Appalachian Trail Reunion in Alabama

This morning I woke up around 5:30am and would have loved to keep sleeping. But it’s time to get back to it! We got packed up and then Andy came by around 6am to bring us back to the trailhead where we got off a couple days ago. Then we said goodbye to him and headed on our way!

It felt good to be back on trail once more. The trail was over saturated with water though to start. We had to walk around some pools of water right on our path. But we wound up getting onto a dirt road not too long into the day. Today we’re doing a mixed route which includes some sections of the Pinhoti, and some sections of dirt track. There are alot of areas where the Pinhoti weaves out and around which adds alot of mileage. Having already done the trail before, I’m down to take a slightly shorter route this time around.

A river that we crossed over this morning along the dirt road.

We were on a dirt road for most of the morning and early afternoon. But the road followed along a river for a while which was very nice. It was just lovely to be in the forest either way. A dirt road that winds through the woods is truly a dream short cut in the grand scheme of things.

I spent the morning listening to some music. Then decided to finally listen to an audio book. My New Year’s resolution was to listen to more audio books along the trail. I downloaded a few options last night and was excited to start one. I wound up deciding to listen to Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. I’ve listened to a few podcasts of his and some other things. But I’ve never actually read or listened to an entire one of his books. Just snippets here and there. This book is pretty intense, just due to the very violent way that Goggins grew up. But he’s an incredible dude and I really enjoyed listening to it. That helped the time go by faster than I ever could have imagined.

Punisher up ahead along the dirt road.

We continued on a dirt road for hours. Then by around noon time we had gone 19 miles and decided to stop off for lunch. I ate a couple muffins that I had packed out. And Punisher made me a tortilla with cheese and pepperoni too. That was probably a life saver as I’m sure my body could use more than just sugar and carbs for lunch.

Our dirt road route criss crossed with the Pinhoti trail multiple times throughout the day.

Then eventually we got out onto pavement before getting back onto dirt road again. A forest service vehicle drove by us and the guy inside stopped to talk to us. He was probably confused as to what we were doing and where we were going. Especially because we weren’t actually on the Pinhoti trail. Then he drove past us. But not too long after, we caught up to his vehicle again. There was a massive tree down in the middle of the road! So he couldn’t go by. It looked like he was waiting for possible remove the tree himself or with some help.

I loved this massive oak tree on the trail.

After walking the paved road for a bit longer we got back onto dirt again. And continued on that for a few miles before reconnecting to the Pinhoti trail. We’re going to stay on the red line for the rest of the way to Cave Springs. That way we can actually pass the border crossing tomorrow! We will be completing Alabama and entering into our next state, Georgia! How exciting.

The first indicator of Katahdin! Not far to go now.

It felt good to be on actual trail once again. We had a nice little climb to start us off. Then continued along some flat and downhill sections of trail. And we passed the iconic trail marker which states “2414 miles to Katahdin”! I remember seeing that in 2023 on my Bama to Baxter hike and being so excited. This is the first marker we’ve seen all year which indicates anything about the Appalachian trail or Katahdin.

Within a mile or two of there we began a pretty long climb. Making our way to the top of a hill, before descending down to the road below. I got service briefly and managed to get my weekly vlog up, my short videos, and a blog. Not too shabby! It’s tougher not having continuous service, but I’m making it work still.

Walking along the trail, headed toward CR 94 where we would be getting picked up.

Once we got to the top of that climb it was basically all downhill from there. We had done 29 miles by 3:45pm and didn’t have long to go now. When I had service I messaged Rocket, a hiker that I met on the Appalachian trail in 2023. Her and her boyfriend Groundhog live near here and want to meet us tonight for some trail magic! Which is so incredibly exciting. We managed to coordinate everything and then only had another 2 miles to go to get to the road.

The sun beginning to set through the trees.

We wound up getting out onto the dirt road around 4:30pm. But we were early, and Rocket and Groundhog were just getting off work and got a little caught up. So we just chilled there at the road until a little after 6pm. I was shocked how cold it got in the time that we were there. I put my alpha layers on immediately and even had to put my rain jacket on too. Sitting around always makes me feel cold though. Especially once your sweat starts to dry.

Toward the end of the day we briefly got onto this bike path along the Pinhoti trail.

The two of them came and picked us up just after 6pm after it got dark. It was so cool to see Rocket and Groundhog again! I met them for the first time on the AT, somewhere around Harper’s ferry if I remember correctly. Then saw them at AT trail days in May of 2024. So it’s been a while! They scooped us up and drove us a ways down the road into the town of Piedmont. Which I went into to resupply when I hiked the Pinhoti in 2023. This time we were just popping in for some dinner.

The four of us headed to a Mexican restaurant and sat down to eat. It was a blast hanging out with Rocket and Groundhog and talking with them. It’s always such a great time hanging out with other hikers! The conversation is effortless and always so silly. We shared stories from the AT and other hikers and just had a great time. All of us got some kind of fajita dish for dinner too which was funny. I got steak, which came with peppers, onions, tortillas, guacamole, rice, and beans. That was ridiculously delicious and so filling.

After everyone ate and hung out for a while, we headed back to trail. Groundhog and Rocket treated us to dinner, which was unbelievably kind of them. It was so nice that they came and picked us up in the first place! But covering the dinner for the two of us was really thoughtful and generous of them. We took a picture together at the front of the restaurant before heading out. Then they drove us down the road back to the trailhead.

It was a quick ride back to the trail and the car was so nice and warm. It was cold out, and is supposed to be freezing tonight. Once they dropped us off we said our goodbyes. Then walked back down the trail to a tent site that we had scoped out when we first arrived. I actually camped in the exact same tent spot when I passed through here in 2023! It’s not everyday that you camp in the same spot twice.

Groundhog, Rocket, myself, and Punisher (left to right).

Somehow it felt a little warmer out than it had when we were waiting for the ride earlier. We got our tents up quickly and then I got inside to stretch and relax. It was around 8:30pm by the time that I got in my tent. Which wasn’t too bad considering our detour tonight. It was so cool to see Rocket and Groundhog tonight! What a treat. And now we’re back on trail, calling it a night. Ready to do another long day of hiking tomorrow.

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to support my hike by buying me a soda or a snack along the way, there is a “Tip the Author” button below! It links directly to my Venmo. Any and all support is incredibly appreciated!