Controlled Burn between Pine Glen Campground and FS 500 Feb 1

[Old Hickory]

I drove up this morning to do some day hiking. I was going to park at Pine Glen campground and hike northwards. When I got there the trail was roped off with orange flagging tape. There was a notice stating the trail was closed because of a 4,000 acre controlled burn.

I drove up to the Forest Service 500 road crossing trailhead. No flagging tape or notices there, so I hiked northwards toward the Choccolocco watershed, and then back to the car. It was a great day for hiking. Clear blue sky, great weather, and the trail was in great shape.

If you are planning on hiking the section north of Pine Glen, just keep in mind it was burned today.

[Mountain Dog]

Thanks for the update Old Hickory.  I hate walking through burned areas for a week or so after the burn.  But, just think of the ticks and chiggers that will not eat us for a while.

[Old Hickory]

Yep. Hope the soaking we got today will help clean everything out!

[MoBill122]

  I can't help but remember the Head of the Forestry Dept at Cheaha telling everyone at the Pinhoti Conference, that they WOULD NOT allow a fire to burn within 100yds of the Pinhoti Trail.
 I wanted to run down to my room for my camera...and show him pictures of the burn I walked through the day before....   fire on both sides of trail !
 Just like politicians... they say what they want you to hear....then do whatever they please.
 

[Firedog]

I spoke with the burn crew yesterday, at the Anniston Airport, and they said from Pine Glen south to Cheaha was clear and would be open this weekend.

[Graceless]

cough cough then where is all the smoke coming from???

[Firedog]

On my trip back today it looked like the area north & west of Coleman Lake. The FS guy yesterday said they were burning on the Pinhoti but north. He said that area would be clear. From Coleman Lake south.

[southmark]

I just returned from doing the High Point to Jackson Chapel section. A very recent controlled burn from Davis Mountain at least 7 miles north. I gave up and returned to the High Point trailhead. The burn was so recent that stumps were still smoldering and smoking. A tremendous amount of smoke was coming from the lake down below Hawk's rest. Ruined an otherwise great weekend hike.

[Tim Rich]

The thirty miles between U.S. 78 and Pinky Burns Trailhead (Rabbitown Road) had three separate areas that skirts or goes through controlled burn areas.  Most is around the the longleaf pine woodpecker habitat, but there is an older burn area to the south of it, too, that's already greening up.  The 78/FS 500 trailhead has a map of the planned controlled burn areas for 2009.  It looks like it covers the majority of the forest.

Tim