A Walk Up Alabama

Leg 5

Leg 5 is to begin on December 5, 2015 with base camp set up at Cheaha State Park. Stay tuned for future updates.

Pictures from Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Starting point after Breakfast!

Breakfast at Jack's: Seated left to right: Allen Flowers, Bill Dye, Carolyn Smith, David & Dalton. And the gentleman in the window coming inside is Doug Foster.

As we passed by in front of Carolyn's house and Beauty Shop.

Near Shinbone Valley with a view of Mt. Cheaha!

Day 4 Leg 4 - Tuesday November 25, 2014

The last day of the leg and we began expecting more surprises and the opportunity to meet more interesting people. We were not disappointed.

Victor carried us by Jack’s for us to have breakfast with the locals at the morning roundtable. We met Carolyn Smith and really got some history of Lineville with this meal. Carolyn is on the city council and it was very evident that she loved her community. It was definitely interesting stories around the table even if we didn’t know the parties being discussed. There will be a picture posted with the names of the people around the table.

After the breakfast Victor carried us to the starting point for the day at the police jurisdiction on the south side of Lineville. It was a beautiful clear sunny day and we were enjoying it to the fullest. We soon walked into the city limits and as we were approaching downtown in a residential area we heard someone calling us. We were walking right in front of Carolyn’s house and Beauty Shop that she owned.

We traveled on through Lineville going up Highway 49 headed toward Mt Cheaha. David and I had determined that in this rural stretch we would have to depend on food in our packs for lunch. We spotted a farmhouse ahead on the right hand side of the road and across the road was a gate into a field with a good grassy area to enjoy our lunch. And about the time we were getting to the spot Shelton and Victor pulled up on their motorcycles. It was perfect timing for a visit with them while we ate. We were getting settled being sure bikes were off the road safely and could stand on the ground. Packs were coming off and breaking bread was commencing. A guy pulled up in a Jeep that I had seen back in town and thought he had probably seen us too. However, he had not and was just stopping to talk. As it turned out we couldn’t come up with a subject that he wasn’t a resident expert on. He had pulled up and stopped with his Jeep sitting in the ditch, 2 motorcycles, David and I sitting on the ground eating. I had actually pulled my boots off while sitting there eating and that is not an uncommon thing for me with a pack off break. But with this scene for the folks driving by raised a question in a lady’s mind. A lady with a teenage girl driving stopped, actually drove by and turned around. Her question was “Is everyone ok? I’m just making sure nothing is wrong.” We assured her all was fine and thanked her for her hospitality. Not too many people would do that.

David asked Shelton and Victor to come pick us up that afternoon and he would treat us all to dinner. All agreed and the motorcycles rumbled off and David and I quietly walked on. The climb to Mt Cheaha had begun and we didn’t know the mileage and where we would get to before dark.

We crossed Shinbone Valley and was walking along and I had seen a truck pull out of a dirt road headed up the mountain and it turned around in a church yard and came back to us. It was a lady that was headed across the mountain to buy groceries in Anniston and spotted us. She and her husband lived up the dirt road near a hiking trail crossing and they had experienced so many lost hikers and had carried them to Mt Cheaha. She said she couldn’t go on without checking to make sure we didn’t need something. She did have some interesting stories of some of the hikers. We thanked her and it’s not very often you will find that type of hospitality.

We called it a completed day of the walk and a finish to Leg 4 at the point that Hiway 49 ends into Hiway 281. This puts us about 3 miles from Cheaha State Park and the peak of Mt. Cheaha. We traveled 19 miles today, attaining a total of 54 miles for Leg 4.

Here at the end of this leg we have walked a total of 359 miles.

Pictures from Monday November 24, 2014

First day after rain & cold.

Motorcycle riders Victor and Shelton showed up and took a break with us.

We decided to take a break here at the Clay county line and sit up on the bank there in the sun. Got up there and discovered there was an old cemetery located there.

At the country store: left to right: Felton Mask, operator of store, Dalton, Nell Worthy Miller, owner of the store building, David, Charles "Bunk" Young, and Austin. Bunk is the gentleman that worked with Austin's Grandfather.

David and Bunk Young

Day 3 Leg 4 - Monday November 24, 2014

Finally we are starting a day without rain, it was cool and overcast but predicted to burn off soon. As you will see from some of the pictures for the day, it did turn out to be a sunny and beautiful day. The route for this day was through the rural area of Randolph and Clay Counties, therefore, not a lot of stories to print.

However, the story opportunities changed as we got closer to Lineville Alabama. At the intersection just south of Lineville that Hiways 49 to Lineville and 77 to Ashland split was a convenient/gas store. It was an old establishment but had just been re-opened, and was a great place to take a good pack off break. If I have my information correct, Mrs. Nell Miller is the owner of the property with Felton and Leigh Ann Mask were the operators of the store. Leigh Ann was also attempting to get a small restaurant established across the road but it was not open yet. When she discovered we were looking for something to eat, she offered to go over and cook us some bacon and eggs. Although it sounded good, we thanked her and bought snacks in the store. Mrs. Miller and some other folks were sitting and hanging around out front of the store and we started visiting and talking with everyone. There was an older gentleman sitting there and Austin started chatting with him. The man’s name is Charles Young but most people never knew his first name because he always was known as Bunk Young. Austin Wimberly is David’s friend that lives in Birmingham and has walked several days of a couple of legs with us. How it came about I didn’t hear but Bunk Young had worked as a younger man with Austin’s maternal grandfather Hubert Claybrook. Austin’s grandfather Claybrook had died before Austin was born so he never knew him. So he and Bunk sat there with Bunk telling him all about his grandfather. Claybrook and Young worked together at Avondale Mill. It was very interesting hearing all this and what an awesome event of a “small world” for Austin.

After having a good break and visiting with new found friends, we traveled on toward Lineville. Today was the last day that Austin could be with us so we were enjoying the beautiful day and the fellowship together. We were not sure of the mileage on into Lineville but that was where we wanted to end the day. Walking along the way with farm houses intermingled in the scenery we had definitely hit civilization again. A man and his grandson rode their golf cart out to the road with interest of what 3 guys hiking up the highway with backpacks was all about. His name was Lynn Paterson and shared about the industry in the area, history of the local furniture plants and local schools, etc. He invited us to meet several locals the next morning as there was generally a group that met at Jack’s for breakfast and round table discussions (sometimes called liar’s table). Long story short, David and I went to Jack’s for breakfast the next morning and Lynn didn’t make it.

After the visit with Lynn, we walked on and Victor picked us up at the police jurisdiction of Lineville. David and I had one more day to walk but this brought Austin’s trek for this leg to an end. We walked 15 miles today for a total with Austin of 35 miles over the three days he was with us. This had been our first pretty clear day so Shelton and Victor got in some good motorcycle riding in. They found us on a ride by and it was a good time for us to all take a break and share stories of our experiences.

When we got back to camp, Austin loaded up and headed back home. Shelton had cooked dinner for him and Victor. David has said “Bobe, we will go into Lineville and I will buy you dinner!” I didn’t stutter saying “Great, we will for sure!” That way he couldn’t change his mind. We ended up going to a Mexican Restaurant and actually I think that might even be the name of it!

We meet some interesting people when eating the local restaurants and tonight was no different. There was a couple near us with their granddaughter and we ask them a few questions about the local area and struck up a good conversation. They were Ronnie and Patti Suddath the owner and manager of the local Piggly Wiggly. I was about to ask them if they knew John and Phyllis Brock and they found out I was from Evergreen so they beat me to the question. Mutual friends having dinner together during Walk Up Alabama. While we were eating and talking another couple came and the lady was the teacher of the little granddaughter of the Suddath’s. The teacher was Martha Davis Griffin and her husband Buddy. The Suddath’s completed their meal and left. We continued talking with the Griffin’s as we were winding down our meal. The world got smaller again as we learned that Martha is a lifelong friend of Peggy Brown, wife of my good friend Bro. Herbert Brown. We finished our meal and started telling the Griffin’s bye, David asked for our check and the hostess said you are good to go, it has been taken care of. Big Thank you to the Suddath’s for such hospitality. However, I told David he still owed me dinner, since that meal was taken care of by someone else.