Pinhoti, section 10 (partial )

[blisterbob]

Tues. Nov.22, 11 1:00 PM cloudy, 73 degrees
Burns TH south to Choccolocco shelter and return.
This easy 3 mile round trip could serve as a model for trail conditions. (near perfect)
The old growth pines and hardwoods keep enough sunlight from getting to ground
level that there is hardly any nuisance low growth that crowds the trail which is well
marked, well trodden and only had 1 blow down.
The shelter just below the dam could also be an example of what hikers should find
when they stop for the night. It was clean and the leaves had been swept away all
around the building and fire ring.
For those that would like a little more solitude than the more popular Cheaha area,
this would be an excellent choice for a family day hike to drown a few worms in the
lake, have a picnic and cook the catch over the fire at the shelter.
Back at Burns TH 2:30 PM
God smiled on blisterbob today, he waited til 2:35 to open up the sky.

[squidbilly]

Last time I was on this section, we did this exact same hike. We didn't fish, but the boys took a quick swim in the lake, Like you said: it's a great place for a picnic. Nice place to go if you don't have all day to hike.

[blisterbob]

Not much going on on alatrails for a while, so I'll sneak in a sec. 10 UPDATE.

Sun. 4/22/12, partly cloudy, 51 degrees, 6:00 AM
blisterbob & shadowsue sobo Burns TH to Pine Glen CG.
The area to the Choccolocco shelter has been recently burned by the USFS.
Ter. diff.     6
Nav. diff.    2
obstacles   6
shelters     2
campsites  9+
water        9+
Campgrounds 2
Lakes        3
Treadway well defined, 90% soil, 10% rock & roots.
other hikers 3
hitchhikers 8 ticks

What this section lacks in ridgetop vistas, it makes up for by the trail
being within sight of lakes and the clear water streams that supply
them for about half of the entire 16 miles, and as a bonus the bottom
areas have some of the largest pine and hardwood trees I have seen.

Northbounders, With the new bridge const., at Pine Glen there are no blazes after
the trail comes out of sec. 9 onto FS 500. If you cross the new bridge,
look for the trail on the rt. close by the waters edge. The old bridge is
still there and if you use it you can see the path going underneath the new
bridge on the N. side. Once you leave the const. area, there is a trail sign and
many blazes.

3:00PM partly cloudy, 64 degrees Pine Glen CG
16.3 miles, 9 hrs.