" dh to the river. At a turn along the ridge, look for a faint and rocky trail roughly parallel to the river. There may be a small cairn around a small tree at the spot. Also, there is another blazing fast dh that is indicated by a very large fallen tree about 50m off the trail. It peeters out atop a short steep hill, you can just pick your own way through the trees to the bottom. Then it goes right and up a steep technical climb now blocked by a fallen tree and then climbs hard for a while before putting you out on the fireroad. Explore, Get lost. It is still worth the trip if you live on the southside and are bored by Dauset.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Dauset is a manicured, hardpacked blast. If you're not having fun on it, get a rigid singlespeed. That trail is a SS dream. Blankets and Conyers are also good metro-atl trails. I hear good things about the Thompson (of bling-bling seatpost fame) trails in macon, but I've never ridden them. If you're ever in KS (god forbid) check out Camp Horizon, its a bit Camp Thunder-esque, but more technical.