Bibb County High Point Trip Report
Sand Mtn and five other areas (760+ ft)
Date: September 27, 2003
Authors: Bill Jacobs and Kevin Williamson
In what many considered the highlight of the social season in northern Alabama, several preeminent events
conspired to occur all on the same weekend. Politicos and celebrities had conniptions over which
soirée to attend: the Alabama vs. Arkansas football game, the Talladega Speedway Race,
the Mule Calling Festival, or the deflowering of Bibb County.
There are six areas in Bibb: Sand Mountain in the county's northern tier and a cluster of five areas east of
West Blocton. Ken Oeser's Sand Mountain report is excellent and needs no further comment.
We separately explored the other five areas years ago but met with failure due to outdated topo maps.
On this date, armed with a GPS, we joined forces and were able to decipher the rearranged road system resulting
from logging operations and gas exploration.
All five areas are within a gated hunting enclave. We drove in and were fortunate to run into the manager as
he was departing. (Had we not crossed paths, we might still be trapped inside.) He agreed to leave the gate
unsecured and gave us the lock. Contact Skip Stano (205 665-1665) for access.
The key to Bibb is realizing the topo map road segments that have vanished back into the Alabama "jungle"
and recognizing the new roads/segments not shown on the topos.
Directions: From I-20/59, proceed south on H5 to West Blocton. Turn east on CR24 for 13.0 miles to
Marvel (CR65 joins in at 7.8 miles). Marvel is nothing more than the "Life Givers Church". Follow CR54
to Eddings Town and continue south. Where the highway begins to turn east is the gated road to the
hunting club.
Upon exiting CR54 zero the odometer. At 0.7 mile are three road forks important to note: The road west is
NOT on the topo but exists. The road southwest is ON the topo but does NOT exist. The road south is ON
the topo and exists.
Expanding the last paragraph's thoughts, at 0.7 mile is a road branching west leading to a hunting "lodge",
an equipment storage area, and paths branching out in various directions. This road is not depicted on the
map but can be easily mistaken for another road heading southwest which has ceded itself back to the
Alabama thickets with almost no trace. From the 0.7-mile intersection, follow the road shown on the topo
bending to the south for a tenth of a mile to an intersection at 0.8 mile from CR54. The first highpoint
contour surrounds all sides of this intersection. Now head west another 0.1 mile (0.9 mile from CR54) to
the small contour area at the road crest. This road segment is NOT shown on the topo. Note that the
DISAPPEARED road leading to the southwest at 0.7 mile joins here on the topo. All traces of it are gone
but it can be confusing when relying on the topos.
Continue west for 0.4 mile - passing a gate, possibly the
National Forest border - to an intersection and then south for 0.2 mile. The third area is up the hill to the
left (east) and has undergone gas exploration grading - possibly now a few feet lower than the topo contour.
Head back to the last intersection; continue 0.2 mile north, and then 0.2 mile west. The fourth area is north
in the thickets. Now back east 0.2 mile and north 0.2 mile. The fifth area is up the hill to the west.
The contour has undergone massive excavation - gas exploration. Enjoy.