I rate every section of the trails I review here on difficulty and 'quality.' Each rating is subjective, so I want to let you know how I do it so you can judge how my ratings related to you.

Difficulty ranges from easy to very difficult with moderate and difficult in the middle. I don't have any trails rated very difficult although if I ever do Little River Canyon it might get that rating. In doing the ratings I consider trail length, average trail grade (elevation change in feet/trail length in feet), maximum grade, trail maintenance, and other factors such as rocky ground. Easy sections will be adequately maintained (you don't have to search for the trail), generally under 6 miles, with no more than a slight elevation gain (not over 3% average grade), and no other hazards. Moderate trails will have some difficult features such as steep sections, or large overall elevation gain. Difficult trails will generally gain a lot of elevation, over 5% on average and maximum of up to 25% grade, and they usually have some other difficulties as well such as difficult terrain and poor maintenance. So far I don't have any trail sections that gain over 2000 feet. Very difficult trails would gain a lot of elevation or be equivalent to bush whacking (Little River Canyon). In the review I will usually say why a trail got it's rating. I'm working to add profiles of most of the trails reviewed as well so you can make your own judgments. I think my ratings should be useful to most hikers/backpackers, some people who aren't used to hiking my find the trails more difficult than I rate them at.

Quality judgments are even more subjective than difficulty ratings. I use a 4 star rating system for each section of trail. One star meaning that I wouldn't do it again, 2 stars indicate that I wouldn't go out of my way to hike the section but if it is on the route I won't complain, 3 stars indicates a quality trail worthy of your time, and 4 stars indicating that this is a trail has something special you will want to return there and show to your children. The things I look for in a trail are: views, streams, waterfalls, rocks or boulders, open forests that allow you to see (little secondary growth), soft forests (the feel of a long leaf pine forest, fluffy, soft, and open), lakes (although I abhor the creation of lakes and destruction of the stream ecology they bring about), and other unique features such as historical ruins and beaver dams. Things I look to avoid in a trail are: dense underbrush, boggy areas (good for biodiversity but not fun to hike through usually), scrubby forests, and human influence (lots of hikers, loud roads, many road crossings, houses, dumps). To illustrate how individual these judgments are, my favorite shelter on the Pinhoti is the Cheaha Falls Shelter which is clean, in a beautiful location, and well built. My father on the other hand found the Blue Mountain Shelter to be nicer because it was more natural and he liked it being surrounded by forests (something that I found boring, I wanted a view). Both shelters are very nice, but the difference between a 3 and 4 rating is a rather personal thing.

Once again I ask for your feedback on my ratings.  Simply go to the trail talk page or e-mail me with your comments.  I will incorporate your feedback into my guide as well as quoting you on the feedback page if you don't mind.

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About Lee, webmaster and author of Hiking Alabama

Last Updated: April 2003

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