Tennessee - Georgia - Jack's Trail of all borders

All state line runs should be this great. We drove about about 45 minutes or 10 miles down a gravel road through a mountainous forest before I hopped out of the car & started running. I felt alone. I "discovered" a water fall. I enjoyed the shade of the tall trees that swayed over me and a lush undergrowth as I headed along looking for a trailhead to Jack's River Falls. This represented my original idea when I first thought of running state lines and I had a big smile all day. The gravel continued on for another 8-10 miles as we continued on later deeper into Georgia, offering a good long run from either direction. Bookmark this location!

Map  #CARPe Crazy Ass Running Plan

Jack's Trail 

Peavine Sneed Creek Rd

Copperhill, TN 37317

Tennessee - Alabama - Like a bat out of ... a cave

I set out running like a bat from the Russell Cave National Monument on Doran Cove Church Road into the hay fields of Tennessee & then back to the Alabama line. The nice folks at the Monument had just installed a new Prehistoric sign perhaps to link my activity with those of the Cave Men. The highlight of the run was a friendly Tennessean rolling down her window to see "if I had some trouble" and then insisting on taking some photos at the sign for the state line. The bad news is that the cave actually has few bats as many of them were wiped out by the "White Nose Syndrome".

Prehistoric Running Form?

In a hurry there fella?

Map #CARPe Crazy Ass Running Plan

Tennessee to Virginia - Knock, Knock at the State Border

Sometimes the border can be in a strange place. To run across this border, I had to first knock on the door of a house and ask for permission to open the gate. These people don't get a lot of visitors running by there, but they were friendly and curious. After closing the gate behind me, I ran on down the hill to the Virginia Creeper Trail and ran uphill against the afternoon bicycle traffic to the Green Cove Station. These people all thought that I put the CRAZY in my Crazy Ass Running Plan. #CARPe

Tennessee to North Carolina - Running Mt. Zion

Leaving Highway 421 and heading up the hill on Brushy Fork Road, there is a major climb to Zionville, NC. Like the original Mt. Zion, the state line sits on a hilltop, requiring a run uphill both ways! At least there are no old city walls defending the area against runners. Yeah, life is too easy, and that is part of my motivation (I guess) for my Crazy Ass Running Plan. #CARPe

MHR - Maximum Heart rate obtained in about 30 seconds on this steep road at 80 degree F temperature.

Tennessee - Arkansas - Tectonic State border run

Tennessee  - Arkansas State border run near Wilson Ark - A series of earthquakes in 1811-1812 caused a tectonic shift which changed the course of the Mississippi River. The border had been established as the middle of the Mississippi River in 1795. The important fact is that I could run the border on land instead of risking my life on a bridge again.

Tennessee - Mississippi - Heating up State border run

Tennessee - Mississippi State border run - I finally made it to a place "where the weather matched my clothes". My first warm run in months.

Tennessee - Kentucky - State Line Overpass Run

Tennessee Kentucky State Line Run - It is interesting how people can live so close to one state but totally associate with another. We got a nice steady rain both before and after this run near Trenton KY.

Tennessee - Missouri - Barely a State border run

Tennessee  - Missouri State border run near Caruthersville, MO - After risking my life on a run across the Mississippi River from Arkansas, I freaked out when I saw this bridge since it was way longer and even less pedestrian friendly AND the only option between Tennessee & Missouri. I jumped out of the car & ran fast to to the sign & ran back - Not doing that again.

#CARPe Crazy Ass Running Plan