Fall was a great season for Reboot and an outstanding cap to our first year as a ministry. We had the privilege of leading two overnight backpacking/Bible study trips to Cheaha and a day hike trip to the Deadening Trail at Lake Martin. With crisp autumn air and beautiful foliage, fall is the perfect season to explore and enjoy God’s creation, and our trips didn’t disappoint.
Cheaha backpacking
Taking a rest during our September Cheaha backpacking trip.
Gorgeous sunny weather greeted our first overnighter Sept. 28-29. The Pinhoti Trail was a little busier than normal which really wasn’t too much of a surprise because of the wonderful weather. Our usual campsite along McDill Point was taken but we found a wonderful large campsite on top of a short hill opposite from the turnoff to McDill Point. After setting up camp and enjoying a dinner of Conecuh sausage and rice, we had a great discussion focused on Luke 12:22-24 and how God is our provider and as long as we are seeking after Him, he will provide everything we need. We capped off the night listening to the end of the Alabama/Ole Miss football game on a small backpacking radio (This is Alabama were college football is king, after all). The next day we hiked the Pinhoti to the intersection with the Chinnabee Silent Trail and took Chinabee down the mountain and ended the hike at Cheaha Falls.
Enjoying the view along the Pinhoti Trail near McDill Point in early November.
Wonderful fall foliage highlighted our Nov. 1-2 overnighter to Cheaha. The trees were at absolute peak colors meaning stunning scenes of yellow, orange and red were everywhere. We started this trip on Friday, so we were able to get to McDill Point to snag the best campsite around – a small outcrop that overlooks the Talladega National Forest below and the Oxford/Anniston area in the distance. This trip included a few first-time backpackers, so our time around the campfire was spent getting to know each other a little better and talking about moments of adventure in our lives when God showed up in big ways. We ended this trip as we did the first one at Cheaha Falls. The Pinhoti section of our hike was very quiet and peaceful. It’s amazing how easy it is to find solitude just a few miles along a path in the woods. In fact, we probably only saw five or six people during the first seven miles of the hike. Once we hit the mile-long section of the Chinnabee to Cheaha Falls, we easily saw quadruple the number of people on the trail.
Lake Martin day hike
Hiking the Deadening Trail along the shores of Lake Martin.
The Nov. 16 men’s and women’s day hike to the Deadening Trail along the shores of Lake Martin was the last trip of our season. The hike was originally scheduled for October but we had to reschedule due to an illness. We enjoyed a great time of fellowship while hiking a trail that was a little challenging no doubt leaving some sore legs the next day. The lake traffic was very low this late in the year, making for a peaceful experience. After topping out on a bluff that overlooked Chimney Rock, we shared a devotional from psalms 98 and 100 about all of creation singing praise to our creator and how it is easy for us to forget that song when we focus on ourselves and not on God. But as our savior, Jesus serves as the bridge between us and God, so He helps us regain that song.
The future
We now enter a season of praying and planning for Reboot’s spring 2014 season. We’ll have at least one day hike trip and one overnight trip to Cheaha this spring. We are also planning to explore a new area for Reboot: the Sipsey Wilderness in northwest Alabama. Located within Bankhead National Forest, the Sipsey is Alabama’s other premier backpacking destination and offers a different terrain and experience than Cheaha. We plan to take an exploratory trip there this spring and begin offering Reboot overnighters starting this fall. We are also exploring the possibility of a kayaking day trip in the late spring. God is doing exciting things through this ministry, and we’d love for you to be part of it by taking a trip. Check back soon for specific trip dates.
Here are a few more pics from our fall trips:
Reboot Wilderness Adventures 