Sipsey 06 - Parker Canyon

“Cool,thanks guys!”

“Hey Dayhiker, I'm thinking of bringing my dutch oven along on this trip. Do you perfer your horse ovaries fried in possum grease or wild hog lard?”

“possum grease.”

“I started laughing then I realized BAMA might not be joking.”

“Bama sounds like my kinda folks!Spam fries up purdy good in wild hawg grease too!”

“Sorry I can't make this trip. Our outdoorsman cookoff and outdoor show is at our church that weekend. Next time for sure.”

“BAMA - your call.

I'll probably bring my dutch oven too.

Also, it looks like thur will be a go. I'm considering exploring Little Ugly Branch. Any comments or recommendations BAMA?”

“I wish I could come out on Thursday as well but when your trying to run your own business ya just can't take that much time off.”

“I want to be in for Thursday night but it depends on whether a couple of other folks coming with me are able to get up here early enough.”

“Little ugly ain't really ugly.There are some surprises there that you will have no trouble finding. I'll leave it at that as not to ruin it for you.”

“Spam - that's exactly why I've had to wait til this late date to decide that I'm going a day early.

BAMA - That's all the confirmation I needed. I wanted to make sure it was worth the trip (the Seigfried book really gave me the idea) and also that it was safe for a solo.”

“I rekkon I'll figger out what yall are a talkin about when I get to Alabami!”

“Well, my son made the District Pinewood Derby for the second year in a row, by winning in his pack's "Looks" category. Since the District PD is March 11, I'm out on this one.

Next year I've promised to help him make a "fast" car instead of a pretty one, so maybe next year will be the last one of the run, lol...”

“Send us pics of the purdy ride.”

“Is there a camping spot near parker falls? how do I get there once I start at the trailhead?”

“Which trailhead are you using?”

“Yeah, you can camp below the falls next to a bluff line. Room for several tents. Go to Phils photo page, the pics of ALA and I are taken at parker falls.

Parker Falls 16 0455449E 3795776N N34 18 14.4
W87 29 2.9”

“Bump!”

“Why *bump*
We have not forgotten! ;-)”

“A local friend and I are exploring Little Ugly Branch on Thur. topher is coming in on Thur night sometime. We're tentativley planning on meeting at Brushy Thur night. I'll bring a lantern and 2 burner stove. Maybe we can put a big meal together for Thur night and Friday morning and then drive over to the TH to meet everyone at 10.

SS - CD emailed and said yall would leave the airport around 10:30 or so. Yall should be about 2 hrs behind us. If you felt like exploring after setting up camp you could try to catch our group or go upstream to Quillen, or take the WOH route into the Big Tree before even coming to camp.”

“So what kind of wildflowers can we expect to find this time of year down there?”

“I did a little research. Looks like we might see Shooting Star (very very pretty!), Sweet Besty (Toad Trillium), Green Dragon, Showy Orchis (my fav) and Yellow Ladyslippers. I think it's early for the Ladyslippers though.”

“It looks like I will have my kids with me on this one. Not sure if CS will be there but we should be able to manage getting the gear in. My 15 y/o son will make a better pack mule that CS anyway.”

“Damn! I'm going to miss out on Creekdancer flower foraging? That might be worth the price of admission right there!”

“chili - BAMA and bateux and bringing their kids too.”

“LOL @ DDX. Why don't you come along!! You can carry my humongous field guide for me.”

“DDX does need to make this one.”

“which field guide are you bringing Creek Dancer?”

“Don't recall seeing any of the others but have seen a ton of Trillium...”

“I can't remember the name of it HOI. It's an old one I picked up at the used book store. I usually end up leaving it in the car because it's so dang heavy.

I just love Trillium!”

“Lurked this thread last week and I frequent allot of the places y'all have been talking about. Thought I would give you my assessment of conditions, based on trip 2/24-25/06.

Riddle is riddled with down fall, but in my estimation, once you get past about 300 yards from the parking spot, it is substantially the same condition as February '05. Which is to say Katrina did not add much insult to Ivan's injury.

The big campsite On Quillen up stream from Riddle looks fine. Maybe with all those folks you can pack out the fire ring somebody left there.

Laissez les bon temps roulez!”

“You mean navigation could be as fun as this? Dayhiker warned us it would be a bushwack. We got ripped to shreads! Fun though he, he.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/284614842/1284675076055326082tkosWc”

“That ring was there when we camped here 2 years ago. We can clean it up for sure. Thanks for the recon info.”

“Nothing like that, but it's rough like he says. Last year on our trip a coworker met us at camp and then explored the same area and he said the same thing about the top 300 yards.

Bateux - we've got a group camping Thur night at Brushy Ck. I'll post directions on the trips page when I get them. It's a 20+ min drive to the TH, but is car camping.”

“I'm stoked and ready to go sounds like a good trip!”

“That dang DDX better come on this trip!”

“It looks like I will not get there till Friday afternoon. I had planned to be out of work by 3 Pm on Thursday but work has changed my schedule again. March 9 must be some kind of freaky enery day. There about 10 places I'm supposed to be that day. So I'll see you guys Friday afternoon. I still planning on the boys coming as well. I'm glad that Chili and Bama will have kids as well. Means less Dad? Dad? Dad? and more where are those dang kids? I haven't seen em for hours.”

“We will be there late friday night. Possibly after dark. I have only had 2 days off work since new years so I plan on resting while I'm there. I'm gonna bring my dutch. I plan on eating well. I need a break. Another friend of mine said he may show up. He is planning on going out eariler in the week and maybe meet up sometime friday.

BAMA”

“What is Trillium? I was hoping to see that yellow ladyslipper thinggy...”

“Bama do you need some of us to bring something to put in that thar Dutch oven or do you plan on making us all drewell whilst watching you eat???????”

“It will be great to see you again, BAMA!
Is ALA coming?”

“Trillium

BAMA - get in where you can, just be safe...it'll be good to meet ya.”

“I'm bringing my dutch as well. I'm going to do cobblers after supper.”

“The Trillium flower may also be found in white and pink, depending on where the flower is in the life cycle. The flower darkens as it ages.”

“I can't wait to meet all y'all. This is going to be fun. So who is going to order up the good weather???????”

“Yep, ALA is coming. I use to carry everthing for him when he was 3 or 4. I told him now its his turn. As far as the dutch oven cooking. I'll be cooking full meals. There will be plenty of extra for anyone. I'll probally be carrying in around 40 pounds of food. I told ya'll I plan on eating well. Anyone else wanting to use the oven is welcome. I plan to keep it hot the whole weekend.”

“BAMA - I'm going to remember to bring gloves this time. Remember me trying to hold the handle of the dutch oven and manipulate the coals while wrapping a bandana around my hand. Just call me bubbly knuckles.”

“Ouch!”

“Thursday, Mar 9
Very windy with rain High: 62° F Low: 43° F
Friday, Mar 10
Mostly sunny High: 66° F Low: 45° F
Saturday, Mar 11
Rain High: 67° F Low: 43° F
Sunday, Mar 12
Rain High: 66° F Low: 37° F”