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Backpacking on the Skyline Loop


The Basics:
Event Type:Backpacking
Event Location: Adams Gap, Talladega National Forest, Alabama   Backpacking: Backpacking on the Skyline Loop  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Jun 1 2013  10:30 am >> Sun, Jun 2 2013 5:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 9:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Thu, May 9 2013 11:00 am
Registration Cut Off: Fri, May 31 2013 2:00 am
Event Duration:1 Days 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult
Distance:16.5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Richard A. Zalik
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 13 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Itinerary:

From Adams Gap we will walk 5.4 miles North on the Pinhoti trail until its intersection with the Odum Scout trail and the Chinnabee Silent trail. Estimated hiking time: 4 hours. Several years ago there used to be a shelter at this spot, and it is a good place to stop and have lunch, since water is available nearby. After lunch we will turn left on the Chinnabee and descend from the ridge down to AL 281, which we will cross at the Turnipseed Camp after a 2 mile walk. We will then proceed another mile or so to the Cheaha Falls shelter, after crossing Cheaha Creek. If the shelter is already occupied we will have to pitch our tente at a nearby location. Estimated hiking time on the Chinnabee: two hours. The next day we will continue on the Chinabee for another two miles until Devil's Den falls. After the falls we will turn left onto the Skyline trail, which after 6.1 miles will take us back to Adams Gap. Estimated hiking time: four hours before lunch and two hours after lunch. Cheaha Falls shelter is located on a hill with a nice view of Cheaha mountain.


Required Items to Bring:

At least three quarts of water for the first day. I will bring filtering equipment to treat water. Bring food for two cold lunches one breakfast and one dinner, as well as snacks for the trail. You need a sleeping bag, pad, stove, hat, cooking and eating utensils, personal medication and hygiene items, and a change of clothing. Bring suitable rain gear. I will bring a first aid kit. If Cheaha Falls Shelter is occupied you may need to use a tent. I have one or two spare ones that I can lend.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Drive west on I 20 to Alabama exit 191. Turn left (south) on US 431 for about 3.7 miles. Take a right onto County Road 131 towards AL 281, where it dead ends after curving backwards for about a mile. Turn left on AL 281 and continue for about 19 miles until its end at Adams Gap.

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):180Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 9:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $72.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

Share gas expenses with carpool driver.
Expect the overnight temperature at the campsite to dip into the low twenties.

Trail Notes (Fall 2008): After leaving Adams Gap the Pinhoti follows the ridge of Talladega Mountain and rises rapidly about 120 feet to an altitude of roughly 1500 ft. It never dips below this altitude, and for the first three miles or so it never goes above 1700 ft. In the next mile there is a steep 600 ft. climb on switchbacks and along boulder fields. After that the trail keeps a more or less constant altitude until its intersection with the Chinnabee. This section of the Pinhoti is rocky and dry. A couple of streams cross it, but they don't look very reliable. It offers nice views of the surrounding area. The Chinabee is quite precipitous and rocky for the first 1.5 miles. From then on the treadway becomes soft and the ascents and descents quite moderate. Although the trail doesn't cross any significant streams until just before the shelter, there is plenty of water nearby. From about 0.5 mile past the shelter, the Chinnabee runs right next to Cheaha creek, which we will cross a few minutes after getting onto the Skyline trail. This is a misnomer, since this beautiful trail actually runs deep into the forest. After crossing the creek the trail rises steeply 170 ft. to an altitude of about 850 ft. For the first five miles it maintains an altitude between 850 ft. and 1,000 ft. In the last mile it ascends steadily 500 ft to Adams gap. The treadway is mostly soft, and the trail crosses four significant streams including Cheaha creek, and three Forest Service roads. These trails are very lightly used, and we may not see anybody during the whole trip, except perhaps near AL 281 or at the falls.
Cell phones work on the Pinhoti and part of the Chinnabee.


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.