highpoint trailhead

[trainspotter]

Hey, got two questions.....

1) Has anyone ever had trouble parking overnight at the high point trailhead?
Planning a overnight from Jackson Chapel to highpoint in a couple of weeks. This is a "refresher hike" pertaining to question 2.

2) Does anyone know if there is any decent campsite's somewhere between 2 to 3 miles south of high point headed toward Oakey? The week after the above weekend we are coming back to hike high point down to US78. Per Solo's handbook there is a lot of 4 wheeler activity through this area so i didn't know if it was wise or not to try and camp along the trail somewhere through there. The reason i am asking, i was thinking about starting on a Friday after work instead of waiting for Saturday morning.

Thanks

[Cuffs]

I have left a vehicle at Highpoint/278 trailhead, but kind of felt uneasy doing so.  There is a trash can provided for hikers use... seems a lot of locals use it too.  The day I was there, I was meeting up with HammockHanger on her GET thru hike attempt.  As we went to the trash can to deposit her garbage... well we found something we absolutely did not expect to find... a live, living, breathing puppy!  Yup, someone put a dog in the trash can!  (Insert appropriate four letter words of hate here)

the culprit wanted to make sure he stayed there... they emptied the trash can of its contents all over the surrounding area and put the pup in the bottom, ensuring he would not be able to jump out.  (Again, Insert appropriate four letter words of hate here)

My car was safe upon return, no damage whatsoever, but I still didnt feel well about leaving it there, and I would still hesitate to do it again in the future...

[Pathfinder]

The other day Pully and I were hiking around Foxtrap Creek looking for a cave (still haven't found it) and we noticed where the creek goes under a bridge someone had disposed of a large dead dog, and nearby was a smaller dead dog in a plastic bag.  Just on the other side of the bridge someone had thrown a goat.  

It is sickening to say the least.  

[Joshua Szulecki]

I've been fortunate to never find a dead or abandoned dog in the woods, but I have seen my share of dead goats. In fact, just like armadillos and possums, I've seen more dead ones in Alabama than live ones.

[jaybird]

The High Point trailhead used to have a split-rail fence that went all the way around it -- it was hauled off piece by piece.  I WOULD NOT leave a car here.  I'm speaking from experience, as I taught for 2 years at Piedmont High School.  This area is the #3 drug area in the United States.  The one and only person ever convicted to death for being a drug kingpin in Alabama lived about 1 mile south of Maxwell Gap just off the Pinhoti.

The key words in the article below are, "about the only risk to the Mexican growers, experts say, is that a stray hiker or hunter could stumble onto a hidden field." 

From what the SRO (Student Resource Officer) at PHS relayed to me, along with the students, this could happen here too.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/a..._us/us_drug_war_pot_farms

[luke724]

Sorry to thread jack, but is Jackson Chapel trailhead safe? It is only 12 miles north of High Point, Only planning to leave it there for a couple of days.

[schlanky]

I've seen what looked like car glass in the High Point parking lot before, but have parked there several times without incident. I'm uneasy about parking there overnight, but would probably do so again.

The Jackson Chapel TH is one of the Pinhoti's more remote trailheads--less chance of potential thieves finding your car, but very little chance someone would get interrupted while breaking in.

[trainspotter]

Thanks for the response everyone!

Luke, i am thinking the same thing. Would it be safer to leave a vehicle at Jackson Chapel??? Guess there's only one way to find out. Luckily its payed for and nothing really to look at.

Jaybird, i really hate to hear that about Piedmont, i am a transplant(from B'ham) living in Gadsden going on 4 years now so its close to home. I asked everybody at work if they remember the killing and they did. At the same time it doesn't matter where you are anymore, A&E did a one hour special a couple of months back just on Sand Mountain in Marshall County, they dubbed it "Meth Mountain" and of course showed the finest of specimens to back it.

[luke724]

I left my vehicle at Jackson Chapel trailhead for three nights, without any incident. While walking through High Point trailhead, there were a couple of vehicles there. That is probably the biggest trailhead I have seen besides Cheaha.

[schlanky]

Hey luke--I'm pretty sure I talked to y'all on Saturday. I was the solo backpacker headed the opposite direction just before you reached the Terrapin Watershed.

[luke724]

Yeah, that was us, we couldn't have asked for better weather this past weekend. After we saw you, we realized what those last two sections where going to be like. Hills, climb, hills, and lots of fun . I saw what you were talking about with the snow and ice on those steep sidehill trails. Kinda sketchy...

[schlanky]

The weather was indeed amazing. Sounds like y'all had a good finish to your hike.