On Tuesday, June 2, a small CRATA trail crew built a 12ft. by 6ft. bridge on the Cherokee Bluffs Dam Railroad Trail. This was the last bridge necessary for CRATA to be able to properly maintain the section of trail between the Great Gorge and the Channahatchee Creek. We can now drive our ATV down the trail with the equipment necessary to mow, trim and keep the trail in great shape for our hikers. Thanks to our volunteers for another job well done! Today’s crew included, from left to right, Steve Thomas, Jimmy Lanier, Robert Sweeten, Bill Garnett, Mike Wilson and behind the camera, Walt Hutcheson.

The Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association welcomes a new volunteer to our team of advisors. Although CRATA created an Instagram account many months ago, we never really utilized it due to a lack of expertise. We now welcome Joshua Bradford, a professional photographer from Auburn, Alabama as a technical advisor and manager of our Instagram account. Joshua will help CRATA to promote the beauty of our hiking trails, outdoor facilities and educational attractions through photos, videos and visitor experiences. Please join us on Instagram at cratalakemartin to help showcase the beauty of central Alabama and the Lake Martin area! If you are posting photos of our trails on your own Instagram page, be sure to tag them with #crata and they may get featured on the CRATA page also.