G.S. Fitness Coordinator Holly Howell completes Al. Triple Crown hike
By Fran Thompson
The physical nature of the Alabama Triple Crown was of little concern for Holly Howell.
A 20 year resident, she has ably carried the title of fitness coordinator for the City of Gulf Shores for the past 12 years. And she is already an experienced hiker, having climbed several 14K peaks and completed the challenging Four Pass Loop in Colorado.
“I entered a drawing to win a spot and my name was picked,’’ Howell said after completing the Alabama Triple Crown, which consisted of three 20 mile hikes starting in Lineville through the Cheaha Wilderness on the Chin-Pin-Sky Loop Trail, followed by 20 miles on the trails of Oak Mountain State Park and concluding with 20 miles through the Sipsey Wilderness exploring the Bankhead National Forest.
Howell was one of 10 hikers selected to partake in the Challenge, a grassroots effort started by Brad Felton. (His trail name is As The Crow Flies). Nine of the 10 completed the hike modeled after the Lower Michigan Triple Crown.
“I was already an experienced hiker. But as far as Alabama, these were the best trails,’’ Howell said. “I would do it again, for sure.’’
Regarded as a test of physical endurance, the Challenge is designed to push hikers to their limit in a shorter timeframe than long-distance thru-hikes.
“The challenge brought 10 strangers from the Southeast together to form a bond adhered with survival and laughs for miles,’’ Howell said. “I lost count of the number of waterfalls we saw. Alabama is such a beautiful state with incredible hiking trails and diverse ecosystems.’’
The group was helped along the way by a dose of trail magic from volunteers known as trail angels, who, at each day’s halfway mark, fed the hikers sandwiches, salads and hikers trash banana pudding.
“Trail magic along the way reinvigorated us. I wasn’t worried about the physical part at all,’’ Howell said. “It was a fast paced hike. I had no idea it would be that fast. I wondered about callouses and blisters, but everything worked out great. I wore wool socks and had the right shoes and clothes. I was good to go.
“The lack of sleep was the biggest thing. We were on the trail for the most part from dawn ‘til dusk and we were sleeping in tents,’’ she added.
The group had guide help from local hikers while in the Sipsey Wilderness, which lacked marked trails. Howell’s favorite of the three, Sipsey included photo ops with “Big Tree,” Alabama’s tallest and largest Yellow Poplar (150 ft. tall).
Not one to rest on her laurels, Howell followed the Triple Crown by completing a 20 mile hiking adventure inside Oak Mountain State Park just last weekend. She and her husband Lee are already planning a summer trip out west with hikes in the Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park and along the Pacific Coast Hwy.
Howell also leads The City of Gulf Shores Recreation Dept. Off The Beaten Path beginner hiking and camping program, which teaches essential camping and hiking skills and is perfect for those looking to explore the outdoors with confidence.
The group has already taken an overnight trip to Blakely State Park and will take an overnight backpacking trip this fall.
“This is a way for me to carry my love for camping and backpacking into my job and share it with the city,’’ she said.
And yes, Howell has a trail name – Bad Ass Cookie. It is an ode to her grandmother and her grandchildren. (She and Lee have five children and two grandchildren between them).