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Pinhoti
PINHOTI-SEC. 4 (3-25/26-04) I hiked this section as part of a North to South 3 section hike (sections 4,5,and 6) on the P.M. of 3-25 thru the A.M. of 3-28-04. I was told that this area has had unusually dry weather for the year. Therefore, I suspect my accounts of water are conservative and there is more water throughout much of the year. My overall account for these three sections is plenty of water, clear trails (no significant blow downs and well beaten path), sufficient blazes to keep you on track, easy to moderate terrain to hike, and the person laying out the trail took the scenic and easier routs. My accounts are based on 1-hour increments. I would hike for a full hour, take a break to make journal entries, and then hike another full hour before making additional entries. See the end of this entry for information about transport from the Lodge to the start of the trail. 3-25-04 Hour 1. I started Section 4 about 1.6 miles south of the Pine Glen Recreation Area, where Forest Service road 531 crosses the Pinhoti. (Take FS Rd. 500 North till it crosses 531 the second time and turn west). The crossing was well marked with a clear signpost on the North side of the road. There was plenty of water for the first 30 minutes, the trail was clear and well marked, there were no sudden or long periods of elevation changes, the path was soft in that it was not rocky, the area had had a fire recently and the undergrowth had been mostly destroyed (this will reduce the tick problems later). This was an easy hike. Hour 1.2 At about 12 to 15 minutes into the second hour I stopped at the Lower Shoals Shelter for the night. This is a beautiful area and I recommend any plans try targeting this area for a layover. Two good size streams with small waterfalls and rapids merge to make a larger stream. The area was clean of human trash, the sound of running water made sleeping wonderful, and there were plenty of areas to pitch a tent. The area had had a burn recently but it did not affect its beauty, it just allows you to see deeper into the woods and enjoy better scenery. This was a very easy hike, but 12 to 15 minutes ought to be easy, right? The temperature was about 48 that night. I used a Hammock with a truck sunscreen as a pad with no problem. 3-26-04 Hour 1. The burn area continued for about 30 minutes, the trail was easy to follow, an overall gain in elevation but no serious pulls, water was available in a stream on the West side of the trail, the path was soft (no rocks) and I liked the way the trail was laid out around hills. This was an easy hike. Hour 2. The trail was easy to follow, soft footing, there was a very good creek at the end of this hour, and there was a relatively steep steady gain in elevation for about 10 minutes starting at about 20 minutes into the hour. This was an easy trail and the elevation change started allowing me to see better mountainside vistas. Hour 2.8. I reached the end of section 4 about 50 minutes into the hour. The trail was easy to follow, had soft footing, crossed one almost dry stream, and had several places to look over the mountains. The section was not hard but it was more difficult than the preceding parts because of elevation changes and the pine straw base made slipping more possible, particularly on the declines. The parking area north of the RR tracks is good but somewhat isolated if someone wanted to trash a car at night. PINHOTI-SEC. 5 (3-26-04) I hiked this section as part of a North to South 3 section hike (sections 4,5,and 6) on the P.M. of 3-25 thru the A.M. of 3-28-04. I was told that this area has had unusually dry weather for the year. Therefore, I suspect my accounts of water are conservative and there is more water throughout much of the year. My overall account for these three sections is plenty of water, clear trails (no significant blow downs and well beaten path), sufficient blazes to keep you on track, easy to moderate terrain to hike, and the person laying out the trail took the scenic and easier routs. My accounts are based on 1-hour increments. I would hike for a full hour, take a break to make journal entries, and then hike another full hour before making additional entries. See the end of this entry for information about transport from the Lodge to the start of the trail Hour 1. I started this section about 1:00 pm. This section of trail is similar to the preceding descriptions. However, it was not quiet as clear or as easy as is section 4. I found a little more growth encroachment and longer ups and downs than I experienced on section 4. Still, I would not label this a hard trail. There was a very good creek about 20 minutes into the trail. I suspect this creek runs even during the driest of times. I crossed a pipeline at about the 40-minute mark. There was another good creek at the 50-minute mark, just not quiet as good as the first creek. Hour 2. This section was better than the previous hour. The trail has a well-beaten path and a sufficient number of blazes. There was good water around the 20 and 30-minute marks. At the second creek (30 minute mark), the trail runs a ridgeline above the creek for about 10 minutes. This hour took me to I-20. Hour 3. I started this hour at I-20 and ended it past the end of section 5, which ends at FS 518, but before reaching FS 431. There was water at the 5, 15 30, and 40 minute marks. The trail was clear but I believe encroachment will be a problem during the growing season. The most encroachment I have see thus far was the section just before crossing FS 518. The trail continues to be easy to follow and absent any really steep or prolonged pulls. Hour 4.4. I stopped to camp at about 25 minutes into this hour. I am into section 6 but not sure where. I know I am between FS 518 and Hwy. 431. The trail overlooks a creek at about the 4.2 mark till I camped. The creek is very crooked and it looks like it will have water all year. The trail is well beaten and easy to follow. (A YOUNG MAN GOING TO COLLEGE AND WORKING PART TIME AT THE CHEAHA CAMPGROUNDS/STORE TRANSPORTED ME TO THE START. HIS NAME IS JUSTIN AND I REACHED HIM BY CALLING 1 800-252-7275 (ALABAMA STATE PARKS.) I THEN WENT TO THE CHOICE FOR CHEAHA AND THEN TO CAMPGROUNDS.) PINHOTI-SEC. 6 (3-27/28-04) I hiked this section as part of a North to South 3 section hike (sections 4,5,and 6) on the P.M. of 3-25 thru the A.M. of 3-28-04. I was told that this area has had unusually dry weather for the year. Therefore, I suspect my accounts of water are conservative and there is more water throughout much of the year. My overall account for these three sections is plenty of water, clear trails (no significant blow downs and well beaten path), sufficient blazes to keep you on track, easy to moderate terrain to hike, and the person laying out the trail took the scenic and easier routs. My accounts are based on 1-hour increments. I would hike for a full hour, take a break to make journal entries, and then hike another full hour before making additional entries. See the end of this entry for information about transport from the Lodge to the start of the trail. Hour? I hiked into this section the previous day. I am not sure how far I traveled before camping but I know I was between FS 518 and Hwy. 431. I think I was into section 6 about 30 minutes during 3-26-04. I stopped to camp at about the 25-minute mark on section 6. The trail overlooked a creek at about the 15-minute mark till I camped about 15 minutes later. The creek is very crooked and it looks like it will have water all year. The trail is well beaten and easy to follow. 3-27-04 Hour 1. This hour took me from last night’s campsite somewhere near the beginning of Section 6 to FS 515. There is water available most of the way. The trail has clear paths, sufficient blazes, no significant pulls, and plenty of campsites. Hour 2. I started this section at FS 515. This area, west of FS 515, has had a recent burn. Some stumps were still smoking. There is water most of the way. I do not think I went more than 5 minutes without seeing good water. There are two really pretty falls at about the 20 and 25-minute marks. The first one is the prettier but the second one has some better campsites with a fire ring and stone seats. The last half of the hour had a long tiring, but not steep, grade. I found good campsites with good water at the end of the hour. The trail continues to be soft and easy to follow. Hour 3. I crossed Hwy. 24 about 20 minutes into this hour. There was good water north of 24. There is a long incline South of Hwy. 24 that is tiring. It is not really steep, just constant. I did not notice water south of hwy 24 for about 20 minutes. There is good water and camping about 20 minutes south of Hwy. 24. There is a long tiring road/path incline after the creek. You stay on the road/path for about 25 minutes after crossing the creek. This is a very bad burn area. The black on the trees is much higher than it is on other sections. The burn seems to be more recent based on the number of smoldering stumps I saw. This hour took me to Hillabee Creek. Hour 4. I started this hour at Hillabee Creek. The creek was lower than normal and I was not required to wade to cross. Plenty of water during this hour. I do not think I went as long as 5 minutes without seeing water. A lot of logs have been cut to clear the path, THANKS. The trail continues to be really soft, well beaten, and easy to follow. I did not have any major pulls during this hour. Hour 4.4. I camped about 25 minutes into this hour. There was plenty of water along the trail. There was more, but still not bad, growth encroachment on this section than I saw on other sections. It might be really bad during mid summer. I’m guessing I camped about 7 miles from the Cheaha Lodge. 3-28-04 Hour 1. Hiked beside water for about 15 minutes. The trail has a steady, but not strenuous, change in elevation. The foliage is obviously greener now than when I started 2 days ago. The trail is becoming more rocky but still not bad. Hour 2. The trail is becoming steeper and rockier. The last 20 minutes was tiring as it carried me to the end of the hour at the Blue Mountain Shelter. The trail is easy to follow IF you ignore the wooden sign indicating Bald Rock and the blue mark on the Bald Rock trail. The wooden sign indicating the Bald Rock trail has been placed about 5 minutes north of the real trail. Fortunately, there is not a second trail where some idiot dropped the sigh. The trail to Bald Rock is very prominent AND it has blue blazes where it intersects the Pinhoti. The Pinhoti turkey track and blue blaze on the Pinhoti are visible from the intersection. Follow the turkey track. The support for the Blue Mountain Shelter has rotted and propped up against a stone. The shelter is east of the trail about 100 feet and the trail to the shelter looks more like a small narrow dirt road than a hiking trail. The shelter is in really good shape. Human waste was not evident and the shelter was clean. Hour 3. This section is rocky, and tiring because of the pulls. There is water about 1 minute south of the shelter and Pinhoti trail crossings. There is also water about 25 and 30 minutes further south. I do not think I would use any of the latter water. The 25-minute water seemed OK but the 30-minute water had a smell. I saw water treatment discharge at the Cheaha Headquarters, which I suspect, makes up a lot of the 30-minute stream. Since the 25 and 30-minute streams are so close, I consider both suspect. I reached the Cheaha lodge at the end of this hour. I estimate the distance from the lodge to the shelter to be 1.75 miles. (A YOUNG MAN GOING TO COLLEGE AND WORKING PART TIME AT THE CHEAHA CAMPGROUNDS/STORE TRANSPORTED ME TO THE START. HIS NAME IS JUSTIN AND I REACHED HIM BY CALLING 1 800-252-7275 (ALABAMA STATE PARKS.) I THEN WENT TO THE CHOICE FOR CHEAHA AND THEN TO CAMPGROUNDS.)
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