Sipsey.....

“http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02450250

dang......almost too shallow now to kayak...maybe it will be back up by Sunday!!!!

It sure must be dry to have went down so fast!!!!”

“no the sipsey is famous for losing water fast”

“I came close to buying a kayak over the summer, I wish I had now It sounds like a lot of fun...Speaking of the Sipsey, I’m going in Saturday to spend the night, and roam around a little Sunday. Not sure where yet though, Thompson creek will be crowded im sure... Any ideas?”

“quillen and white oak hollow are fun...so is the ridge top old 209(?) i think”

“Heard the cave on trail 200 near the Borden Creek trail head refered to as Fat Man's Squeeze last eve.....I have never heard it called that before....anyone else??”

“anyone????

don't tell me y'all are actually working????”

“Rock City on Lookout Mt. has a place called that.”

“I'd check out Quillen. You can make about a 4 mile off trail loop. Be sure and take a good map though.”

“Divinity, I've heard it called that all my life. Rarely do I hear it called a cave. There are some caves near Borden Creek that are more like you would expect caves to be like. No Opie and Dayhiker this is not a hint.

BAMA”

“I thought about quillen, but after the storm im afraid that’s going to be a major bushwhack if not impossible. White oak hollow sounds good or maybe west B branch. So many canyons so little time...”

“When the weather turns a bit colder I plan on exploring parker branch, I have heard this is the most beautiful canyon in the Sipsey, and from what I gather it is also the hardest one to get to, any of ya’ll been there? Dayhiker this might be a good place for the Sipsey bushwhack part 5…”

“Where is Parker Branch????”

“oh I think I found it....in the south west??.....close to trail 201???”

“http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02450250

It is shallow....but it is kayakable......

woooohooooo”

“I prefer the somewhat bigger picture : same stuff, longer time base
last edited: 11/12/04 3:28:50 PM”

“Just curious how the Sipsey's trails are looking since many of you have been recently? On my last visit I remember thinking this place sure could use a dedicated Trail Conference like the Cumberland Trail has.
last edited: 12/01/04 11:57:40 AM”

“Arky went last weekend and said it was a disaster.”

“Most of the trail labor in Alabama is sucked up by the Pinhoti.”

“Yep, the Pinhoti gets all the effort since they are trying to tie it to the AT. I've only been on short portions of it, though I can be about anywhere on it in an hour or so.”

“It doesn't help that the guy in charge of the Sipsey is completely against doing any maintenance.”

“Are you taling about the NFS Ranger?”

“Nah, some other bureaucrat. If you find the first Sipsey Cleanup trip thread, you'll hear about OPIE's exploits in trying to help this guy.”

“I remember that. The guy wanted yall to pick up trash on the side of the road.”

“Yah. The actual ranger was pretty stoked about us doing some trail maintenance. The other guy tried to convince us that using crosscut saws in a Wilderness Area was illegal.”

“I talked to the rangers...they are so concerned about liability issues that they only allow maintenance volunteers THEY train to do maintenance...Individuals are not allowed to operate cross cut saws unless they have been trained in CPR, and completed a cross cut saw training class...then registered by the NFS. Anyone caught doing unauthorized maintenance can be fined...(No kidding...) I told Her her wilderness would be wild alright, with that attitude.”

“I believe Arky said that when he was there over Thanksgiving that he was told by a ranger that they were hiring private contractors to come in and clean things up. The storms this go around must've been the last straw.

I can understand wanting to keep things rugged though because of the overuse it already gets.”

“Well, on that trip the only person with a crosscut was HOI and I think he fits those criteria. We didn't mind just picking up trash as long as it was in the Sipsey proper. This guy wanted us picking up trash along Kinlock Springs Road. The people who live on that road can pick up their own frickin' trash for all I care.”

“IMHO I think the Sipsey trails should be completely re-cut and official campsites added by folks that know how to get the most from the area. Many pockets of the Sipsey have too many trails, others don't have any. Also, most of the trail is the effect of visitors making a trail as the path of least resistance or where there was none. That place has much potential as being a true jewel.
last edited: 12/01/04 1:40:50 PM”

“These are all reasons why I just go off trail for most of my adventures over there.”

“I haven't been down there in ages. I need to take a trip down there sometime soon.”

“I've never seen so much timber down unless it was a clear cut area. Although 90% of the time we were not on "official" trails. Just the ones everyone has made. I hope that place never has a fire.”

“The week before the Sipsey Photo shoot TT hike(early Nov 2004) I spent clearing the blowdowns at the north end of 200 (Borden Creek Tr.) I cleared trail blocking blowdowns for about 2/3 of 200 - down to the small creek that comes in from the left at a bend in Borden. There were three blowdwons that I would consider complex or major in the stuff I did. As far as I know I think 200 is basically clear. As for 209 (Sipsey River Tr.) from Borden Creek to Fall Creek falls there was only one sizeable blowdown that was blocking the trail to any extent - I would estimate it was about a 24 inch oak with a somewhat splintered end. I didn't have a crosscut saw with me on that segment so I left it - a fact that Divinty did mention later when she arrived (smile). On the Saturday walkabout and me did what clearing we could up maybe another 2 miles on 209 ending up cutting a 18 - 20 inch pine crawl under that was just past a well defined campsite - see photo by slowroller. This was the last work we did - my left arm at that point was extremely painful due to a developing case of tendonitis and brusitis - right arm wasn't much better either. So far the arms are slowly getting better but they are still causing me some pain - especially since I need to limit the amount of NSAIDs I can take due to a strong possibility of a developing ulcer (been there before and this feels just like it).
last edited: 12/01/04 2:10:36 PM”

“Thanks for all that, HOI!”

“all that's wrong with the world. I just simply don't understand the Sipsey. I have been questioning for sometime now if the Sipsey suffers from the lack of backpacking oriented scout troops in North Alabama. The reason I bring this question up is because I see other longer and more complex trails being maintained and even built by local Troops.”

“There are 5 large Scout camps in North Alabama, so this may have something to do with it. They are looking at buying a large property on Inland Lake in Blount County and selling three of their other properties. My guess is that with so much of their own land to camp and hike on, camping and hiking elsewhere either isn't an option, or they just don't do it.”

“The Troop that my son's Cub Pack is related to did take a trip to the Sipsey earlier this year though.”

“With regard to FS regs wrt crosscut saws - get a 21 inch Corona Pro Pruning saw - its not covered by the regs because it is a pruning saw and not a crosscut saw but it can do 90% of the blowdowns that one finds in the Sipsey - in the work I did on 200 I only did 4 cuts with the cross cut saw - all the rest of the cuts (probably well over 100) were done with the pruning saw. Bow saws on the other hand are from the debbil and should be avoided at all costs - a backless pruning saw, a wedge, and a hammer is the most useful set of tools to have for blowdown work.
last edited: 12/01/04 2:45:19 PM”

“Although I never was a scout, 3 of my closer friends that I grew up with are Eagle Scouts. Until I became involved with the Royal Ranges (not Scouts I know), I just assumed that all Scouts/Rangers/Navigator Troops were primarily oriented towards backpacking because of the broad range of skill application, teach-ability, fun, etc. (there's got to be a better word). Wow, was I shocked! I remember a college friend from Ohio mentioning during the summer they would have Bpking trips at least twice a month.
last edited: 12/01/04 2:55:06 PM”

“Neither of the BSA troops in my town backpack. They camp, but don't backpack. I think it varies with leadership.”

“Definitely a function of leadership. If the Scoutmaster's into it, then your troop is into it. If not, then you don't.

When I was in Scouts, I think we did one backpack and one canoe trip, along with a Camporee, in about two years. Most of the rest of the time was just meetings and working on badges.”

“http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02450250[url]

Sipsey is rippin!!!!!

may still be canoe and kayakable this weekend!!!!!”

“If anyone wants a nice day hike........check out Sipsey...it is AWESOME when it is this cold and the waterfalls are frozen...even the picnic area is a wonderful place!!!!”

“Doing sections 6 and 7 of the Pinhoti starting tomorrow.”

“Leatherneck.....enjoy yourself.....but.....

I'll bet Sipsey is prettier!!!!!!!!”

“I've hiked both and you are right, Sipsey is the prettier of the two. However, ther are a couple Geocaches along the Pinhoti that I want to find.”

“But there are beautiful waterfalls at Sipsey..........”

“geesh div, leave the man alone!! He wants to go to some other place.”

“There are a couple falls along these sections of the Pinhoti as well. But, since it's warming up there won't be any ice.”

“Did your family get thru the bad weather and visit ya?”

“LOL..ok...ok....but it is Christmas...and if it were me I'd want to go somewhere pretty....and awesome........inspirational.....



BUT...I'll leave him alone....


Leatherneck....have a GREAT hike no matter where you go!!!!!”