Get Out

Don't know what do this weekend?

2008-04-28T17:05:00.007-05:00

How about kayaking Terrapin Creek? Kayaks and canoes can be rented through the Terrapin Outdoor Center.

Below is a chart of the water levels on Terrapin Creek. They're pretty high right now and if we get rain between now and the weekend those levels may hold up.

Water levels for Terrapin Creek

Weekend fun for runners

2008-04-16T13:34:00.002-05:00

There's at least one local running event in the area this weekend (am I missing any?):

The Jacksonville Lions Club is sponsoring its third annual Chief Ladiga 5k. There's an online entry form here. Things kick off at Jacksonville State University's Pete Mathews Coliseum, and most of the run takes place on the Chief Ladiga Trail. There's a course map online, here.

Registration is $12 in advance, $15 on race day. Anniston Runners Club members, JSU students, faculty & staff get a $2 discount. And of course, there's a fun run for kids 12 and under. There's also a crawl race for babies.

Any readers out there planning to run?

Flurry of Pinhoti press in Ga.

2008-04-01T13:50:00.005-05:00

Lots of folks in Georgia are catching on to what we celebrated here in Alabama last month: the formal connection of the Pinhoti Trail to the Appalachian Trial via the Benton McKaye Trail.

There's a range of reaction to the link, depending on where the stories are published.

The news Web site AccessNorthGa.com, based near the AT's end, sounds downright worried, leading with the following:

The official terminus of the Appalachian Trail is still in Northeast Georgia - in Dawson County - but if some groups get their way that could change.

The site goes on to say that "Backers hope to get the Alabama extension recognized as the official southernmost point on the Appalachian Trail." But from our next-door neighbors at the Rome News-Tribune, we hear the following:

“It’s not going to be included in it,” said Rome’s Larry Madden, president of the Pinhoti Trail Association.

An earlier story in the RNT says Alabama tourism officials (none are named or quoted) want to get the Pinhoti re-designated as part of the AT.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday reprinted a March 9 piece by The Birmingham News' Tom Spencer, which said "Backers hope eventually to make the case for getting the Alabama extension recognized as the official southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which would require an act of Congress," again without naming our directly quoting any of those backers.

There seems to have been something of an echo chamber, beginning with Spencer's March story in advance of the connection ceremony at Cheaha, to its reprint in the AJC March 30, and from there to the pieces from AccessNorthGa.com and the RNT. So the question becomes, who told Tom Spencer they'd like to see the Pinhoti become the AT's official southern end?

For what it's worth, folks in Alabama who've been promoting the trails' connection have said in The Star's pages they don't see a re-naming in the Pinhoti's future. In a piece published in our Insight section two Sundays ago, Joe Cuhaj, vice president of publicity for the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, wrote:

I have heard the argument for years about the Pinhoti losing its identity. It usually comes from dedicated and well-meaning volunteers who sweat and toil to maintain the trail for all to enjoy. They believe that once the Pinhoti was connected to the Appalachian Trail, the Pinhoti would disappear forever; it would become the Appalachian Trail; it would lose its name. There could be nothing further from the truth.

It's easy to see why the chamber of commerce folks near the AT's Georgia end at Springer Mountain might be worried - they don't want to lose any hiker-related business to those of us out hear near Mount Cheaha. It's also easy to see why their counterparts in Alabama would want the AT's famous name scrawled on tourist maps of our region. And it's easy to understand the sentiment of Pinhoti-lovers like those Cuhaj described who love their trail's isolated back-road character.

What do you think about it?

Going the distance

2008-03-30T10:06:00.005-05:00

About 215 cyclists got to enjoy Calhoun County's scenic beauty before rain and lightning stormed in Saturday. They pedaled in the 16th annual Woodland-Calhoun Century Challenge. There were 25-, 50- and 100-mile options for riders of varying ambition. Those who took the 100-mile route got to see more than Calhoun County, following the Chief Ladiga Trail into next-door Cleburne County and nearly to Georgia.

Bravo to the Anniston Parks & Recreation Department for putting on yet another big ride. The Star's got a story on the event, here. Pictured at right are Dana and Gerald Shaw of Anniston, getting ready for the ride (The photo is by The Star's Kevin Qualls). There are more pre-race photos in a slideshow at The Star's Web site.

Any readers out there hit the road for this one? What'd you think about the ride? Click below to comment.

Looking for something to do tomorrow?

2008-03-28T15:41:00.001-05:00

Trail Run Planned for Saturday

Where- Meet at Coleman Lake Camp Ground

When- Saturday, March 29. Ready to run by 7:00am

Distance- Approx 3hrs or 15 miles. We will run an out and back on the Pinhoti Trail from the Coleman Lake Camp Ground to Pine Glenn Camp Ground and back to Coleman Lake. You can turn around any time for shorter distance.

DIRECTIONS:
From Heflin, AL, take US Rt. 78 east for 5.7 miles to Coleman
Lake sign (County Rt. 61). Turn left onto Rt. 61 and go 7.6
miles to another Coleman Lake sign (Forest Rt. 500). Turn right
onto Rt. 500 and go 0.4 miles to Coleman Lake campground sign.
Turn right and continue on Forest Rt. 500 and go 1.8 miles to
campground sign. Turn right into campground.
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/southern/tallcmp.htm

Thanks -- Todd Henderson, Ultra-Race Director, ironmantodd@charter.net or 205-492-7063

Get Out in ink

2008-03-28T12:53:00.005-05:00

The launch of the blog this week is timed to coincide with a print Get Out guide to outdoor fun in northeastern Alabama. It's published in today's print version of The Anniston Star. For subscribers, it's also in PDF form on the paper's Web site (click here to subscribe).

The guide has features on cycling, hiking, running, fishing, golfing and other fun to be had here. There's a profile of local outdoors guru Brooke Nelson, outdoors columnist Charles Johnson' s top five fishing spots, sportswriter Al Muskewitz's five favorite golf holes, plus a map highlighting where all this fun stuff can be found.

There's also lots of useful stuff from advertisers, including coupons, event schedules and handy info on locations, hours and prices.

If you need a quick primer on what there is to do around here, we think this is the guide for you. Let us know what you think - is there anything we can do to make it better the next time we print?

Taking the first step

2008-03-25T12:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Get Out, The Anniston Star's latest blog, where we'll give you all the news we can carry on the things people like to do outside in our corner of the world. Northeast Alabama is endowed with a wealth of treasures natural and man-made that make it easy to enjoy life in the great outdoors. From the switchback bends of the Tallapoosa River and the teeming waters of Weiss Lake to the tree-shaded paths of the Chief Ladiga and Pinhoti trails, there's enough out there to make wonder why you'd ever want a roof over your head.

We hope too that you'll share your experiences and knowledge of those treasures. Got a great camping spot you don't mind everybody else trying out? Seen a blowdown that needs fixing somewhere on the Pinhoti? Please comment early and often on anything that catches your attention.

I'll start off pointing out some attention one of those treasures got from a national news outlet this morning. NPR carried a piece from WBHM's Steve Chiotakis on the Pinhoti Trail's recently completed connection to the Appalachian Trail. There's both a text story to read, and a link to hear the audio as it aired this morning. I should also point you to The Star's own effort to introduce readers to the trail: our six-week Pinhoti Project last year profiled the 100-plus-mile path, with readers, reporters and editors chronicling their hikes.

What do you think of all the extra attention the Pinhoti's getting latley? Click below to comment.