Walls of Jericho

“Dang, we need to get you two a room. Maybe your dogs a room?”

“Yes, I have a big yard... and a pond that the lab just loves :)

Anyhoo... every time I go backpacking it costs me $44/night to board the 4 dogs! These things have to be planned ahead.”

“Since this thing is getting some interest I should probably reiterate that this is a 3 day, off trail, bushwhacking trip. The only trails we'll hike will be the 3.5 miles in and the 3.5 miles out from the main campsite. Everything else will be a bushwhack.”

“LOL...Dayhiker...was that for me???.......LOL..hahahaahaha”

“Not directly. I went back and re-read the progression of this thread and realized that the first few posts don't explicitly say bushwhacking. I don't want folks to drive 4 hrs and get a surprise. Maybe I should've posted this on the trips page afterall. I didn't post it there in an attempt to keep it from turning into Savage Gulf. The plus of the trips page is that in big bold letters the intent of the trip is posted. I guess it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't. I still think you could've done the Sipsey trip, btw.”

“LOL.....I wish I had......I will be there next time..LOL......”

“I thought that's how you felt.

Friday can't get here quick enough.”

“I'm back to a weak maybe status due to the date change.”

“I have to get off my tail and pack tonight........I will pack car tomorrow night and drive from work in Decatur Fri!!...wooohoooo”

“I think divinity is on the wrong thread.”

“LOL...omg...I am....LOL.....”

“She is, but I steered here there with my comment about Friday.”

“Yes...he got me so excited about Friday I got confused!!!”

“AND I thought it was WEd!!!”

“download?”

“Hytop. I have a link to the main database for the state somewhere up the thread.”

“When is this trip again?”

“12/10-12

stikmon - I forgot to email you my address. I'll do that now.”

“Ok, that doesn't look like a weekend for the kids, so count me in.”

“I'm out that weekend. Company Christmas party and a church function.”

“I would like to go on this trip but it is the same weekend as my company's Christmas Party. I missed it last yr so I had better show up this yr.”

“If your gonna go on this trip, why don't I pick you up and we can go together. I'm on the fence on this, but it sure looks grand!

John, is this trip gonna follow creekbeds upto the various casysms. I'd sure hate to hike down those steep phukers. It looks like it will be strenuous and exciting. This don't look like a place for wussies.”

“Sorry about that Ewker. This is why I originially wanted it the previous weekend. I knew it would nail some folks with Christmas parties. We usually have our office Christmas party at Mardi Gras in Mobile in Feb, so it doesn't present a problem for me.

stik - yes, we'll hike in to the mouth of the Walls area and make camp, probably just upstream. I'd like to get away from the day traffic and get out of sight. From there we will just explore the different canyons. I'll work out the particulars over the Thanksgiving holiday.

It will be very strenuous for the mileage we'll actually cover each day. It will all be bushwhacking once we reach camp. Also, the outdoor alabama website has a map with the few trail that exist shown.”

“Are we talking basecamp and day packs?”

“Chili, yes.”

“It's a 3.5 mile hike in with a 1000' elev loss over about a mile or 2. Pretty steep. There is a public camping areas. It seems like embear said it was full when she went. I think we'll get there, check it out and then wander upstream until we find a place to camp. It'll need to be easy to find so that stragglers can find us. Friday afternoon we'll pic a nearby canyon and explore it and be back by dark. Saturday we'll do the actual Walls canyon and do lots of exploring. It only looks to be 3/4 of a mile or so in there, but we might spend as much as 3-4 hours there taking pictures, climbing on boulders and general goofing off. After lunch we'll likely explore downstream from camp and just see what's around. Sun will be more exploring for some and an exit for others. I do have a friend or two that's coming in for the day on Saturday. That's one reason for the slow day at the actual Walls. I want them to have time to get there, hike in, find us, and still have some time to enjoy the surroundings. Also, I had great fun this past weekend just milling around at Sipsey. That's somewhat new to me on hiking trips, though you'd think I'd have learned my lesson on chili's Footballapalooza I.”

“I am planning to take a trip up to Jericho this weekend but can't get there until after dark on Friday. The only camping options I have read about are once you actually get to the bottom of the canyon. Does anyone know if there are other camping options available nearby so I won't have to hike in at night?

Thanks,

-t72”

“Anybody else think of that song "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" every time they see this thread? Aaaaah, days of junior high.

Have fun at this place! Sounds really cool.”

“There is a designated camp site at the bottom of the canyon right after the stream crossing. It is a pretty large area with lots o grassy spaces. Its right next to an old cemetery...spooky! When I went for my dayhike, it looked as if the boyscouts had taken over the whole area though.

Toph, I don't know of any other areas to camp near the trailhead, but I'm sure there are plenty of places you could put up a tent...just as long as there are no camping restrictions.

This is also a big area for hunting, so you might want to wear something that doesnt blend in with the surroundings.

I don't think it will be quite as crowded as when I went there due to the cold and no more fall foliage. I went on a peak weekend for the leaves.”

“Well I can get there pretty early on Friday... I'll throw down a flask of Whiskey and chase away any boyscouts with a stick!”

“If I go, I could prolly get down there early too seeing as I live an hour away. DDX, your idea sounds pretty good to me. :)”

“We'll need the boyscouts to use as firestarters. light the boys on fire, then toss them on the wood.

I'm gonna be a strong maybe on this one.

Question...looking at the map, it seems that the creeks are the trails...so, will we be getting our tootsies wet? will there be raging waters to cross where people may get really wet, drown, etc...”

“Thanks for the info. Is the foliage really all gone already? I live in Birmingham and it hasn't even peaked yet here...
last edited: 11/10/04 12:53:34 PM”

“"Look scoutmaster, there is an agitated looking drunk half-japanese redneck with a camera yelling "Godzirra!" and pointing to the sky... maybe we should camp somewhere else?"

"Don't look him in the eyes Timmy, back away slowly"
last edited: 11/10/04 1:00:06 PM”

“Sticky, the main trail follows the creeks and there are a few crossings. You may get your "tootsies" wet due to the rock hopping you have to do.

Toph, I was there 3 weeks ago when the leaves were at their peak. I'm sure they are gone by now. It is wierd. Nashville hasnt really had its peak either.”

“stik - there is only a 3.5 mile hiking trail and an 11 mile horse trail. That's it. We won't be using trails. Creek crossing is likely and even possible.

toph - I was in B'ham Tues and Wed and it looks just like it does here east of town. Sipsey, OTOH is mostly devoid of leaves. I'd say 60% are on the ground.

camping - I talked with a guy at the state and he said you could hike and camp anywhere you wanted.”

“Thanks dayhiker. Having never been there, I am a little uneasy about just heading off alone into the woods at night to pitch a tent. I may try to locate a campground somewhere between here and there and finish the ride up Saturday morning.
last edited: 11/10/04 3:02:20 PM”

“I'd recommend either camping at Guntersville SP, or just getting to Jericho and heading into the woods 100 yards or so and just find a flat spot to light for the night.”

“isn't Guntersville SP a long way from Jericho”

“Kinda...There is a campground at Goose Pond in Scottsboro, but I don't know if it's still open. I assume it would be.
toph, which direction you coming from?”

“Yes, but you drive through Guntersville on the way to Jericho from B'ham.”

“dayhiker, that seems way out of the way to me. I have driven to Gadsden once by going thru Guntersville..never again

Seem I-59 from B'ham to Fort Payne,then 35 to Scottsboro, then to Hytop would be quicker since you on the interstate longer”

“I thought so too. I did MS Travel planner and played with all the different speeds and it kept sending me through Guntersville. I'm not in B'ham, but the drive is basically the same as it takes me the same amount of time to hit Ashville on I-59 as it does from B'ham. Fort Payne seems like a cleaner way to go. This program does let you adjust drive speeds on different roads. I usually stick 75 or 80 in for interstate driving. The other bad thing about the Guntersville route is that Boaz, Albertville, and Guntersville all have tons of redlights.”

“I rechecked it and it said only 15 minutes faster through Guntersville. Avoiding the redlights may make that FP route worthwhile afterall.”

“I have driven through all those towns getting to Gadsden. It made for a long drive there and back to Nashville.

aren't you in Pell City, we buy from Gorbel which has a mfg. plant down there”

“So how the hell do I get there from Auburn? lol.”

“Yep, that's where I am. I'm trying to remember what Gorbel does. I know where the plant is though. It's not a crane company is it?

From Auburn it'll be tough. Maybe 431 to Anniston then Gadsden then on up by either of the routes we've mentioned.”

“I was thinking 431 myself. I wonder if I can squeeze my pack on my motorcycle. I love riding up 431 on the two wheeler.”

“dayhiker, it is a crane company. We sell a lot of their cranes in Tn and Al”