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6/24/17
EENS 340, Tulane University
Cheaha Field Trip (Alabama)
Annotated Travelogue
Friday
Van leaves Blessey at 6:30 Friday morning. (So be here earlier.)
Take I-10 East out of New Orleans. Continue on for ~140 miles.
Plan to stop at the Alabama Welcome Center. Here we will look at the geological map of Alabama.
In Mobile take exit 20, merge onto I-65 North toward Montgomery, Ala. Continue on for ~173 miles.
In Montgomery, go past the I-85 interchange while staying on I-65 North. Take North Blvd (152) east for several miles to US-231. Follow US-231 North for about 10 miles to Wetumpka.
Wetumpka - Stop 1:
As we come into Wetumpka, look for the intersection with Breezehill St. Turn right and then immediately turn left onto Wilson Street, which parallels US-231. Travel N past Emerson Street and watch for a CVS pharmacy on the right. Look for new outcrops behind these businesses.
Here we will familiarize ourselves with metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont geological province and, noting the topography to the east, discuss why the metamorphic foliation here is oriented the way it is.
(Our lunch stop is at the north end of Wetumpka, past 170 on left - Hog Rock BBQ.)
From Wetumpka to Elkahatchee Creek - Stop 2:
Several miles north of Wetumpka, state highway AL-9 forks right off of US-231. Take AL-9 North to the right. Continue on for ~30 miles.
Look for the intersection with AL-22. At this intersection take AL-22 to the right and travel east for approximately 7 miles, watching for road 259.
Take sharp right onto 259 (Fish Pond Rd) and proceed south for approximately 1/2 mile; turn left just before bridge. Here we’ll meet a representative of Russell Lands Co. (property owner). Walk (or drive?) approximately 100 meters down the road to the exposure of Elkahatchee quartz diorite.
Return to 22 and drive NE 2 miles to Alexander City. Upon entering Alexander City area, a left at the first major intersection (280 & 22) will take us to a Wal-Mart on the right. Here we will, as quickly as possible, shop for food and supplies.
To Cheaha State Park:
Take 22 East/North for ~13 miles. Take 49 North to 281 and follow signs to Cheaha State Park. Check in at "The Country Store" if before 5 pm; if after 5 pm, go on to either the primitive site (down hill past main park entrance) or to the semi-primitive site (if gate is closed, wait for security and follow loop past lookout tower to semi-primitive area on left).
Saturday
To Pyriton/High Fall Branch - Stop 3:
Back track to 49 South and turn right onto 31 at sign to High Fall Branch trailhead; stay to right (onto road 12). Go through Pyriton and turn right and proceed to parking area. This is the site for the field mapping exercise. After completing the field exercise Saturday, we will return to Cheaha campsite if ~4:00-5:00, or make another stop in the Pyriton area if time permits.
[Alternate Shorter Route – CLOSED? - Exit the state park through the main entrance and turn right onto 281 South (towards Talladega). Follow 281 until it dead ends at Adams Gap Trail Head. Turn left onto dirt/later paved road and follow to stop sign. Turn left. Look for High Fall Trail Head on the left. Turn left and travel up the road to a parking area (~300-400 m).]
Optional Stops
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Backtrack to the Pyriton vicinity and look for Highland Rd, which crosses the railroad tracks; follow any dirt tracks west. In his area of low topo, the Hillabee meta-greenstones are poorly exposed. This was once an area of active sulfide mining, including Fe, Cu, Zn etc, in stratabound deposits. Look for old spoil pits etc.
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-Or an easier stop on the way back is to return to Cheaha, but go past the main entrance and enter via the road to the lake & lower campgrounds – Erin phyllite outcrops along the road next to the lake.
Sunday
After showers (optional), breakfast and packing up camp, we will travel via AL-49 South to AL-9.
To Stop 4:
In Lineville take AL-9 south. Travel south for approximately 14 miles until reaching the community of Millerville.
At Millerville, bear to the right to take AL-148 west toward Sylacauga. Continue west on AL-148 for approximately 9 miles to the top of a ridge (Bull Gap). To the right and left will be an exposure of the Cheaha quartzite and further along outcrops of Erin slate.
To Lay Dam - Stop 5:
From Bull Gap continue west on AL-148 for approximately 11 miles to Sylacauga. From here, take 21 South for 5 miles to Stewartville. In Stewartville, take county road 41 west (right), then bear left toward Weogufka. North of Weogufka, 41 will become 29; follow to stop sign in Weogufka and turn right towards Unity. At stop sign, turn left and take county road 55 to Lay Dam at Coosa River. Phyllites of the Lay Dam formation outcrop west of the river, along 55 just south of the dam.
To Mitchell Dam - Stop 6:
From Lay Dam, continue west on county road 55 to a T-intersection; turn left and follow road to next T and turn left onto AL-145 South, then a short way to I-65 South. Travel 7 miles south on I-65 to exit 205; follow US-31 South to Cooper, then just south of Cooper look for AL-22. Travel east for a few miles to Mitchell Dam.
On the west side of the river on AL-22 there is an old quarry and outcrop of the Mitchell Dam amphibolite. A better outcrop is on the east side of the river, where 22 cuts through a roadcut; park down the road on the right.
To Jordan Dam - Stop 7:
Continue east on AL-22, turn right onto 27; follow this south to 21; this will become 231; just as 231 becomes a 4-lane highway, there is a right turn to Jordan Dam. Follow this road, bear left and eventually turn left onto the dirt road for "downstream river access"; at the base of the hill, stay left through the hair-pin turn that leads to a parking area. Mylonitic gneiss outcrops here below the dam; garnetiferous schists are weathered to saprolite in the hillside. This is also our lunch stop.
Return to I-65 South via US 231 south to North Blvd; Estimated arrival time @ campus is 8:00 pm (or later if we stop for dinner). Please help unload and clean the van.
N. Dawers
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