Pinhoti Trail
I follow turkey tracks
where acorns fall and smack
under looming Longleaf Pines
all along the endless ridgeline.
land acknowledgement
"Pinhoti" is a Creek Indian word meaning "turkey home." The Pinhoti Trail is on Muscogee/Creek; Cherokee, East; Yuchi ancestral lands.
thru-hiking the Pinhoti Trail
Southern Terminus, Flagg Mountain, Alabama
Northern Terminus, Georgia
It is above all else a privilege to be able to escape to the woods for 3 weeks. And escape I did. However, the moment I stepped foot on the trail I felt an overwhelming feeling of being right where I was supposed to be, like being home. And so I contemplated how escapement can also be home. I find that I return to the trail over and over again, albeit different trails, but for the same reasons. control. In a time when I, along with many others, feel lost and merely hanging on due to feeling that we have no control over what is going on in the world, hiking up and down mountains is a way I can practice control. I decide when and where I stop for a break, how to cross a stream, and how far till I stop for the night. focus. The outside world fades away, social media’s grip vanishes along with cell service as I get deeper into the woods and further down into the hollows. I carry my shelter, food, and what I need to survive on my back, thus my needs are streamlined; my focus narrows to taking the next step and getting to my day’s destination. Stresses from the “real world” are buried underneath the more pressing and current throbbing of my feet or gurgling in my stomach. And although I find myself zoning out and daydreaming while hiking to help get through the monotony of hiking for 8+ hours a day everyday for 21 days, I make an intentional effort to not think about any of the issues plaguing me back at home. challenge. But a thru-hike is also about pushing yourself physically and mentally, and for me it’s a reminder that I can do hard things. When off trail I feel like a failure because things don’t go according to plan or I don’t feel as though I’m doing enough, thru-hiking proves that I am able to adapt and persevere. And I feel as though every time I push myself physically it is an act of gratitude to my body. See, by using it I am honoring my body’s abilities, and I thank it- my feet, my muscles, my lungs- for getting me over mountains and across hundreds of miles. re-connection. But perhaps most meaningful of all, I return to the trail for connection with the earth. I feel as though in our current society humans feel separated from ‘nature’ — and not to rewrite my whole master’s thesis here— but I believe that disconnect is the root to many of the issues humans have in regards to how we (negatively) interact with our life source. Sometimes it takes a reminder to acknowledge that we are not separate but rather part of nature. And for me, going on a thru-hike and removing myself from man-made conveniences, allows me to interact with my life source much more intimately [but let me add that you do not have to go to the extremes of thru-hiking for this reminder]. Further, to be surrounded by nature is healing and now that I have spent considerable time in the woods it feels comforting. I find joy in learning and later recognizing local flora, hearing the absolute silence deep in the forest, stumbling across an animal along the path and parting ways with a “stay cool” (said mostly to turtles and snakes), following Rhododendron lined paths along swiftly flowing streams, and so much more. It’s about experiencing new places and noticing the little things along the way. It’s an opportunity to embrace and encourage my wildness. It’s freedom.
“Why You Should Start the AT at Flagg Mountain Instead of Springer”
Written for The Trek, February 2022
Besides just being another long trail on my list “to-hike”, I wanted to hike the Pinhoti Trail because the Southern Terminus at Flagg Mountain in Alabama, is technically the start of the Appalachian Mountain Range. And having hiked the Appalachian Trail (GA-ME 2011) I could now say that I’ve hiked the entire Appalachian Mountain Range in the U.S. The Appalachians actually continue on into Canada, and I want to hike the International AT so I can hike the whole range. Plus, it means a lot to me to have a long trail in my home state so of course I needed to hike that!
I also feel the need to address the elephant in the room, the pandemic. I, like many others, have had their 2020 plans thrown into the trash and lit on fire. My plans to thru-hike the Arizona Trail this Spring was canceled. My plans to return to Alaska for my 10th anniversary was canceled. Every day was uncertain as to what was going to happen and what I would do. I tried to make the most of it even though it was far from what I would have wanted. But of course, my plans being ruined is no where even comparable to those who have suffered with this virus, have lost loved ones, or even died. And when remembering that, I can of course feel grateful for what I do have. That being said, I wanted to continue doing what is best for the population at large by not traveling and staying isolated from others. I figured that enough time had passed that doctors, etc. have learned how to better manage and fight the virus. But basically, I decided that it felt safe to go through with this hike. And the biggest part is that I would start in my home state, not traveling far. Most parts of the trail were 3 hours or less from my home. I would lessen my interaction with others with my dad driving to resupply me every so often. And now that I have completed the trail I can confidently say that I felt safe and did not come into contact with many others. There were days when I didn’t see a single person. I would think while hiking that I was around more people at my local walking trail then on the whole 348 miles of the Pinhoti. I came in much closer contact with folks while working for the Census for 2+months going to 25+ homes a day. I am grateful to have this long trail in my home state and to have easy and close access to it. Because I would not have traveled any further to thru-hike at this time. ..And big thanks to my dad for driving me to the start, resupplying me along the way, and always having a chocolate milk and hostess cupcake waiting for me when picking me up at road crossings.
Songs stuck in my head while hiking
“The Schuyler Sisters” -Hamilton: An American Musical
“Satisfied” - Hamilton: An American Musical
“That Would Be Enough” - Hamilton: An American Musical
Now as for my documentation of this hike, I went into this adventure deciding not to vlog or document it. I already feel as though I share enough, either on this website or through my YouTube videos. And even though I am trying to grow my adventure travel platform so I can support this lifestyle and thru-hikes are “on brand” for me I wanted to keep this for myself. I didn’t want to feel compelled to document everything I did during the day; I didn’t want the recordings, the future likes and views to distract me from my main purpose of being out there-to hike the trail and enjoy where I was in the moment. I wanted to focus on the trail, the hiking, the beauty, the fresh air, the change, the escapement, the home, the need. Therefore, I do not have vlogs of this trip and I’m not going to do a day-to-day write up of the trail. I did make a YouTube video of a compilation of videos I took on trail but they are of the scenery, and I made a gear video. I’ll also be uploading two more short videos about meals on trail and my sleeping bag alteration that I recorded while on trail [Videos are at the bottom of the page]. But what I will share are some of my pictures. Please enjoy.
alabama section
georgia section
Couch to Thru-Hike (I didn’t train or was particularly active before starting)
Day 1: Southern Terminus to Mile Marker 10.7
Day 2: 18.6 miles to MM29.3
Day 3: 12.4 miles to MM41.7
Day 4: 10.9 miles to MM52.6 went home due to Hurricane Delta
Day 5: zero day at home
Day 6: 16 miles to MM68.6
Day 7: 17.5 miles to MM86.1 Cheaha State Park
Day 8:18.6 miles to MM104.7
Day 9: 15.1 miles to MM119.8 crossed I-20
Day 10: 17 miles to MM136.8
Day 11: 5.4 miles to MM142.2 nero/resupply day
Day 12: 17.6 miles to MM159.8
Day 13: 15.5 miles to MM175.3
Day 14: 14.8 miles, skip road walk, MM212.5 resupply day
Day 15: 21.9 miles to MM234.4 biggest mileage day
Day 16: 19 miles to MM253.4
Day 17: 17.1 miles to MM270.5
Day 18: 10.8 miles, skip road walk, MM309 resupply day
Day 19: 19.8 miles to MM328.8
Day 20: 17 miles to MM345.8
Day 21: 2.8 miles to Northern Terminus, 15 miles southbound on Benton Mackaye Trail
The Pinhoti Trail is 348.7 miles. I skipped a total of 50.1 miles of road walk, so I hiked 298.6 miles.
+ After a break I continued hiking 57 miles southbound on the Benton Mackaye Trail to Springer Mountain, Georgia, which is the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Blogpost on that here.
Full Gear List here
I wrote a piece, “Turkey Tracks” inspired by the Pinhoti Trail for my local NPR station WLRH’s Sundial Writers Corner. They recorded me reading it and it was broadcast on January 11, 2021. You can listen to it on their website found HERE. This piece was published in an anthology, 52 Weeks of Sun: The WLRH 2021 Sundial Writers Project, in March 2022. Available here
