Skyway Loop (Pinhoti - Chinnabee - Skyway Trails)

Just hiked the Skyway Loop with two friends this weekend and it was GREAT! I've hiked a few other parts of the Pinhoti, and was very impressed with the variety of terrain and features the loop has to offer. Not to mention the amazing Cheaha Creek sections. Quite a few times I chuckled to myself thinking: "people would pay good money to see this!"

We left Montgomery at 12:45 on Friday and got to Adam's Gap by 2:15. I printed out the Skyway Loop trail guide from the Pinhoti Alliance website, which was most useful for finding the trailhead. As the guide mentions, the trailhead you want to take to go counter-clockwise on the loop is actually behind the parking area, across the paved road (281?) and down the gravel road (Adam's Gap Road) a few feet. A brief climb provided a trail map sign, confirming we were heading the right direction.

The rock garden turned out to be quite a bit of hard work, and I was glad we decided to tackle it at the beginning of the trip and going up, rather than down, due to the loose rock and interesting contortions we were forced into at some spots. The reward was absolutley worth it - amazing overlooks and a cool breeze at Heaven and along the ridge in general. We pushed on past the first campsite and left the second to a pair of hikers our group had been leapfrogging along the trail. We planned out our water and had enough to cook dinner without needing to look for a stream. However, the next morning we found a number of streams within .1 miles with plenty of water running due to this rainy February.

To backtrack, the night was very cold; temps were predicted to be in the high 20s, and that seems to have been accurate. I brought my shiny new Hennessey Hammock and high hopes that it would prove itself even in these conditions. Unfortunately, I did not sleep very well that night. I was very comfortable and warm enough overall, but the combination of cool spots, mummy bag constriction, and Thermarest wandering caused me to perform some serious hammock acrobatics a number of times during the night. The temp alone was not really bothering me until around 3am, and I was forced to cocoon into the bag. Despite the cold weather logistical shortcomings, I was not disappointed with the Hammock. I'm really looking forward to using it in warmer weather. If I had to do it again, I would bring one of the automobile windshield reflectors as a sleeping pad due to their greater width and thus better coverage of the hammock.

Ok, back to the hike! Odum Point was next, followed by a descent into Turnipseed Hunter's camp and the parking area. I imagine that area would be very beautiful during the other seasons. Without foilage it proved to be an uneventful section (other than fording the creek, of course!) The real fun began shortly thereafter when we crossed the road twice and headed toward Lake Chinnabee.

Little did we know, but the annual Cheaha 50k run was going on! We made the best of the constant stream of trail runners, giving them right of way on the trail and rooting them on. By the time we got to where the trail paralleled the creek (~noon) the runner frequency dropped drastically, allowing us to resume a normal trail speed. With the winter days being so short and my dread of another night of hammock acrobatics, our group agreed to attempt finishing off the loop that night. We had 6 or 7 miles to go and about 4 hours of daylight at that point.

The last section, the Skyway Trail, felt like the longest 6 miles I've ever hiked. Partly due to the seed of heading home being planted and thoughts of cheeseburgers, warm beds, and dry socks growing in my mind. Also partly due to the fact that for at least 3 miles there are few significant features other than dirt roads. As the rushing sound of fast flowing water caught our attention we came upon the last campsite (or first, if you take the loop going clockwise) before Adam's Gap appeared below us. The night was moving in quickly as the nearly full moon hid behind the hill sides, and we donned headlamps to complete what the guide said was 1 more mile to Adam's Gap.

If that was a mile, it was the longest mile EVER! We had been making good time on the last 3 miles of the hike, completing each mile in ~25 minutes. To get from the campsite to Adam's Gap it took nearly 90 minutes. Granted we took a number of breathers and we were moving slower due to the night, but it still seemed to be a longer distance than what was indicated.

Dropping packs at the gap was a relief and a triumph.

This was my first loop experience, and both friends' first overnight backpacking trip. I really enjoyed the Skyway Loop, and in particular, the lake hike. It will be a great place to introduce children to the beauty of nature. The rock garden was no joke and an excellent place to get your feet wet on something more than beginner trails. The next time I hike this loop I'll wait for summer - longer days and lighter packs will make this a nearly perfect 1.5 day trip!