The Pinhoti Trail is a long distance hiking trail spanning 355 miles in Alabama and Georgia. It's one of the trails that has been on my radar, but that I have not yet had a chance to visit. When I saw a posting go up for one of the local hiking clubs and knowing that I need to get my rear in gear to get in shape for some upcoming backpacking trips, it seemed like a great opportunity. We would only be hiking a short section, but I need the exercise. I met up with the other hikers a few miles northwest of Atlanta and we worked out carpooling arrangements. I ended up being one of the two drivers. From there, we drove another 60-ish miles to the Snake Creek Gap Trailhead and met with a few more members of the group. After a quick round of introductions, we hit the trail.
From the large gravel parking lot, the trail immediately crosses the highway and the begins a slow ascent up a high ridge. The trail is well maintained, which is rather surprising given how remote we are and the severity of a couple of storms that came through last week. That said, I don't think we saw a single fallen tree obstructing the trail. The surface conditions are mostly earth and stone, with a blanket of fallen leaves providing us a cacophony of sound as we hike through them.
The group separates to some extent based on pace. I'm pretty much in the lead group (a gentlemen with a energetic dog is actually a bit ahead) and we get to talking about a wide array of subjects as we make our to the top of the ridge. We walk south along the ridge for about a mile before beginning the descent down the other side. So far, this is a pretty easy hike and it's nice to experience a new area with great company.
After about five total miles, we arrive at Pilcher's Pond. This is a small body of water that according to the trip leader is at the lowest water levels he's ever seen it. We stop here for a few minutes to rest and enjoy a snack. I wander off to find a 'facilitree' and take care of business. With everyone now packed up and our newfound energy pools, we head back the way we came.
I find myself at the front of the pack for a good portion of the return trip. I'm really trying to push my pace and stretch my legs a bit for the much needed exercise. At one point, I hear voices behind me, which makes me think I'm only a short distance a head. After several minutes though, a group of seven mountain bikers have caught up to me. I ask about my fellow-hikers and I'm told they are roughly a half-mile behind me.
Arriving back at the parking lot, I open my hatchback and have a seat while I wait for the rest of the group to arrive. With about ten minutes the everyone has completed the trail. We thank the organizer for putting this hike together and say our goodbyes before heading back to the carpool start. Overall, this was pretty standard Georgia trail. We covered about 10.4 miles in total, which felt really good at the pace I was maintaining. Perhaps, I will hike other sections of the trail at some point in time.
No comments:
Post a Comment