Sipsey Clean-Up

“I really could not think of a better thread title. Anyways, several of us have mentioned taking a day and doing a little trail clean up in the Sipsey Wilderness. Even though we usually find ourselves cleaning up someone else's mess on trips, this is the first time most of us have ever tried to organize a group for this kind of work. If you would like to help or volunteer or just give us some tips on what we can do to make our efforts more efficient just let us know. It would really be cool if we could get enough TTers to finish our work quickly and spend the rest of the weekend backpacking the Sipsey.”

“Well...no matter what we do i think the best bet is to find a SMALL section and do a good job on it.
Basecamp some area and the work close to it. Maybe even have someone leave the clean up early to start dinner.
We could get some "Ranger" direction on this..and maybe even some help or tools. I think there is a Sipsey group outta Double Springs that meets once a week..i'll get their e-mail sometime this week. This area is starting to look like an innercity run down park. You have to go far off trail to find no signs of man...and we all know that going off trail is very un-LNT”

“Trash pickup is always good but what about.......

* Bunyan Hill trail needs some chainsaw work bad along with a few other trails.
* What about new Wilderness signs in places?
*Fresh blazes in places too?”

“Every time I go backpacking I do trail clean up.”

“Where is Sipsey and when are you thinking of doing the clean up?”

“Sipsey is in Bankhead NF in North Alabama. It's Southwest of Decator.”

“You guys are crazy - clean up??

OK, count me in.”

“I'm definitely up for it, if I can get clear on the date(s).”

“That's kind of close...if the dates work I'm in!!”

“I wish I could go.Any clean up is good in my book.If I had some extra money I would just fly down there just for the clean up and to meet some TT'ers....8)”

“I'm in for a daytrip. I've used up all of my backpacking nights till late summer. Something about leaving my wife home with a 2 year old and a 3 month old that makes unplanned or overplanned trips problematic.”

“Oh oh........Are you getting into trouble dayhiker?

8)”

“the sipsey blazed?..HAHAHAHA..the only real trail signs i've seen is at the river crossing for 209...and good ones for the retarded horsies...The ice storm damage was never really cleaned up...there are places that have bad erosion probs, and i'd like to see some campsites returned to nature...and rings dismantled and cleaned.....first 2 weekends in march are dead for me..after that i'm clear except for june 22-27th or so”

“April is good for me. I'm booked for March. I'd be glad to help.”

“Blazes in the sipsey, yah that's a joke. The trail intersections are marked, and that's only the "official" trails. The Bee Branch trail that leads back to the Champion Poplar doesn't have any official indication that it even exists. There's just an arrow carved in the bark of a tree.

I'd have to wait until at least April. March is looking pretty full for me so far. And then, it's allergy season for me, so I dunno.

I like your idea of working on a small section and getting it really clean, OPIE. We should work on the most impacted areas first, then work to the more remote and less-impacted sites.

As far as clearing blowdowns, without being able to use a chainsaw, it would be difficult. I read about some of the problems that the Tennessee Eastman Kodak club has maintaining their section of the AT through a wilderness area. They couldn't get permission from the Forest Service to use chainsaws, even to help clear the AT! However, it turns out that using DYNAMITE is perfectly legal, if one has the proper permits and such.

Maybe we need to get SuperTroll in on this, hmmmmm?”

“HAHAHA!!!
KABOOOOM!!!!!!

The path is clear”

“FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!..hey bitpusher! *waves his copy of the anarchist's cookbook*....screw dynamite..i say lets go nitro glyc”

“Why can't you use a chainsaw?”

“It's a Federal Wilderness area. Nothing with a gasoline motor can be used in it except in an emergency.

If you look closely at a map of the Sipsey, one that shows the borders clearly, you'll notice that the one road that goes deep into the Sipsey, Bunyan Hill road, is technically not in the Sipsey Wilderness. This is so you can drive down the road to parking area there.

Check out this link to the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club page for more details.”

“Some of the roads and trails in the Sipsey are closed or will be closed in the near future. The pine beetle problem has killed several trees and they are in danger of falling on people. The forestry service is supposed to start clearing this in the near future. I carry scouts into the Sipsey quite often and I tell them we need to bring out more trash than we carry in. We have been doing this for a while. The sad thing is we can go back to the same spot a little later and find more trash. More people need to learn how to leave no trace.

BAMA”

“I think the best thing to do would be to clear it out just enough to hike through. Leave it still closed up enough to keep horses out still though.”

“That is true!”

“OPIE told us about that at Savage Gulf. He had read an article which he said he would post when he got back that stated which roads and trails would be closed. He said he didn't think it would be any of the ones actually in the Sipsey, but rather some that are close by in the BWWMA and the BNF.”

“the article is downstairs...nothing in the sipsey WA will be closed..but trails in the bankhead such as the bunyan will be..i'll post this tommorrow in detail”

“Hey guys what are the dates on this, or do you have anything set yet?”

“Ok just saw this and thought I'd respond here.

"The main thing I've seen that's a problem is the huge amount of logs. Not being able to use a chain saw really sucks. Gojo mentioned getting a cleanup trip to Sipsey as well. I could go. If this happens it might be a good idea to get some boy scout troops to lend a helping hand. I would think this could count as a service project for them.

If HPM is around he could maybe advise how a scout master might respond to this proposal"
dayhiker
04:20:51 PM
02/26/02

Respond? I'd jump all over it with two feet. Service is required for advancement to most of the ranks in Scouting. So if you were to organize a big cleanup you would be doing a service to not only the Sipsey but to the local scout groups (I don't know about Girl scouts but I would think they have a similar service ethic)

If you do want to go big on this I'd talk to the local Scout Council and get them on board. At the very least you could ask them to distribute flyers to local units regarding the work day. Remember if you are working with kids be sure to do a little education regarding LNT. (BTW- The BSA is undergoing a concerted effort to stress LTN camping, we even have an award the kids can earn for camping and teaching LNT) Train them now and we won't end up with trashed trails later.

Backing up a bit, you could also just contact local troops through Scouters you might happen to know and go small scale. This could even be an Egale Scout project organized and run by one Scout (depending on scale) My project was that I built a 1.5 mile trail and one of my scouts (who is getting his Eagle this weekend) did a major cleanup and refurbishing of another local trail.

Yeah I think getting some Scouts involved is a sure thing. Just be sure you talk to the rangers before you do anything major or that involves cutting. Ya don't want to get in hot water over trying to do the right thing.”

“This weekend I am scheduled for the dredged wisdom teeth extraction so March is pretty much out for me. One of the weekends around April 22 (Earth Day) might be the best time to get the most people involved.”

“Yeah - I suggested this very thing a few months ago.

I'd prefer to keep it a TT thing, tho. The scouts (God lov'em!) are an established group that should be able to organize their own project, IMHO.

It's a wilderness fer cryin' out loud - IT DON'T NEED NO STEEEN-KEEENG BLAZES! I understand that there's a "new" wave sweeping the wilderni regarding going blazeless.

The FS workstation would be glad to loan tools. BPBaby and I inquired at Thanksgiving, but the fella didn't have the key to the storage bldg. I can provide a Pulaski, pruning saw, bow saw, and numerous shovels.

I have Spring break the first week of April. Nine days - of which I'd like to spend a couple saltwater fishing. The rest are still up in the air.

A relatively small group of TTers could do ALOT of "damage" in a relatively short time...

Lets JUST DO IT!”

“I can make it in April on the weekend of the 6th or the 20th. (Although there is an ECT trip on the 20th I think). Also, as there are several backpackers in my company and the company is pushing everyone to do community service, I can probably "recruit" additional help.”

“No biggie Gojo, as long as it gets done it doesn't matter who does it.

God bless the trail maintainers.”

“Count me in. Just give me a date to mark on my calender. The only weekend in April that I know I can't make is the weekend of the 13th.”

“Where is this at?”

“It's in the Bankhead NF - north-central AL.”

“OK....lets get a foreman
The foreman can SET the date...Then we can go from there

**Any suckers wanna Volunteer?**

I have no tools here..but wouldn't mind buying a stiff rake or small saw of some sort to contribute.”

“Let's see...OPIE suggested the whole thing out of social outrage...OPIE wants a foreman...I hereby nominate.....OPIE, do we have a second?”

“I second for Opire to be da Foreman.

I'll bring a Bow Saw.

For everyone planning to show up, BRING LEATHER GLOVES!!!!!
Trail work can tear your hands up.”

“I move that nominations cease and immediately call for a vote. OPIE, set the date, the weekends I can make it in April are posted. I will commit to either of those weekends.”

“I think I'm open for any weekend in April.
Just let me know the dates and I'll put it on the Calendar. Does anyone want to start on Friday?”

“Weekend of April 6 would be great!”

“I wonder if we could get the $3 a day parking fee waved since we're doing Trail work?”

“I'll make the calls, and coordinate this bad boy then...foremans rawk...hands in pockets..leaning on a shovel!!
ok i have positives for the 6th and 20th weekends...a negative for the 13th..and nothing said about the 27th.

ALL FOR THE weekend of the 6th speak now...”

“The weekend of April 6th sounds good.”

“The later in the month, the better luck I'm gonna have. The wife is worn out on me being out of town. I have to be out of town on business the weekend of the 6th.”

“I will participate...I believe that a large two man cross cut saw can be had from the FS....for cutting LARGE treees down across the trails.”

“I'm good for Apr. 6 weekend so far...

I found a place on the web that sells crosscut saws, both one- and two-man, for reasonable prices, i.e. under $200. But getting one from the FS would be even better, since they probably maintain the saw.”

“6th sounds good to me”

“Note: I started this message @ 9 a.m., EST - I may be repeating posts submitted since then :o).

What Dude said - bring work gloves.

Other suggested things you might have lying around the house...

pruning shears (hand held) - sheath a plus
folding pruning saw - sheath ditto
two-person crosscut saw (seriously)
"croaker" sack (fiberglass reinf'd) - for transporting ashes away from fire rings/campsites.
shovel - pointed or flat
axette”

“I've got a couple of bow saws (a large one and a small one), a hatchet, a limb-lopper, a couple of shovels, and many pairs of small pruning shears.

Are we gonna dayhike this stuff in, or are we planning on doing an overnighter somewhere in the Sipsey and working some both days?”

“Sounds like a great idea. I'm booked for April or I would help.”

“Even while working, we can cover several miles the first day, and still have additional time to work out of camp that afternoon (if we so desired).

Working in pairs, we would constantly leapfrog each other, until someone will eventually be the first to reach the camp. The others would arrive soon afterward.

Some pairs might want to focus on fire rings, while others cut away blowdowns and deadfalls, and still others work to improve the trail.

We can decide the particulars after we congregate and assess our tools and talent.

Personally, I will have my Pulaski, shovel, and pruning saw. I will stop and drop pack at every opportunity to use either.”