Tuscaloosa County High Point Trip Report
Date: April 7, 2002
Author: Ken Oeser
From exit 100 on Interstate 59/20, take AL216 west 0.5 mile and turn right onto a gravel road with a sign
for Antioch Baptist Church. We followed this road 0.5 mile to a right curve, then another 0.3 mile to a
house on the left and asked permission to park and hike the ridge. They own at least part of the ridge, and
gave us permission.
By hiking up to the ridge top behind their driveway, we started at the northeast end of the contours. We
then hiked about a mile southwest along the ridge, following a deer trail most of the way, and I used my
machete at some of the heavily bushed areas. There were really only two bad spots, but some blackberry
vines and briars throughout. One of the bad spots, in the middle contour, showed highest of them all by my altimeter.
We hit the clearing at a fence, then followed the cleared ridge down to a water tower and several rocks
along the field, but sighting with the hand level showed these areas to be lower than the area at the
southwestern part of the wooded ridge, near the fence crossing.
Many fire ant hills dot the ridge also, and I stuck my machete into several to watch the ants swarm out.
I allowed two to bite me, and they bent their abdomens around to inject acid into the bites they inflicted.
I wouldn't want hundreds of them on me.