Sipsey Bushwhack Eagle/Little Ugly Crk 1 1/10-12

“To hopefully prevent any further confusion over the correct dates ;)

Please post all further trip commentary here...

Thanks.

-toph”

“Thanks, Chris!”

“Eagle Creek Parking and Basecamp Map

Coordinates in NAD27 Central datum:

Parking - N34 16.872 W87 26.698
Basecamp - N34 17.290 W87 26.774”

“Cool...thank you!”

“how is the parking there - roadside or is there actually a parking pull off”

“There is a pulloff with room for *maybe* 4-5 cars but there's also a gate to private property that we'll have to leave access to. I've talked to the owner and he's cool with folks parking there though.”

“Also, the parking is on the south side of CR 6, opposite of the "trailhead".”

“toph, how is the bushwhack itself? as in is it better staying up high or dropping down into that small run as you indicated on your map”

“It doesn't really look it on the map but as you enter the forest from the parking area, there's a drainage down to the left which you'll want to stay up somewhat high from until you reach the junction where it meets the other drainage from the right. Once there, you'll basically follow along the creekbed on a lightly used footpath all the way to camp. I would consider it light bushwhacking.

I plan to put out some ribbon to mark the way Friday morning on my hike in.”

“Some friends from WB referred me here, (thanks guys!)

I was happy to see a trip practically in my own back yard finally! If theres room for one more, I'd like to join in!”

“Sorry, only Dorks and Sutherners can go join us from here on. ;)”

“Hey ALHiker,

I'm sure these guys will let you go. In fact you can go in my place. I just changed my status to maybe because that is the weekend of the LSU/BAMA game. I just remembered that I have friends coming down to LA from Prattville and my wife says we are going to the game. I'd rather be in the Sipsey with you guys.”

“Welcome ALHiker.
What's your WhiteBlaze name?”

“Good to see you made it over here ALHiker even after I let you know what to expect”

“Welcome ALHiker.

THis is gonna be a good time. . .”

“has anyone heard from walkabout?”

“Hi ALHiker...I'm in Huntsville. I use "MDSHiker" on WB.

Welcome...don't let the crazies run you off!”

“I didn't know this was a backpacking site.”

“Plenty of room...welcome aboard.”

“Anyone coming up from the 'Ham area? Carpool? As a side note, I'll be stopping by the Caney Creek Falls area for a quick hike in to see if I can recover the sunglasses I left behind on my last trip. If you havent seen Caney Creek Falls, its just down the road from Eagle Creek and an easy 1/2 mile on old FS road.”

“I certainly wanna go but getting off Friday may be tough task! But I will try my best! How many miles does it look like it will be total?”

“Can someone send me the GPS locations for the points identified on the topo map so that I can input them into my GPS?”

“Oh if you send the locations can they be in WGS? If not I can try and translate.
Additionally let me know arrangements I see Hammocks preferred but just wondering about terrain, weather, water supply etc.”

“@(*#*&^)*( ...Just got the shift sheet, I have on-call that weekend for the Area task force....can't leave town....BUMMER”

“XL - if you read the trips page you'll see the coords posted.”

“yeah well I went online. and down loaded the location for the trip. Then this morning I get in and have an e-mail reminding me I am On-call for the Metro unit all that weekend.

Right now I am thinking 17-19 Nov for a good hike...cool me down before I have to spend Thanksgiving with the Kinfolks.”

“Not sure on the total mileage but I don't think it will be more than 3-5. We'll be mostly exploring the creeks around basecamp and just relaxing.”

“10

AVERAGES
Hi 63°F
Lo 42°F

RECORDS
Hi 82°F
Lo 24°F


11

AVERAGES
Hi 63°F
Lo 41°F

RECORDS
Hi 80°F
Lo 25°F

12

AVERAGES
Hi 63°F
Lo 41°F

RECORDS
Hi 76°F
Lo 22°F

from weather.com”

“Added a new parking reference to the trip page a couple of days ago -> 2.9 miles west of the Sipsey Rec Area Bridge.

Car camped at Brushy Lake last Thursday and Friday and did dayhikes to Parker Falls and the Thompson/White Oak/East Bee/209/206 loop. Weather was almost perfect and we had a great time. First time I had ever seen the falls in East Bee COMPLETELY dry though. Damn shame. We had some pretty signifcant rain over the past day so hopefully it will start picking up and flow conditions will be better for the bushwhack. Looking forward to it...

Toph's Trips - Pics from the weekend
last edited: 10/17/06 2:29:19 PM”

“Remind me where Parker falls is? Is that the one I camp on just offtrail above West Bee?”

“No...that's where we bushwhacked to on the trip that you planned but didn't make this past spring ;)”

“Gotcha, the first falls you come to as you head South? How was the hike there with all of the downfall?”

“It's actually the last falls before we turned around to go back to camp. It was a long day but the bushwhacking wasn't bad at all, relatively speaking. There is a way in which is only about a 25-30 minute hike though...pretty well traveled trail off of what Google maps calls County Rd-47 (the road you turn right onto after CR-6/Cranal headed to Thompson TH)”

“18 days out.

I plan to be at the TH by 9:30 Friday morning 11/10. Everyone please post your estimated arrival date/time so we'll know when to expect you and if we'll need to coordinate it where you can meet someone at the TH. I plan to put out some ribbon to mark the way to camp and can also bring along a walkie talkie if anyone needs me to. Anymore info I need to provide?”

“FRS radio channel? Assuming you actually bring the radio.”

“Haven't gotten that far yet...may not need it ;)”

“I am going to need good directions. I will be there sometime Friday afternoon or night. If I come in at night, and think the trail is marked well enough by ribbon, I might try it.

How far from the trailhead?”

“It's only about .7 of a mile to camp and I will place some flourescent ribbon every ~10-20 yards so it shouldn't be too difficult to come in after dark.”

“Cool. Great odds are, it will be after dark before I come in.

If I think I missed the trail or can't find the markers, I will just throw the tent down and wait until daylight.”

“K...as the trip gets closer let us know a little more specifically when you might arrive and we'll keep an eye out or send out a search party like we did back in the spring for Bateauxdriver (and then a second search party for Super Troll when he got lost looking for Bateaux ;)”

“I'll be there Friday afternoon-evening.”

“I should be able to make it with the GPS if we have clear skies. My reception gets fuzzy with heavy overcast.”

“Who are bearbait1 and dreamwalks?
I know the rest of you peeps. ;-)

House repairs can wait that weekend.
I may drive up Thursday night, if not I'll be there mid afternoon Friday.”

“I don't think I can get there before midnight and I reckin I will have a newbie in tow.”

“KMA...LMAO”

“Is ST gonna make this one?”

“gotta long weekend..paddling if the weathers good...hiking if it's "iffy".

IF I hike you can bet I'll be lighter than last time....

if you bring a radio use channel 1 with no security code.......”

“It's only a big 0.7 miles, ST. ;-)”

“Will do...FRS 1 it is.”

“...an I git skeeered if'n it's DARK!

I'll put reflective markers up if I come in...that way all the fools...uh...FOLKS that come in after dark can find the trap...uh...CAMP, yeah, that's it...the CAMP!

Remember. it's ONLY 0.7, so's the rescue ...uh...the RANGERS can get there quick!

by the way, I'm parking where there aren't tree limbs to poke holes in my taillights...
(Long Story...fixing the tailight motivated me to replace the Trunk LOCK that got drilled out on a whole 'nuther trip 'cause I was stoopid).......”