Week 12: Into Alabama

Friday Road > Three Magnolias

Days 78-84

Week 12 miles: 109.3

Total EAT miles: 1350.7

I can’t believe I’ve made it to the final state in the southern portion of my extended Appalachian Trail flip-flop! If I’ve ever been to Alabama before, I was just passing through on the highway, so this is my first real visit. I’m in awe of the beauty of the state’s mountains and forests and already thinking that I’ll need to return at some point to explore more of its trails.

The Pinhoti continues to be a mix of unpleasant road walks and some of the most enjoyable trail I’ve ever had the privilege to hike.

Day 78: Friday Rd Campsite > Foster Mills

March 19

18 Pinhoti miles (840 ft up, 984 ft down)

Because I was stealth camped in a questionable location last night, I packed up and headed back down to the trail before the sun was up. This was by far the coldest morning so far on the Pinhoti. I hiked the first few miles fully bundled up in hat, gloves, mittens, fleece, and puffy. By the time I reached the start of the Cave Spring road walk, the sun was fully up and I was able to shed the puffy and switch to my sun hat.

One of the silver linings of road walking is better access to food. My first stop was a gas station diner for breakfast. The locals were very welcoming and curious about the trail, so I had some nice conversations along with my meal.

I had a decision to make for the next stretch of road. Typically it’s best to walk against traffic so you can see what’s coming. In this case, however, walking against traffic also meant sharing that side of the divided highway with full logging trucks, which tend to shed bark and other pieces of trees as they speed past. Walking on the other side, with traffic, would mean empty logging trucks. I ended up walking on the right side to avoid flying debris. Fortunately there was a shoulder at least as wide as another lane, so I was able to walk at the far edge without having to jump aside every time a vehicle came past.

The next road the “trail” followed, Blacks Bluff Rd, deserves an award as the only road so far where all dogs were properly confined to their yards. How I love fences!

The road after that was reported to have an especially irresponsible dog owner, so I decided to end the day on a high note and arranged a ride into Cave Spring from an awesome trail angel. She and a couple of friends are trail angels on multiple fronts and also maintain the trail south of Cave Spring.

Day 79: Zero in Cave Spring

March 20

The Hearn Inn was such a special place to stay that I decided to zero in Cave Spring. This historic building is a true gem of the Pinhoti Trail. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever shown up in a new town and immediately been given keys to their coolest building.

Day 80: Foster Mills > Hawkins Hollow Shelter

March 21

21 Pinhoti miles (2733 ft up, 2379 ft down)

I only had about 5 miles of road walk remaining to the north of Cave Spring, so I decided to do the ultimate slackpack and leave my entire backpack at the Hearn Inn. I got a ride back to the Foster Mills intersection from the same awesome trail angel, who gave me the rundown on possible problem dogs, or rather problem dog owners, along this stretch.

Unfortunately, being forewarned by both the trail angel and previous hikers posting on FarOut wasn’t sufficient to prevent an unpleasant encounter. Three of the four dogs ran up barking and surrounded me. (One good boy stayed on his property and didn’t cross the street.) The one in front got so close that I got distracted and the one behind ran up and nipped me in the back of the thigh. I’m not sure whether it only intended to nip or I got my trekking poles around in time to avoid worse. I had a bruise but the skin wasn’t broken.

After picking up my backpack and walking a few more miles on the road, I was finally back on a trail. Hiking on a bed of pine needles after more than 20 miles of paved road walking was heaven underfoot. The pine forest was decorated with blooming redbud trees, and the sky was a deep blue. Before long I had crossed the state line into Alabama, the last state on the southern half of my extended Appalachian Trail hike. I enjoyed the fanfare of encountering the Georgia and Alabama flags flying in the middle of the woods.

I’ve noticed a pattern on the Pinhoti where the trail always redeems itself after the unpleasant stretches. The first road walk was followed by that gorgeous ridge walk, and this one, by miles of pine-carpeted trail. Just when you’re wondering why anyone would subject themself to this, the Pinhoti wins you over again.

Day 81: Hawkins Hollow Shelter > North Dugger Mountain Shelter

March 22

22.3 Pinhoti miles (4049 ft up, 3993 ft down)

This morning I finished a stretch of trail that I’d begun yesterday afternoon through an ATV course. I was very appreciative that the private owner of the land allowed the Pinhoti to pass through, and I lucked out in not having my visit overlap with any ATVing. The ATV tracks I was crossing yesterday were shockingly steep, but today’s section looked less like certain death in a rollover.

Today was probably the first time I’ve rooted for rain on my hike, hoping it would put out the fire along tomorrow’s path and improve the air quality. The air was even smokier this morning than yesterday afternoon. At one point, an active fire was visible on the next ridge. I checked the map, and since I would be traveling parallel to and then away from the fire, I just kept going. I walked through several recent burn areas over course of the day.

Only a light rain fell in the afternoon, but the air immediately seemed clearer. I was able to check the current Forest Service alerts page on the last ridge before camp and found that the first section of tomorrow’s hike is no longer closed due to active fire. This was a huge relief since the only detour option would have been a road walk, and I wasn’t eager to discover what dogs live along those rural roads.

More rain was forecast overnight, with the wind direction blowing it straight into the shelter, so I hung the rain fly of my tent over the opening. As I was getting ready for bed, I inadvertantly messed with a bat’s hunting. It was just about to catch a moth that was drawn to my head lamp when I flinched and ruined it. I felt his disappointment and could almost hear him saying, “Come on, man.”

Day 82: North Dugger Mountain Shelter > Laurel Shelter

March 23

20.8 Pinhoti miles (2795 ft up, 2720 ft down)

Today offered a great variety of landscapes.

I only saw a few stumps still smoldering as I walked through the recently reopened burn area this morning. Early on the creek, and later the trail, formed the dividing line between burnt and not burnt.

The trail then climbed up into a misty forest with lichen covered rocks that reminded me of the Appalachian Trail.

After that we descended into a beautiful open loblolly and long-leaf pine forest. It was good that the trail was carpeted in pine needles because at one point I was tripped by a vine hiding in the needles and took a big spill downhill like I was on a slip and slide.

I had planned to hike a big day, which seemed doable based on the elevation profile, but large parts of the day were on slow rocky or side-slopey trail. I realized I wouldn’t make it to the shelter I had in mind until 10pm so planned to camp about 5 miles past the prior shelter instead. When I got to that shelter at 5:45pm, however, I saw another burn area just on the other side of creek so decided to stop for the night.

The shelter was empty when I set up but four other hikers came soon — two to sleep in the shelter and two in a tent. It was nice talking with them, and they even made a fire, something I’d been aiming to do at some point on the Pinhoti but hadn’t gotten around to yet.

Day 83: Laurel Shelter > Heflin

March 24

17.5 Pinhoti miles

The couple in the shelter had made their dogs sleep out under the picnic table, which worked until the temperature dropped in the middle of the night. At that point they started to whine and were allowed to come snuggle. I heard hissed whispers preventing the dogs from coming over to check me out, but as soon as their humans fell back asleep, they came over to say hi and get some scritches.

After the burn area across the creek, I passed a beautiful lake. A combination of trees with pale red, yellow, and orange buds looked like a pastel autumn forest.

When I stopped at a campground to use the bathroom and throw out my trash, an extended family invited me to join them for breakfast. Their family had been visiting that campground for 60 years, since the oldest members were children. The spread was amazing and they even pushed me to take snacks for the road — wonderful spontaneous trail magic!

I’d been obediently following the official trail ever since Dalton, so I was past due for a detour of my own devising. I found a combination of current and disused forest service tracks that would cut across to the spur trail for Heflin, Alabama, where I had packages waiting at the post office. I was glad to turn off onto a more level surface, since the official trail had been side-slopey in the same direction for the last several miles and my ankles were starting to complain.

I walked into town, bought groceries at the supermarket, and headed to the one motel. Tammy at city hall encourages hikers to call her for rides around town, or to and from trail, but there was no way I was going to bother her on a Sunday. I figured the walk down to the motel was only 2.2 miles, but it sure felt longer once the sidewalk ran out. Fortunately my reward after the walk was a delicious dinner at the Mexican restaurant next door.

Day 84: Heflin > Three Magnolias

March 25

9.7 Pinhoti miles (1483 ft up, 1437 ft down)

Today started with a very exciting trip to the post office. Waiting for me were a new pair of boots and a package with some warmer weather gear, including a lighter quilt. The Topo boots that saved my hike when I bought them back in Daleville, Virginia, held up remarkably well over the last thousand miles. The cushioning is shot but the uppers and soles are still in good shape.

I texted Tammy at city hall for a ride back to the park where the Heflin spur changes from road to trail. I could have gotten a ride back to the Pinhoti proper but wanted to maintain a continuous footpath, which in this case meant I’d need to rehike about 1.5 miles of the spur.

As I walked over I-20 between two stretches of beautiful pine needle-carpeted trail, looking at the cars and trucks below made me think about all the things I could be doing right now instead of walking this trail. I got choked up once again being reminded how unbelievably lucky I am to get to be out here, seeing these landscapes and forests, meeting the wonderful people who care for and enjoy them.

Rain is forecast to start around 3am, so I chose my campsite carefully and made sure everything was tucked safety inside the rain fly.