ALABAMA ECT pre-plan

“I'm thinking weekend of February 22 or march 1st...after that i have 2 business trips that kill the next 3 weekends. Would like to try a Pinhoti or Sipsey trip...preferably a Sipsey area trip. Weather is warming up, and I learned from dayhikers trip, so i'm ready for bear this time. Who's in, and what do ya'll want to do?...I may even do both weekends”

“feb. 22 is good for me, mar. 1 is out. Son's birthday party that weekend.

Too bad this weekend isn't good for you, it's supposed to be nice.

I'm up for a Sipsey overnighter. Still too early at the new job to be asking for a day off.”

“I am busy both weekends, but i may try to hike in and meet Ya'll somewhere if ya go to Sipsey. I'll keep a check to see where Ya'll are going.

BAMA”

“I can only do an early saturday start..anytime sunday exit also”

“Sure wish I could make it. Son's birthday on 22nd. Weekend of March 1st I'll be getting ready for my CA trip. Maybe next time.”

“I can't make either one. My next free weekend is April 13 & 14.”

“Thinking about hitting the trail sometime Friday evening. Not really sure how long I'll be staying. Of course all plans are subject to change because of my nephew’s Birthday party this weekend. And the next couple of weekends are questionable depending on when I get my wisdom teeth yanked out.”

“OPIE, I'm booked thru April. I'd like to see all the AL TT'ers get together - lets keep this issue alive and try to set something up.

I'm doing a 4 day/3 night hike with some TT'ers in March if anyone is interested. E-mail me for details.”

“I wish I could go, but can't. I'm going this weekend with a group from work. We'll see a lot of the same things as the previous trip, just better weather. If I went two weeks in a row, my head would be on a platter.”

“Yeah OPIE, come on the Georgia trip. It'll be a last gasp before the leaves come back.”

“Just found out that this next Monday is a holiday for me, so it's a three-day weekend coming up. I'd rather go this weekend when I know that the weather is supposed to be nice, and I can get two nights in. Anybody else interested in this weekend? Or is it just trailhound and me?”

“I put in for a workshop before Christmas (not realizing at the time that it included the Monday of Prez weekend). Man! Three day Prez weekend is a PRIME TIME for hiking...

Oh well...
Looks like I'll hafta settle for one-niters until Sprng break. One-niters would work for Sipsey or Talledega, tho (4 hours and 2 hours respectively).

I'd like to get back to Sipsey with my trail tools... it needs attention! Lets do a maintainence hike(?).

Talledaga is nice, but I'll never park at Chinnabee Lake again. Vandals got me last Labor Day...”

“gojo, I thought they got you at Adams Gap. I thought Chinnabee was safe. I'll know next time.”

“From now on I'm gonna try to park at the workstation across from the SP entrance...”

“I visited Birmingham and good ole Aniston(sp) last week and may get a chance to return in the near future. Maybe, I could work a weekend backpacking trip into a work trip. Hmmmm!

Mozark”

“trailhound, give me a holler...I'd like to plan something for this weekend if it's possible....Anybody else interested in the Sipsey this weekend?”

“I'm new to this site and don't know any of you, but love to camp out, this weekend is a three day for me as well... would like to maybe do an overnighter???”

“Sounds good, moontrailbabe, love to have you along. trailhound said something about starting Friday night. I'd be more interested in early Saturday morning. We could hike to the Champion Poplar, and camp at one of the sites above it.
How far do you have to drive?”

“The base of the Champion Poplar.”

“ya'll are talking about the 15-18th of feb? I can't go that weekend due to prior committments, but I'll be in the sipsey the 23rd and 24th or March 2nd and 3rd..depends on the weather..and if it's good both weekends i'll be there both times. E-mail me opie1979@yahoo.com or AOL IM me at opie1979. I'm leaving from decatur to the sipsey. And may be planning on exploring area between white oak hollow and the rim of the west bee branch”

“Yah afraid so OPIE. Heck I might go the 23-24 too, if I get clearance from the wife...lol...”

“your wife lets you off Valentines day weekend...wow...whats up with that...lucky i guess..hehe..i'm always...tied up... that weekend....*grin*”

“easy, OPIE, just have children...

children == no romance...lol

no, it's not like that, we have an arrangement...she likes to take these painting classes on the weekend, and so she can go to those, if I can go hiking on the other weekends. It works out.”

“I'm so pissed! Sorry guys looks like I'm gonna have to sit this one out this weekend. We just got the news that my brother in law is scheduled to be coming home from combat duty in mid March. So my sister needs help moving all her stuff back to their home in Indiana this weekend. Its great he is coming home sooner than originally planned, but I'm gonna go crazy if I don't hit the trail soon. I'll be on some trail somewhere in the next two weeks. Y'all just keep me in touch and let me know what your plans are.”

“OK trailhound. Sorry you're gonna miss out on this one, but glad your brother-in-law is back safe. Buy him a beer for me.

There's almost always a trip of some sort planned. We'll keep ya posted.”

“OK, now March sounds like a winner for a TT trip I can finally make - and Alabama is my home state, so Sipsey would be perfect!

Only engagements I have are 7-8 March and 15 march. If you guys are talking about the 22-25 that could work, or better yet is 29Mar-1 April which is already a four day.

OK, two questions - children and dogs. I would like to bring my 12 YO boy, and maybe my dog, but the dog may not work well with others, and I wouldn't want to offend anyone that has problems with dogs and trails.”

“So is this weekend out? s'okay by me, but I thought a 3-day weekend would be the best.....”

“I'm kewl with dogs and kids..bring a cat too..we can mix 'em in with the ramen. March 7-10 i'll be in FL...besides that i think i'm good that month”

“my brother said something about a March Sipsey trip...so we might be up for that too....

I'm looking to get out at least one weekend a month this year, plus a longer trip either late spring or early fall...”

“Kids aren't a problem for me, I have two of my own (who are too young to come along yet.) Dogs are alright if they're well-behaved. Dogs on the trail don't offend me, I just don't want to get bitten or p!ssed on...”

“I'd rather hike with a dog.”

“I would like to see a Sipsey trip happen. Sorry I missed the last one. I have been working a lot lately but maybe I could hike in and met Ya'll on Sat. Anyone needing maps let me know and I see what I can do. I'll be out of town until after Sunday. Ya'l just make the time and date and I'll try to make it.”

“If I go on another trip beyond what I already have planned my wife WILL kill me. If this trip happens I could probably hook up with yall Saturday and then hike out that evening.”

“Unlike a kid, they can carry much more than they'll need.”

“I would be up for a March Sipsey mission if I can bring my son. He's 10, but he loves backpacking, and he never complains about anything. It would just depend on mileage and river crossings.”

“okay, so it looks like this weekend is a no-go...lol...you still planning on next weekend OPIE? I'm up for it if you are...”

“bitpusher...walkindudes telling me about this savage gulf trip the 23rd-24th...could you make that? just a lil north of us”

“It's a possibility...When would we be going up?”

“Gearjunkie, can't do Sipsey in March, but would be interested in an April trip. My 11 y/o son would be in hog heaven if he had someone the same age along on a bp'ing trip.”

“Chili,
April sounds good. I may be able to make trips in March and April, for that matter (I just talked my son out of doing baseball this year so we'll have more weekends for fishing and backpacking).
I took my son on a trip last weekend in the Cheha wilderness area, and we had a blast. His local buddies like to camp, but none have any experience (or gear) for backpacking until they reach boy scout age--too long to wait.”

“I can probably set some definitive plans in March, but tentatively, the second weekend in April looks good.”

“gearjunkie, glad to see you over on this board. I read your report on Hiking Alabama, sounds like you had a good time. Did you see my replies about the hammocks?”

“Oops, you weren't the one who asked the ? Nevermind. Glad to have you over hear all the same.”

“Chili,
I'll hold April 12-14 as a tentative date for trip w/ kids.”

“gearjunkie, same here and I will do my best to make sure nothing encroaches on that weekend.”