Sipsey trip in Sept.

“Just found out I'll have to work an hour over on Friday. That will put us to the TH an hour later. With all the rain I'm just going to go on a asume that Borden creek is going to be up pretty high.
Here's my updated plan;
Packrat and Ewker,
Get to my house about 5:30 and we'll head out. We'll head on the the Borden Creek TH and crash out there instead of walking in. If we tried to walk in I figure it'd be about 10:00 before getting to camp and then a bit later till we actually turn in. It'd be too late to socialize anyway.
We'll hike in early Saturday morning and meet everyone else in camp.”

“WD - looks like the biggest part of the rain will miss us. We may be able to cross the creek at borden on friday. By late friday night early sat it should be way down. You may want to go on to the park. If you can leave from the park it would save ya a bout 2 miles.

BAMA”

“Which trail head are you guys going in on? And how far is it from trail head to the campsite you are staying at? You are staying at the campsite above Fall Creek Falls right?”

“OK BAMA. We'll stop and check out the H2O level at the Rec parking first.

bbinkley
Most people are starting at the Rec parking on Friday. You'll have to look back and try to find the time.”

“they are meeting at noon from what i hear. can't make it by then but i'll hike in if i know where campsite is. and the closest trail head to there. I can't find a map online of the park. Is there one online?”

“Our plan is to leave about noon from the park and go to the south side of the river to turkey foot falls. We will see 3 waterfalls and a bluff shelter on this route. We had planned to go cross country to falls creek falls, but with the water level I thing we will come back to the park and go down the trail 209 if we can cross borden. the link above will get you to a weather station that will list the water level. IF the level is much above 4' at this station Borden is not crossable. The water level rises and falls quickly. From what I see we may be able to cross Borden by friday afternoon. If not we will go to the bridge on borden and come down the other side and back down to falls creek. We will be camped above the falls. If your coming in alone the trail up above the fallls is about 100 yards before you get to the falls. On your right will be a game trail up the hill. Take this trail to the top and turn left. we will be camped in the clearing above. If your coming in a night watch out on your left after climbing the hill, there is a dropoff. If you leave the parking lot walk under the main bridge and there will be a monument. We will put a note in a bag as to which way we went to get to camp. If you come in this way add to the note for Walkindude and the others.

P.S. if you back up a few days there is detailed instructions on how to get to this campsite.

OPIE - don't forget the glowstick.

BAMA”

“bbinkey - after you go through Moulton you will come to a caution light at hwy 36. there is a store there Warrior Mountains trading post. They have maps.”

“Thanks BAMA. look forward to meeting you guys. I know father goose and dodder. those guys are a blast to hike with. Is there a map online?”

“I did a quick search and didn't find one. I check at the trading post last weekend they had several. Beep me at 256-219-6783 if you need more info

BAMA”

“walkindude, what a bummer making you work over on a Friday,esp this Friday. I will leave early since I haven't been to your place before so should be there between 5:00 and 5:30. Looking forward to seeing the rest of you Friday night or Sat. morning”

“This totally sucks! We have nothing going on but they won't cancel us! I can't believe this!”

“tango, maybe if everything clears tomorrow they might let you off but would that give you enough time to make it.”

“I don't know yet. I have to show up tomorrow night, then.... Who the heck knows with the big wigs!! But I see Lily is breaking up so?!”

“walkindude,
will you guys be at the borden creek trailhead at 224 or will you be at the rec area? Looks like I can't get there before midnight. If not then it will be before daylight on Sat. What will you be driving? Maybe you could leave a note on the windshield.”

“bbinkly,
try this site it has a pretty decent map:
http://www.briartech.com/
you can print it off. Hope YOU get to make it. Everything is going wrong for me this weekend.”

“We'll stop by the Rec area first. We'll be in a BIG red GMC Pickup truck w/extended cab.”

“Finally some good news, the water is receding. It peaked at 7'4" at 4:30 now its down to 6'2" at 8:30. It should be low enough that we can cross Borden creek by 2:00 tomorrow.
Has anyone heard from HOI, or the OPIES. They were going in tonight.

bbinkly - if you go in after dark pay attention to the junction of borden creek and Sipsey river. Borden creek is actually wider than Sipsey at this point when the water is up. The best way I can describe it is when your walking in take the lower fork in the trail and you will stay down near the river. When you come to a campsite in the trail and the trail turns back to your right is the junction. Cross borden here the trail will pick up on the other side close to the river. the trail is not as pronounced by is easy to follow.

If you have a family channel radio we will be on channel 1. You should be able to reach us from this crossing or maybe even the parking lot. The crossing is .5 miles from the parking lot and the campsite is another .5 miles from there.

BAMA”

“BTW - ALA and I will be in a blue ford ext cab 4x4. O and when I said the magic number on the marker was 4' at the bridge gage that ain't 4' of water to cross in Borden. It's more like a 2' there.

BAMA”

“Now there is a small chance I can be there by 9:30-10:00. I'll head to the rec area first and if I don't see your truck, I'll head to the borden creek TH. Are you guys gonna sleep in the truck again?”

“We'll decide when we get there. Chances are, we won't go to Borden creek now. We'll just park there and either walk in or camp there and walk in in the morning. The only reason we'd condider going to Borden Creek TH is if Borden creek is just WAY too bad. If you have one of those 14 channel radios then we will be on Channel 1.”

“we're still here
we'll be at the TH with you guys...around 11 right?...
bit and FG..call us and we can meet up in west decatur
e-mail opie1979@yahoo.com if you don't have my number”

“How'z da rain down there?”

“Hey ya'll I haven't been online for a couple of days and hate to see ya can't make it. I was lookin forward to seeing you again. Chilli: Good luck to your son. Tango: Come on up girl, We'll never tell em.”

“Ain't rainin now. Looks like maybe another hour of slight mist and then it's over.”

“nope...rained a lil all day..with it getting pretty hard at nightfall..it stoped about an hour after that...still windy out though..should be a great hike.

i'll have the glowsticks...miss opie will have them in her pack..lol”

“"TANGO!!! YOU BETTER NOT BE OUT WALKING IN ALABAMA SOMEPLACE!!!!"

That's what Tango's boss will be yelling over the radio this weekend.
hehehe”

“About to leave to go get Father Goose. I weighed my pack...with food for three days and water, 34 pounds. Geeeezzzzz....I gotta do something to get my pack weight down....”

“bit or Opie or FG, is it still raining down there. It has stopped here in Nashville but looks like it could start back any second.”

“and I don't like it, I wish I was in the Sipsey with you guys.

Started "passing" a kidney stone Wed. a week ago. The pain is like a broken bone. The stone got partway down my ureter between the kidney and bladder and got stuck.
The kidney almost shut down and I almost lost the kidney.
This pass Tue. I underwent a ureteroscopy and the doc managed to push the stone back into the kidney and put a plastic stent (tube about 3mm in dia.) inside me between the bladder and kidney to drain it.
Wed. I underwent lithotripsy which uses sound waves to break up the stone.
Today the doc xrays me yet again and said I still need to pass four small fragments so the stent must stay in till Monday week.
The stent doesn't really hurt, but I know it's in me and it does irritate and cause bleeding.

Well, that's why I'm not with you guys. Hope you all are having fun. I know I would be if I could be with you, wet or dry. Hope everyone is REAL carefull crossing the streams!
Cheers!”

“SS Good luck! Do they have you on any pain meds?

I wish I was there too. I got cancelled at work tonight. So here I sit instead of being in Sipsey!!”

“Working for a living sucks big time doesn't it?
The first few days I was on Demerol, now I just take Lortab at night for pain. I'm just uncomfortable enought to need it to sleep.”

“You know what they say about kidney stones? It is the closest a man can come to the pain of child birth!!”

“sorry to hear that stove stomper....

I guess tango, you and I will have to make the Sipsey "some time after" trip.”

“Can I go?”

“I know it's probably too early to bring it up but I want to do something in north Georgia. I got a brand new down jacket and lined pants that I want to try out. You (or anyone) interested? Probably not until Dec 6,7,8.”

“How is chili16 doing in the cookoff?”

“It is tomorrow, tango. Thanks for asking.”

“Did you see the Georgia trip request right above my last post? You interested?”

“It was a Blast!!!!”

“10/4”

“I had a really good time! It was nice seeing everyone again and it was nice meeting Ala, Ewker, Father Goose, and Bbinkly (renamed Big Gulp). Thanks to Bama for being such a great guide and for the history lessons!”

“What'd ya do? Where'd ya go? How was the weather? Sorry I missed all of you!! (I got cancelled Fri at 1500, I still seriously thought about driving up...)

Chili You back yet?”

“1 Girl.....11 Guys (Dream or Nightmare!?!?)
confussion in the dark
Copperhead Snakes (more tales from the cathole)
Strange people walking through camp
Lost & Found gear
"more snakes
Death From Above
"WHERE ARE WE?"
HE Ate WHAT?!?!"
Problems at the mud slide
11 Hikers invade Pizza Hut, Others are forsed to leave.”

“We hiked. We went to Sipsey. It was beautiful. We missed you, too.
Chili will have to answer that last one...”

“So Dude what you're saying is wait for your trip report?

FG- Yes beautiful!”

“You gonna do the report or what?”

“I think he's sleeping right now walkindude.”

“What did you mean by this?

1 Girl.....11 Guys (Dream or Nightmare!?!?)”

“Well, WAKE HIM UP!
He ain't done anything today.
hehehe”

“I'm about to head that way myself too walkindude. I had a great time this weekend but I'm wore out. One step closer to me getting in shape!”