Talladega National Forest - Chinnabee Silent Trail - July 2, 2006 - Member Trip Report

Hike Name: Talladega National Forest - Chinnabee Silent Trail
Country: United States
State: Alabama
Trip Rating: 4 stars
Trip Date: July 2, 2006
Duration: 2 days
Trail Conditions: Good
Trail Traffic: Heavy
Trip Weather: Sunny, Partly Sunny
Trip Winds: Light
Trip Precipitation: None
Trip Temperature: High: 91-100, Low: 71-80 degrees Fahrenheit
Trip Report: Monday (7/03/06) – The truck was loaded by 12 noon today, and I drove down to pick up the Camel and Operator who were recovering from a good house party last night. It took us about two hours to reach the trailhead at the Chinnabee Silent Trail after stopping at a nearby State Park for directions. There were lots of people in the parking area, and most were headed to the falls and large pool along Cheaha Creek which lay at their base. The waterfall is a 0.7 mile hike from the trailhead, and it's no wonder that the locals like it so much. There is a 20 foot cliff that makes for an easy jump into the pool and a 50 foot upper cliff which was unrealistic given the current drought in the South - although one guy swore that he and his buddies jumped from it when the water was four feet deeper.

The Camel, Operator and I set up camp, had some brews, then went back to the cliffs for some jumping and swimming. The dog enjoyed the chaos, and the place kept filling up with people as the afternoon went on. By dusk, I had made three trips from the cliff and also headed back to the truck for more supplies. The Camel and Operator collected some firewood in the meantime and tried to avoid a snake that was wrapped along one of the fallen branches that lined the creek. Our camp was right near the water, and far enough from the waterfall to enjoy some peace and quiet. After dinner, we had some drinks and played the IPOD until about 1am with The Operator and Camel going head-to-head on 70's songs.

Tuesday (7/04/06) – I promised that I'd get back by 11:30am today, but missed the deadline and got home at 12:30pm. It was an easy hike out, and we were moving by 9:30am this morning. More locals rolled into the parking are as we departed this morning and one pick-up truck had 12-15 in it (if you can believe that).

The Camel and I dropped The Operator off at his house in Candlar Park, then headed home to get cleaned up and head to the July 4th neighborhood pool party.

Hiker:

The Operator


4,850 points


Recommended


Comments

There are no comments yet.

Leave a Reply