First trip backpacking

[dave1224]

  Hello everyone! I have been reading this forum for a few years now and I have wanted to get into backpacking. I have been camping all of my life but I have never been backpacking. I have all of the gear that I need to get started so I am ready for my first trip. I would like to plan it for maybe March or April. But instead of just getting on a trail and hiking everyday and camping every night, I would like to hike into a campsite near a lake and sit up a base camp. From there, I would like to fish some and do some short day hikes. I would like to spend 2 days at the base camp and hike back out. Does anyone know of any place like that? I live in North Alabama and I don't mind driving a days drive to get there. Thanks for the help!

[Mountain Dog]

Although it is not a lake, the Sipsey would meet all your otherwised identified needs.  There are plenty of trails to explore from any base camp and the Sipsey could be fished.  Another place is the Chattooga River Trail in South Carolina, aboutr 120 miles NE of Atlanta.  The river must have a lot of fish because I frequently saw fishermen when I hiked it.  You need to search the web about loop trails to explore from a base camp.  You could do some out and back to include some of the Foothills Trail or the Bartram.   Good luck.

[DavidR]

Scott Lake on the Pinhoti Trail looks like a good fishing spot. It isn't a loop, but you could do an out and back hike. I've not had any luck fishing in the Sipsey but I've seen plenty of people doing it.

[Firedog]

Dave, Cheaha could be an alternative. There is a campground at Lake Chinnabee and you can fish in the lake or in the creek depending on what your fishing for. You can day hike the silent trail or skyway. There is also a loop around the lake via the dam.

[wirerat123]

Dave, Cheaha could be an alternative. There is a campground at Lake Chinnabee and you can fish in the lake or in the creek depending on what your fishing for. You can day hike the silent trail or skyway. There is also a loop around the lake via the dam.

^ Great advice ^

The Chinnabee is a really nice trail, the area is beautiful.  It's a nice little lake.

Or there is always Guntersville area and Bucks pocket area.  Most TVA areas are day use only, but I have a map of all the overnight use areas as well.  Call TVA and you can get a lot of good info.

I was planning to put together a group camp out on Guntersville Lake and guide some folks who want to kayak or canoe to some neat areas.  But my little woman is going to be ultra pregnant around the times you proposed.  I'll likely not get free'd up before late June.

But the Cheaha area has a ton of hiking opportunities that can begin or end in water.  The area Firedog proposed is great for that sort of thing with the exception of there has been some criminal activities in those areas.  Had a friend get his car broken into at the main parking area.  Oddly enough, it was a heavy day in the area, and there were tons of people around.  How they got away with breaking into a car I'll never know.

[squidbilly]

Dave, all the above offer great hikes with fishing.  There are others along the Pinhoti:   Terrapin Watershed Lake-section 12
Chocolocco Lake, Coleman Lake, Sweetwater Lake- section 10     Highrock Lake-section 9
Maps and trail descriptions here

Also, I realize you have camping experience, but you may want to load your pack and "practice" hiking a significant distance with it.  This way you tune up or make adjustments to your kit before you commit to your first overnight hike. You'll enjoy it a lot more if you are comfortable and have no unpleasant surprises.

[wirerat123]

You should certainly take a shakedown hike.  Maybe a base camp type trip where you can base camp, then carry your full load on a moderate trail to get an idea of how your setup works for you.

Or do a shakedown weekend in the yard and avoid the house as much as possible, figure out what you need, what you don't, take the pack for a stroll through some nearby woods for a couple of hours.

Better to find out there are useless pounds on your back nearby the house or the car, than find out 10 miles down the trail.  Experience trumps everything.  You will be much heavier backpacking this year than you ever will again.  I started out around 60lbs, and over 10 years have gotten myself down to 17lbs for a 3 day weekend.

I figured out that I used to carry a ton of crap that I never needed or used.

[dave1224]

Thanks everyone for all of the great advice! I will get some maps and do some research on the Pinhoti Trail. 

[DavidR]

Here's a thread with links to maps: http://www.alatrails.com/...dex.php/topic,1855.0.html

Here's a thread detailing my hike of the Scott Lake area: http://www.alatrails.com/...dex.php/topic,2056.0.html

Have fun!

[SmokeDiver]

Has anybody ever caught anything out of the Sipsey river? I see people fishing there all the time but never anyone catching! I just don't want to drag a pole and tackle out there unless I know I will catch something.

[squidbilly]

Hey Dave, have you made that first trip yet?