Sipsey Trail Maintenance Trip Planning

“They're now predicting thunderstorms for this area on Saturday. I probably will wait for the storms to clear before I head down. This means I might not get there until late on Saturday, depending on the weather. Of course, if it doesn't look like t-storms, I'll come on down at the regular time. I don't really want to be in the Sipsey, with all those dead trees, during a thunderstorm. I just hope HOI hears about it and gets out if it gets rough.”

“discharge and gage height site for the Sipsey Fork

Doesn't look too bad yet...”

“Dang.
I hate missing ANOTHER Sipsey work detail. I forget why, but I had to skip out on the last one.

Rain? At Sipsey? Imagine that!
The one time I've been, it rained - nay... stormed! BPBaby was on that trip. We camped one night on a ridge, amongst beetled pines. That night, a tornado touched down 10 miles away, killing four(?). I'm surprised I didn't wake up with a tree in the tent...

I'm not absolutely, positively sure I'm not going to be there. It depends on Mary's condition tomorrow a.m.

Have fun.”

“Yes, that's the situation I'm looking to avoid, sharing my tent with a tree. I ain't skeered of no tornado, but it's kinda like jumping off a tall building. It's not the fall that kills you, it's that sudden deceleration at the end...”

“great gojo, hope you can make it. More importantly hope everthing goes well for Mary.

BAMA”

“Hi Bama. How goes it? Hope you and Ala (and family) are doing great!”

“Hey tango, I was hoping you would have been able to make this trip. Maybe next time. How has things been in the land of sunshine?

I just got word that one of the lines here at work was going to run over. That will put me getting off tonight at 4:00am. As many of you know when I don't get any sleep I tend to snore. O well I'll bring earplugs for Ya'll. I'll get home about 5 and try to get in the bed by 6 to get a little sleep before heading out. I had intended on being at the trail around 9. It looks more like around noon at the TH. But hey at least Im going to make it. Bit if your coming through earlier go ahead and call me. I'll get up. You may have to sit on the doorbell but that will be fine. I'm used to going without much sleep. That may have something do do with the developing gray in my hair.

BAMA”

“BAMA, the thunderstorms are pushing to later and later. Maybe they will happen, maybe they won't. I'm going to wait until tomorrow and see how the forcast changes. I'll probably come down sometime tomorrow, it just depends. Not sure exactly when, but noon is a good guess now, just depends on the storms. I may put it off until Sunday if it looks bad.”

“OK, the t-storms are now forecast for all weekend. I'm not going to make it. If it were just going to be some spotty showers, that would be alright, but t-storms are another matter. I'll have to catch you guys another time.”

“Bit, I talked to Stovestomper about an hour ago. He said he may go in sometime in the am tomorrow. It was really lightning while we were talking. It has subdued now but the weather channel is calling for more thunderstorms starting about 3 o'clock, lasting all through the night. I plan on going to where HOI went in from and see if his vehicle is still there. I'm think i'll call SS back and see if we can meet for supper. I probally won't be going this weekend either. It depends on the lightning. I won't be going in tomorrow as I have to work Monday.

BAMA”

“OK BAMA. I'll probably go in sometime tomorrow, just not sure when exactly. Hopefully HOI will have left us some work to do...lol...”

“Bit, ALA and I went to Gum Pond and HOI car was there. AlA is still a little under the weather. He was coughing and still had a headache but we hiked in a little ways down the gum pond trail. Tried the radios but no advail. He probally conldn't pick up in the canyon. The lightning has just now let up enough for me to sigh on. I'm sure HOI is in the canyon and the lightning is not a problem for him.
It has rained here pretty much all day. The campsite at Bee doesn't flood normally. I havn't talked to SS since this am. I'm assuming he is still going in tomorrow. Gotta sign off again the lightning is still hanging around.

BAMA”

“BAMA, thanks for the update. Since we talked last, I have cut the crap out of my finger. I think someone is telling me to not go to the Sipsey this weekend. I'll see what it looks like in the morning...”

“Ouch!

Get thee to the Injured Reserve List.”

“Bitpusher, Sorry to hear about your cut. Maybe it'll heal fast. I had thought about doing a quick daytrip into camp Hogonice. To help out with the saw. ALA spent most of the day in bed, but is getting a little better. Miss OPIE would be proud of me I finally did the Valentines day thing with miss BAMA. She does think that the little attempt we made in the rain towards bee branch yesterday is the reason he is in bed today. We both explained to her that if we had not have did it he would have been much worse today. I don't think she bought it though. I have to say that she is really easy going and lets him do things with me a lot of moms would cringe about. She knows how I am on safety, and that I will take care of him. You should see him repelling. His sister enjoys repelling also, but she don't care for tromping around in the woods much. She kinda takes after her mom and wants a warm bath at night. Maybe one of the days we all can do a little repelling also. Hey , hog on rope, does have a ring to it.

BAMA”

“Tell ALA I hope he gets better soon. I hate that I couldn't make this trip, but that's just the way it works out.

StoveStomper called me early yesterday, and I let him know that HOI's car was still at Gum Pond, so he went in. I imagine HOI got all the help he needed with that saw.

We need to schedule another trip sometime, maybe April again, to do some more cleanup.”

“Well, how did the Shire do in the rain? I am totally psyched to find out.

HOI-How's it going man?”

“Tango - Ithink they are planning on staying in tonight and coming out sometime tomorrow. I left a not on HOI car, giving him directions to my house if he needs a place to shower. So maybe I'll see them in the morning. I still fell guilty about someone else cleaning up my playground and me not being there. Saturday when ALA and I hiked in to the ridge above Bee branch to try radio contact with HOI it was really hard to turn back and not go into Bee branch. ALA was sick, we were in the rain, and we could hear thunder. By the time we got back to the truck lightning was popping everwhere. We were glad to be off that ridge line before the storm hit. ALA is recovering, he spent the day in bed Sunday but he went to school today.

BAMA”

“I bet you were glad to be off that ridge! Did your hair stand up on the back of your neck?

I am glad that Ala is better. How cold is it up your way? I saw some cold temps. We are supposed to get down in the upper 40's tonight but back to the upper 60's tomorrow.”

“We were at 31 deg when I came into work today at 3:30. Its suposed to warm up through the rest of the week, but more rain. We made it off of the ridge line before the lightning started so we were not really in any danger. I think I am coming down with the bug ALA had. I have had a headache and been dizzy most of the night.

BAMA”

“Ya'll remember me saying that it ain't safe to cross borden with the gage height above 4-5 feet. It went above 14 feet on the 16th then back down around 6 feet 24 hours later. I told ya'll it can rise and fall quickly. Check it out, Bitpusher posted a link a few days ago on this thread. If ya'll remember the pic when we crossed it in sept of last year the gage height was at 3 feet. I gotta get down there and see what all got washed out. I can't wait to hear from HOI and stovestomper. I have seen sipsey and bee flood at the campsite they were at, but I don't remember the gageheight. Anyway I bet they will have some interesting stories. Dang wish I was there It had to have been fun.

BAMA”

“That's cold! Hope you feel better!”

“One would think that a gage height of 14 feet would mean widespread flooding through out the area. I hope they are alright. Hope you get to feeling better too BAMA. That's what kids are for, passing you their germs...lol...”

“It was a dark and stormy night……
Made it up into North Alabama Friday night and decided I didn’t want to hike into the Sipsey at night alone and in the rain so I got a motel room in Cullman, Al. Weather forecast called for thunderstorms and very heavy rain Sat.
I asked at the motel desk for a Huntsville phone book so I could call bitpusher and see if he was still going to meet me around 9 AM at the trailhead. The phone book was from 1996 and bitpusher wasn’t in it, but a couple of people with his last name were so I called one of them on my cell phone. I was lucky, bitpusher’s dad answered the number and gave me bit’s number. Bitpusher warned me about the lightning and said he wasn’t going in till Sunday. I called Bama after getting his number from bit and Bama said it was lightning all around his house. Bama lives about 15 miles north of the Sipsey. Bama said he was going to check on HogOnIce’s car and see if he had left and would call bitpusher. I decided it was too dangerous to go in and would go in Sunday also.
Sunday morning I call Bit and he said he was not going because he had cut the s**t out of his finger the night before. Bitpusher must be different than most, because that stuff comes out of a different place on me rather than a cut finger. Sorry for the cut, bit.
Drove to the Thompson Creek trailhead and hit the trail about 9:30 AM Sunday. Very overcast but no rain. The trail was muddy and wet. About an 1 & ½ “ of rain had fallen last night. The Sipsey River was rolling and very high. Came to the eye of the needle and climbed up through it. I thought I was taking a shortcut but after looking at the map, it was only about ½ mile around the point. It was fun anyway.
Met a couple of backpackers breaking camp about a ½ mile from Bee Branch. They told me a couple of trail maintainers were camped at Bee Branch. I soon passed a massive blowdown with a very nice cut right through the middle of it. I zoomed along and soon came to Bee Branch about 11:30 with HogOnIce siting on a log looking at the high water of the Sipsey across Bee Branch.
Bee Branch was backed up by the Sipsey and the water was about 5 feet deep at the normal step across. I chatted with HOI a few minutes and learned I just missed Walkabout who have left a few minutes before I got there on another trail. I walked up Bee Branch until the water was shallow enough to wade across. HOI met me on the over side as I was putting my shoes and socks back on.
The cut through massive blowdown was the work of HOI and Walkabout Sat. Dang, I missed all the fun.
HOI was pretty tired after all the work he had done the past few days and suggested I could check out the trail going to the Big Tree and see if any big stuff needed clearing. I took my little saw and took off. I cleared a couple of small limbs of the trail but no big stuff needed cutting. I scouted out the trail route up and over the bluffs at the big tree and cleared out a few limbs.
HOI took me over east of camp along the Sipsey to show me some of the other work he had done. I cleared a brush pile away from the trail to reroute it from the river’s edge.
During supper I admired HOI’s 1 qt. Alum cup he uses as a cookpot and his tea candle alcohol stove. Very light and cheap. I’ll got to get one of those cups.
A light mist was falling after dark and we soon turned in to our sleeping bags.
Tango, I missed the downpour so I can’t get you any more of a report on my Henry Shire TarpTent rainwise. It does great in a heavy mist, Ha Ha.
It was 32 degrees Monday morning. My REI SubKilo “20 degree” down bag was very chilly. I pulled on my longjohns and coat and was very warm. HOI was up and stirring so after a while I came out of that nice warm tarptent and made breakfast.
HOI had a lot of heavy trail clearing equipment so I decided to help him carry it out. It was the least I could do since I hadn’t done a turn on that crosscut saw. We split up some of the gear and headed North up Bee Branch. Went up and over the bluffs at the Big Tree and continue North. Passed another blowdown HOI had cut through solo along the way. Soon came to the old Forrest Service road (now a trail) and turned NorthWest towards HOI’s car. At a junction turning off back to Thompsons Creek I said goodbye to HOI and returned his tools. He had about another mile to go to his car and I had another 3 & ½ miles to my truck.
The temp was about 34 degrees and windy on the ridge top. I flew down the trail to warm up and was very happy to see my truck at the end.
Changed clothing at the truck and drove in to Double Springs to a big burger and fries.
Got home about six hours later.
Wish I were still up there.

Pictures at 11.”

“Thanks for NOTHING StoveStomper. I think I am going to take the plunge anyway. One last question, in the back of the tarp where it is curved, how is that made? Is it some kind of tubing that stays threaded thru the tarp or what? Thanks

Glad you guys had a good day!
That HOI is a machine! (and very cool)”

“The rear arch is formed by slideing a sectioned aluminum pole thru a tube in the TarpTent rear top. The pole is then bent and the ends go into grommets on a nylon strap which keeps it tensioned into the arch shape. Very easy to set up.”

“cpm=com in the link.
Link”

“Was waiting on HOI to post before I posted but he probably is just getting home.I got to the campsite around 3:30/4:00Friday.I waited to make sure the trip was still a go by checking all of the post before I left home.The last post indicated everything was still ok , I headed out so that HOI would not be there all week-end by himself.Found him at the east side of Bee Branch with camp all set up.I walked across Bee Branch and put up my tent and we talked until it statred to sprinkle ,we then went to bed.Saturday morning we arose ate breakfast and headed out to clear the blow down between Bee Branch and Thompson Creek.It was one big mess.Took us all day with it rainig on and off. I can see why everyone calls HOI the MAN of the cross cut saw.He is one more worker.After we finished the clean up we went back to the camp site and sat around and talked.After a few minutes we heard some voices and thought it was Stovestomper and Bitpusher.Instead it was two backpacker from Jackson,MS.We talked for a while and they thanked us for the cutting of the blow down .They went up toward the Big Tree and about then it started to rain.We said we would go to our tent/hammock and wait on it to stop.Well it didnt stop,it continued to rain,lighting and thunder all night.The closest we believe the lighting got to us was about 1/4 of a mile.We had bad weather all night and it was still raining some Sunday morning.After we ate,we then went down river toward Borden Creek to ctear two other blown downs.We cleared them in a couple of hours and returned to camp.Realizing that Bee Branch was too deep to cross,I elected to walk out toward the Big Tree and then follow the FS road to Thompson Creek.As Stovestomper said,I missed him by a few minutes.The hike to Thompson Creek was wet and muddy and not much fun.In fact boring as He!!.Got to my car and saw two trucks from MS.I knew one belonged to the people we met from MS and guessed the other one belonged to Stovestomper.Enjoyed the trip and had hoped to meet more TTs but I understand why all of you didnt hike in.The weather was bad and there will be other times.Looking forward to the next trip and hope to meet other TTs.If everyone is as nice as HOI,what else could you ask from someone.I will continue to check the post and maybe I will meet more people in the future.In closing ,HOI is still the MAN.”

“Stovestomper, Great trip report. Wish I cound have been there. Things just didn't work out. Did you notice that the trail above bee branch had a lot of stuff that had been cut with a chainsaw. When ALA and I went in saturday we noticed someone had used a chainsaw on a lot of the blowdowns. I told ALA HOI could work circles around a chainsaw with his crosscut. HOI is really some more lumberjack, but the biggest thing about him is his knowledge of all the plants around. Heck I can't even name all the tree much less the plants and I live here. I thank I can say from all the locals around this area. Thank you all for your efforts in keeping our playground maintained.

BAMA”

“One additional comment,HOI told me to say a big thank you to Tango for the gloves.They made the hard work easy on the hands.Not one blister.THANKS!”

“Thanks everyone for your concern about the thunder showers - as walkabout mentioned they were no danger to us down in the valley - closes about 1/4 to 1/2 mile away - it was interesting how the sound rolled through the canyons and valleys. I was a little concerned about flooding possibility but even that was no problem - the river would have had to rise another 8-10 feet before we would have been affected. The only thing that bothered me was that super large washing machine sound from the water going over the big rocks right by the campsite - these rocks are normally a few feet out of the water and are big enough to have a picnic on. Anyways for the cut by cut report: I arrived Wed. at Gum Pond parking area at about 3PM and somewhat slowly hiked into the campsite at the 204/224 trailhead - setup hammock, reduced packweight by eating some of it (grin), and hit the sack. Woke up in the morning to a coyote calling - interesting observation - the calls were a bit different from the ones around here in Virginia - the yips were a bit different. The water in my bottle had partially frozen and there was a good coat of frost on some of my bags - I ate some more pack weight and worked on the blowdown (a climb through) that was right at the sign for 204 and got that into shape for normal backpackers to get through easily - this was the plan for most of the work done this trip - reduce the PIA blowdowns to simple stepovers. Anyways at this point I had run very low on water so I had to get a move on it on down to the official campsite for the Friday arrivals. As I indicated I planned to go down 204 to see how bad it was - this proved to be a bad idea but I did it anyway - once one gets past the Big Tree turn off 204 trail condition turns to crap due to all the blowdowns - it seemed like I was bushwhacking around blowdowns more than I was on the trail - one stretch of about 100 yards is completely buried in blowdowns - almost all bowndowns are pine and most are in the smallish range (8 inch typical). This bushwhacking was not what one wants to do when using a Gearskin and carrying a naked crosscut blade in hand (blade tends to get caught on small twigs/vines etc.). Anyways once below the bluff line the trail was considerably better and I was able to check out the work that Wade had done with his crosscut a couple weeks earlier - the rerouting that he did looked to be a good choice given the options he had and it does avoid a wet spot in the trail. On the way to the basecamp I observed that the two PIA blowdowns that I had come after had been somewhat improved by a few people with small saws but effectively still PIAs. On Friday I mainly hung around the campsite cleaning it up and waiting. Walkabout came in in the afternoon and got setup with histent and we talked about stuff for a while and then hit the sack - it was a bit warmer this night. In the morning (Saturday) we decided to try to do the blwodwon that Chili had mentioned and walkabout had scouted - a quick dash across the Bee Branch and maybe .2 mi later we were looking at a real mess. Thanks to having a good partner that talked me out of quiting when the rain started getting heavy we worked on that one blowdown all day - we both were running out of gas as we finished the last and largest cut (about 20 inch) and the SOB round would not drop no matter what we did so we had to do a third cut on the SOB and chip out until the round could be knocked out - once that was done so were we. I would check the radio occassionally but never got any response so we guessed that something had come up with bitpusher and StoveStomper. After we got back to camp we heard a couple people - some backpackers that were camped on the other side of Bee Branch out for a hike - we talked routes for a while (strongly recommended to avoid the lower part of 204) and sent them off to look at Big Tree. A few minutes later the rain started to get heavy and we retired for the night of flash count count count bang and wishing the washing machin would turn off (GRIN). Next morning walkabout and I took care of the two blowdowns I originally wanted to get - as somewhat expected they were easy after the mess Saturday - walkabout had to leave for some family obligations so he packed up and left - he and I worked well together on the "misery whip". A few minutes later as I was watching the water whorl around at the junction of Bee Branch and Sipsey River along came StoveStomper - he had to go a fair ways up Bee Branch to find a place to wade across - cold water brrrr. I was able to show him the latest in tea candle stove design and he showed me the latest in the windscreen / pot support design (btw StoveStomper it is 18 gage steel wire I am using). Not having any major things in mind I suggested a scouting trip up Bee Branch trail - nothing up there that needs work urgently but there was at least one spot that needs some work to make it easier for backpackers - sort of a duck under while sliding down hill that is a small pia. We went and StoveStomper took pictures of the work walkabout and I had done earlier and on the way back StoveStomper took care of a blwodwon that had pushed the trail too close to the edge of the river - we hawled some firewood from that blowdown back to the basecamp and had a small campfire that night after continuing to eat the packweight - frankly I was amazed that StoveStomper could get anything to burn considering how wet everything was. In the morning we packed up and headed out - StoveStomper elected to take the longer way back to Thompson Parking Area just so he could help carring the tools - many thanks for the help StoveStomper. I arrived back at the Gum Pond Parking Area and found the kind note and invitation from BAMA - I am sorry the timing did not work out quite right and I hope everyone is feeling OK now. Driving home I started hearing about the bad snow storm on the East Coast - no real problem driving until the last 30 feet - I got stuck trying to get into my driveway and at 1 AM I finally got the car parked on the edge of the road (sigh). This morning I shoveled the snow out of the driveway at least enough so as to get the car off the road. Let me state this clearly - I HATE SHOVELING SNOW - oh well at least it probably will melt in the relatively near future.

Again thanks to walkabout for being a great partner on the crosscut saw, thanks to StoveStomper for documenting with pictures the work that was done, thanks to Tango for the gloves - good service for another year, and many thanks to all the people that were thinking about us out there in the rain. It was a great trip and we got done what we wanted most to get done.”

“Some Sipsey Pictures of HOI's trip by StoveStomper have been added to my Webshots page.”

“HOI Just let me know when you need any more!”

“Stovestomper thanks for the pics, HOI great trip report. When ALA and I hiked in above ya'll to make radio contact it was kinda funny. Most of the time when we go hiking with other people it is with people that don't spend a lot of time in the woods. Most of them depend on me for directions and howto's. We were standing there in the rain trying to contact ya'll when we started hearing thinder in the distance and started heading back when he said. "I just thought of something. I know you would be worried if this was some of the other people we hike with. But this bunch of people know how to take care of themselves out here" I have to agree with him, It is great to hike with people I can gain knowledge from by the bucketfulls. Ya'll made an impression on him the last hike he went on. BTW he called ya'll real backpackers on that trip. We have been in that campsite during a thunderstorm and the thunder can really roll through the canyons.
The picture's had some impressive work done by such a very few people. Again many thanks.

BAMA”

“man you guys are awesome..i'll be heading up there in a month or so for some solo hiking most likely..i bet the rangers are scratching their heads wondering...how'd all this happen?...who are those masked saw men!”

“Those pictures are awesome! Wow, HOI, you really got a lot done! I wish I had been able to make this trip. I should have just come in on Saturday like I planned. Oh well, there' still plenty of work to do in there I bet.”

“Glad to hear all went well for you boys.

HOI, I'm glad you approve of that little reroute we did. It was very much a compromise though. I would have liked to have cut right through the middle of the trunk that we left, but the danged thing landed square on a stump at the point where the main trunk first started to branch. With it loaded in the middle like it was, and without wedges or rigging, it was all we could do; no clearance to do an undercut either. Still, an improvement for sure over what we had.

I wound up having to spend Sat. and most of Sun. in Atlanta, a town that only looks good in the rearview mirror, in my opinion. The weather to the E. of Ala. was just as bad, if not worse.

Like I said, glad to see some work got done, and nobody got hurt.(The most important thing.)”

“Good job. Sorry I missed this one, but every now and then work actually has to come first.”

“Wade - that was one thing that did puzzle me - why don't you use a wedge?”

“I do most of the time, and rigging, although I've found that a come-a-long and an extra length of wire rope will give you more bang for the buck. We covered ten plus miles that day, coming from the other side of the river like we did. We were scouting and cutting, so lighter was better.

I like your idea of an axe head wedge. All I have are the traditional hunks of steel, which probably go three pounds a piece! NOT real portable. What do usually whack it with, a rock? Piece of wood? Sledge?

I was curious about the report that somebody had been in there using a chainsaw. Obviously, not someone very well versed in Wilderness regs. Still, you can't argue with the results, eh?”

“I use a two pound hammer with the hand axhead wedge - sort of a short handled sledge (approx 1 foot long).

As to the chain saw use I suspect that they may have had the permission from FS since there were also tire tracks on 223 where the chain saw was being used - as far as I know the only way through that gate is with FS permission. Perhaps Uncle Wayne could give us some insight here - I think I remember him as being the one who first mentioned the blowdowns on 223 as having been cleared. In any case I consider using a chainsaw in that area to be no worse than the arrangement PATC has with the NPS for use of chainsaws two days a year in the wilderness areas of Shen. - I don't particularly like the fact but I have no real say in it either. You just won't ever catch me using a chainsaw there (or anywhere else for that matter).

On another note - now that the FS is going to require certification March 1 for crosscut use in FS areas, are you going to get certified Wade? (grin)”

“Hey, this is Ala., we don't need no stinkin' certification! (Oops, those trail aliases come in handy, at times, don't they?)

Still, I can't see that being enforced too heavily, especially for trail maintainers. It is not like we have a surfeit of those. The good volunteers that are out there, like you, and me, and the others who post here and there, just are too valuable to squash with senseless regs.

I must confess to taking a chainsaw into a Wilderness area , the S. Natahala, after Hurricane Opal trashed the N. Ga. mountains. Our special dispensation came through a local conservationist friend who was the guy most responsible for having this area declared Wilderness. Still, it certainly didn't come down from anywhere official. If not for the power saw that trail would have been written off, unless we could have had a legion of men with X-cuts out there for a week. All a balancing act....”

“Frankly Wade I am more than a little concerned about the state of 204 above the bluff line (ie above where you were working) and below the Big Tree cutoff - that trail is going to need a lot of work to get it into hikable contition - the treadway is in good shape but it is covered with blowdowns - mainly pine killed by the southern pine bark beetle. If something doesn't happen in the next year the lower section of 204 may just go the way of 205 - a line on the map but not really a complete trail anymore.

There was some mention of interest in a April trail maintenance trip - I wonder if working on clearing the blowdowns on 204 is a possibility?”

“I'd be up for that...if I don't cut myself again, that is...”

“You are right about that trail, and a couple of others.

The Sipsey trail system suffers from years of pretty concerted neglect, coupled with pine beetle damage, ice storms and tornado damage. It has always been tough to navigate with a pack on, but seems to have taken a turn for the worse in the last ten years or so. I don't seriously expect that the trails will ever reach even a momentary state of being "clear", and I know you don't either. (Don't even ask about treadway maintenance!) Still, we do what we can and every bit helps.

I would certainly agree, in theory, to an April trip. I might even be able to round up a few "old reliables." Whether I can really be there, or not, depends on the cases I have to try, always a very frustrating thing to plan around. My solution has always been to just get out while the getting is good, which doesn't allow for much advanced planning.”

“The 5th (Lost Cove) and 19th (Easter weekend) are bad for me.
Put me down as as a maybe.
If lightning storms are coming, I'm not. ;)”

“Unforunately that is a good time for t-storms in Alabama. But we do sometimes have a nice weekend here or there in April.”

“Just throwing this out.....
I'm kinda interested in reopenning an old trail into the Kings Cove area from the Thompsons Creek road.
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=16&n=3799403&e=455534&s=50&u=1">Topozone Link.
There is a parking area right before the road makes a big curve and goes down to the Thompson Creek bridge. The link has a target on it.
I tried following this old trail a year or so ago and soon lost it due to all the blowdowns. I gave it up and returned to my car and went in at the Thompson Creek trailhead and followed the creek to King's Cove. The end of the old roadbed came out a little ways East of King's Cove down to the river and was in pretty good shape.
Any off you locals know more?
Is this something someone besides me is interested in?”

“This is just my opinion, but I think the 204 should be taken care of first, since it can be combined with other north/south trails to make a path from 6/60 all the way to Gum Pond. But it does look short and manageable.”

“True Bit, but....
The lower end of 204 sees little use because it connects and parallels the "unoficial" trail from the top the bluffs at the Big Tree down East Bee Branch.
If I was walking south on 204 I would like taking the Bee Branch route instead of the ridge walk.”