Sect. 13 Alabama Trails Association (12.5 miles): Flagpole / Indian and Davis Mountains
The 1.1 mile of trail from Jackson Chapel Rd., GA south to the ridge north of Spring Creek Shelter was cleared in July 2015. The 3 miles from Salem Church Rd north to the 1700' overlook was cleared in July & Oct, 2015. The middle 3.4 miles still needs to be brushed. The 4.7 miles of trail from Salem Church Rd. south to US Hwy 278 was cleared in late April/early May, 2015. I'm sure this part will need brushing again , especially the grassy area near Davis Mt. Shelter. Also, the dead trees north of US 278 keep falling on a regular basis.
(www.alabamatrailsasso.org or www.pinhotitrailalliance.org)
Sect.12. US Hwy 278 to FS Rd 500 (16.2 miles) Augusta Mine Ridge / Terrapin Creek / Oakey Mt.
The first 0.8 mile of trail from US 278 south to the creek crossing was cleared Dec. 2015. The next 3.8 miles (Lanie Hollow & north Augusta Mine Ridge )still needs brushing. I cleared the next 3.2 miles of trail to the Chief Ladiga trail in mid-Dec. 2015. The next 5.5 miles of trail to Terrapin Creek Dam (Oakey Mt. section) needs brushing and in a few places on the west side needs tread restored. I also noticed that the picnic table at the Oakey Mt Shelter needs some repairs. I cleared the next 2.4 miles from the dam south to FS Rd 500 in mid-Dec. 2015. The dead pine tree next to the n. Dugger shelter needs to be carefully removed before it does some damage to the shelter.**
Sect. 11 North FS Rd 500 to Cleburne Co Rd 55 (8.8 miles), Dugger Mountain Wilderness
It was reported from a fall AHTS hiking group that the ridge lines especially north of Jones Branch Rd Gap need a thorough brushing job. The many downed dead pines in the 1st tenth of a mile north of Co Rd 55 (not in the wilderness boundary) have been cleared. “Wilderness rangers also perform light trail maintenance … .”
http://wildsouth.org/volunteer-wilderness-rangers/
http://wildsouth.org/pinhoti-trail/
Sect. 10. Co. Rd 55 to Pine Glen C.G. FS 500 (16.3 miles) Choccolocco / Shoal Creeks Region
The north shore of Choccolocco Lake south for about 1.5 miles was cleared by the AHTS group on Dec. 5. The group also restored the tread in several places south of the lake & hauled out over 20 pounds of trash from the shelter. Many Thanks! Some posts with blazes need to be put up on the south side of the dam. I cleared the rest (with some help from Dan B) all the way to Pine Glen Camp Ground in the fall of 2015 after the Pinhoti 100 race. The section along the north shore of Choccolocco Lake, the first 1.4 miles n. of Coleman TH, and the first 0.2 mile s. of the trailhead are always the hardest to clear. A good lawn mower is recommended for the “Wood Pecker Farm” near the Coleman TH and from Sweetwater dam south for about a half mile. Also, someone had restored the aluminum bridge 0.3 mile s. of Coleman TH, THANKS. The roof on the Laurel Shelter has a small leak on the east side. About 2.5 miles north of FS 540 the logging cables, tires, and rusty drum barrels could be hauled out. FS 534-B could be used to do this.
http://hikealabama.org/joomla/
http://www.meetup.com/BirminghamAdventureGroup/
Sect. 9, Pine Glen C.G. to FS 500/RR TH (13.6 miles). Highrock Lake / lower Shoal / Brymer Mt.
I cleared most of this by myself during July, August, Sept. & Oct. 2015 (working half days in the heat). Hayward W helped on the section n. of Highrock Lake. Many Thanks. The parts that usually need a blade cutter are: the n. shore of Highrock Lake, the west side of the ridge n. of Lower Shoal Shelter, and the first 0.3 mile n. of the RR Trailhead.
Sect. 8. FS 500/RR TH s. to US Hwy 431 & FS 585 Jct. (9.5 mi.) North Horseblock Mt. / I 20 Corridor
I finished clearing this section in late June and early Sept. 2015. The parts that need the most attention are the 2008 Mother's Day tornado area on both sides of AL 281 and the straight line wind damaged area south of I 20. It would be better to do this work 2 or 3 times during the summer and early fall. A blade brush cutter and lawn mower are necessary here. This whole section is in great shape for the winter/spring hikers unless we have another storm.
Sect. 7.(north) Hwy 431 to Cleburne Co Rd 24 w. of Abel Gap (5.2 mi) Little Hillabee Creek / Morgan Lake
I finished clearing this section in late June 2015.
Sect. 7(south) Abel Gap Rd to Al Hwy 281 (12.3 miles) Hillabee Creek / CCC Rd / Blue and Cheaha Mtns.
Hayward W & I cleared the first 3 miles south of Co. Rd. 24 by Oct. 24, 2015. We stopped a little over a mile north of the Hillabee Creek crossing. I had heard that a crew with the Pinhoti 100 foot race group cleared the downed trees from Abel Gap Rd. up to the Bald Rock trail junction. On April 6, 2015 I cleared from the Bald Rock trail junction south to AL Hwy 281. Blister Bob B also assisted in this section. Later, on Nov. 14, Marion C, Carl, Mary Kay, Hayward & I walked from the board walk trail down to the Blue Mt. shelter and hauled out 2 buckets of garbage & a large blue tarp. A bag of trash about 1.7 miles south of CR24 needs to be hauled out. Easy access for this would be the log road which comes out at mile marker 486 on the Scenic Drive. The bag is north of where the log road meets the Pinhoti near a large blowdown. The sign post at the Bald Rock trail juntcion is still tied to a tree and the mileage to the shelter needs correcting. Also, the Bald Rock trail needs blazing (I'd recommend white paint).
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 6. Al.Hwy 281 south to Adams Gap, Cheaha Wilderness Section (11.3 miles)
Hernandez Peak*, McDill overlook*, Talladega Mountain, “Heaven” viewpoint
After the ice storm devastated the high areas around Cheaha State Park on Feb 11, 2014, “Blister Bob” and I cleared the first 2.5 miles of trail south of AL Hwy 281 to the wilderness boundary in mid-March, 2014. Later in April 2014, Hunt C & I cleared the brush from Adams Gap north to the “Heaven” overlook (4.4 miles). The AHTS B'ham Metro group also had a work trip and walked all the way through clearing brush. In Nov. 2015, I cleared brush for the 1st 0.2 mile s. of AL Hwy 281.
(* Both these areas are not in the wilderness boundary)
http://wildsouth.org/volunteer-wilderness-rangers/
http://wildsouth.org/pinhoti-trail/
http://www.meetup.com/BirminghamAdventureGroup/
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 5 (north) Adams Gap s. to Clairmont Gap (Co Rd 394/147, Guntertown Rd.) (6.6 miles)
Talladega Mt. , Patterson Gap / Burgess Point
Jan. 2015, I cleared the first 2.5 miles of trail n. of Clairmont Gap. Later, in Feb. Dan B & I cleared sections all the way to Adam's Gap. I'm sure it needs more brushing in places. About a mile south of Adams Gap the tread needs restoring along a steep slope.
http://www.vulcantrailassociation.ws/
Sec. 5 (south) Clairmont Gap s. to U S Hwy 77 Porter Gap Trail Head (8.9 miles)
Talladega Mt./ Creek, Chandler Springs/Gap
Jan. 10, 2015, the B'ham Metro group of the AHTS cleared from Talladega Creek s. to Chandler Gap (“Detour” & I had cleared from Porter Gap to Chandler Gap in Dec. 2014). Later in Feb., Dan B & I cleared sections from Talladega Creek n. to Clairmont Gap. I'm sure it needs more brushing in places. Trash needs to be cleaned up along the trail where it follows the FS 600 east of Talladega Creek.
http://www.meetup.com/BirminghamAdventureGroup/
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 4 Horn Mt. Section, Porter Gap TH (US Hwy 77) to Bull Gap (AL. Hwy 148) (18 miles).
Scott Lake, Sunset Rock, Horn Mt. Fire Tower, Sherman Cliffs
I cleared the 1st 0.7 mile from Bull Gap north in late August and picked up all the garbage at the parking lot too. The Murchisons and Todd H's group cleared most of the rest of the trail prior to the Pinhoti 100 foot race on Nov. 7,8. Dan B cleared the major blow down about 0.9 mile north of Scott Lake back in Feb. 2015. The 0.7 mile section on the south side of FS600-2 (the loop that goes around a comm. tower north of Sunset Rock) still needs clearing as well as some more of the “sunny” spots I'm sure. Also, the side trail up to the Horn Mt Picnic Pavillion needs to be re-built or re-routed under the power line.
http://www.pinhotitrailseries.com/pinhoti-100.html
ttp://www.pinhotitrailalliance.org/
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 3, Rebecca Mt. Section Bull Gap (AL Hwy 148) southwest to FS Rd 603-A (11.8 miles)
Rebecca Mt., White Gap, Sage Gap
Marion & Emily C and I cleared the east end from Sage Gap to Bull Gap (6.3 miles) on August 22, 2015. Soon thereafter, Mark M cleared the west 5.6 miles to FS 603-A. This section should be in excellent condition all winter & spring. The maps in the Kiosk are very faded and need replacing.
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 2 Road walk from FS 603-A to US Hwy 231(AL 21) Stewartville, AL (7.7 miles)
FS603-A west to 603 (Trammell Motorway or Co. 231) south to CR 511. Cross CR511 go south on Lakewood Circle, sw on Azelea Rd., se on Redbud Rd., se on Old Rockhouse Rd (CR66). turn right (sw) on CR41 and follow it for 3.6 miles to Stewartville, AL (US Hwy 321, AL 21). (About 4 miles of the new trail corridor recently acquired will be on the east side of US 231 & south of CR41, in map sections 25, 19, &20)
http://hikealabama.org
Sect. 1, Flagg Mt. Section, US Hwy 231 sw to Flagg Mt. (13.1 miles)
The AHTS crew cleared the 5.3 miles of trail around Flagg Mt. on their fall work week in Nov. 2015. It is in excellent condition. A new trail corridor has been acquired which will start at CR 107 (southeast of Weogufka at the sw corner of map section 10). It will continue n/ne and cross map sections 3,2,35,36, and cross US 231 in Map section 25 near CR56. It will continue in Trail section 2 north & east as described above. This new trail on the west side of US 231 should be about 5 miles when finished. The route layout will be finished soon and trail building may start on the AHTS spring work week.
http://hikealabama.org
OTHER THINGS to Consider:
Proposals for new shelters in between Blue Mt. and Lower Shoal shelters and south of Cheaha Wilderness; bridges for potentially dangerous creek crossings; placing “Pinhoti Trail” brown info. signs at all AL & US & co. Hwy. crossings; placing a few signs showing the mileage to Springer Mt., Maine, and NewFoundland. And, last but not least – consider becoming a part of the IAT – International Appalachian Trail.
Many thanks to all the volunteers who help maintain our trail through the southern Appalachians and to those who plan, acquire land, manage the trail clubs and web sites and to the folks at the USFS and Alabama DCNR. Your comments, corrections, additions, etc. are welcomed. Please forward to anyone who may be interested.
John N Calhoun (revised January 11, 2016 & 4/16/16)
**The dead pine tree next to N. Dugger Shelter has been pushed down.