Get Away Day

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go askew", as the poet Robert Burns said. One of my young whippersnappers contracted strep throat from his child and is in bed with a high fever. I feel for him and hope he gets well soon. Clay and I will persevere and continue on our odyssey to the badlands of Southwest Texas.

Everything is packed and ready to go. All to be done now is load the gear in the truck, do a little repair work on the radiator and then head to Baton Rouge to pick up Wes in the morning. We will leave Baton Rouge around 6 am on Saturday morning to travel to Ft. Stockton, Texas and spend the night. I would have preferred to go to Marathon, Texas but all the rooms are booked in the reasonable hotels. The Gage Hotel is very nice but I am in a camping mode and that is luxury.

All the families have received agendas and emergency phone numbers to contact us on the trip. I hope that no one will need to do so.

I told Karen a couple of nights ago that when I get back from one of these trips that I become intolerable for wanting to relate the details of my trip. Big Bend in the back-country is a religious experience and re-focuses your attention to the smaller things in life. I have been known to look at plans for cabins after one of my trips. It is always about getting back to the basics.

Here is to a great trip and I hope the young whippersnappers enjoy themselves and look after the old geezer.

My log book of my first trip to Big Bend

Karen found my log book of my first trip to Big Bend National Park from back in the mid-80's. I want to be able to compare this log book to the one I will be keeping on this trip. The biggest difference will be that I will adding pictures to the new one.

"Saturday night--January 2. Arrived ranger station at 10 p.m. Called Hope and told her I loved her. We drove to the road near Blue Creek ranch house. It was a beautiful full moon--We hiked about 3/4 of a mile (a little exaggeration) and hid 2 two gallon water bottles. The coyotes were howling in the distance. It was incredibly beautiful in the moonlight. It reminded me of an old western movie. We then went to the basin campground. Ed (McGuire) slept outside while Lane (Ed's son) and I slept in the tent. The temperature was in the mid 20's. My new down parka (Wes is taking it on this trip) works like a charm. I'm sitting on the tailgate of the truck and I am warm as toast. Getting ready to go to bed. I will write more tomorrow."

"Sunday morning--7 am---Got up and made breakfast-sausage biscuit and coffee--temp is 21 degrees. The sun is coming up and shining on the mountains--I'm warm---Sleeping bag was very warm. Thinking about you Baby. "Love You"

Lunch 1 pm. 1/3 of the way to Elephant Tusk--I am a screw up--Pack is not done right--will fix tonight. Beautiful country. Had tea for lunch, a cookie and beef jerky. We have stopped in a draw and temps feel warm but it is only about 40 degrees. Getting ready to go and I will see you at the campsite with a sore back."

"6:30 pm---Thinking about you--we are on the backside of Elephant Tusk. It was a very long hike. My back and shoulders are very sore, but I will be better in the morning. You will not believe what just happened. A full moon just rose over the mountains and it is quite spectacular. We ate supper and I had hot chocolate, beef stew and a piece of Hershey bar. It was really very good. All the tents are pitched and in ship shape. We will settle in soon and get some sleep. I hope you sleep well and I love you very much."

"6:20 Monday night--camped at the trail head of Dodson Trail and Juniper Springs Trail. Yesterday was a walk in the park compared to today. Up and down mountain ridges until I thought I would die & then just a mere 6 mile hike cross country. We started at Elephant Tusk, walked to Tortuga Mountain, hit the Fresno Creek, then Dodson Trail and then to the campsite. I am so tired I am almost incoherent. I am going to eat and then finish. Thinking about you right now"

"7:20 pm just finished supper--rice and beef, hot chocolate. It was good. We are watching stars tonight but I am too tire to get interested. I am fixing to go to bed."

"Tuesday night 7:20 pm---I am on the South Rim-It was the most strenuous exercises I have ever done. I really did not think I was going to make it. We hiked 9 miles from the Dodson/Juniper Springs trail head almost all uphill. At the Juniper Spring some javalena's tried to chase us off. From there it was 5 miles almost straight up. I am very tired. Last night the temp was 28 degrees--Tonight up on the rim it will be much colder. The wind is blowing very hard---Ed says we may have the worst behind us. I hope he is right. Love you, miss you and the kids."

"6:30 pm Thursday---Everything did not go as planned. We left the east rim and traveled to the South Rim down Blue Creek Springs trail to the Ranch House. But it took us to 2:oo pm and we did not have enough water from the trip so we dehydrated. Our water cache was still there so we filled up on water and decided to stay there rather than try to make it to Fresno Creek. Lane sprained his ankle on the trail so we are worried about him. I taped his ankle with the ace bandage and he says it feels better. I am really starting to enjoy this. I am losing weight and getting in better shape. Love You"

"7:05 Thursday night: Camped somewhere in a deep canyon on Fresno Creek. (Unreal day!!!) Hiked from ranch house down Dodson Trail to Elephant Tusk Trail, crossed Fresno Creek and took the Creek route. No one hardly ever does this and I found out why. The creek goes into a deep canyon that once you go down into it you cannot come back up. There were huge plunge pools-a couple of which were over my head. Ed had to jump down into the pool and swim out but Lane and I were able to act like flies and cling to the rock walls and get around them until I slipped and fell into the pool feet first. Luckily it was only up to my thighs so I did not get completely wet but it was cold. I gave Ed some dry clothes because he was about to go into hypothermia. I was scared but thrilled at the same time. It was very dangerous but we committed to go so we could not turn around. We are now camped on a small cliff overlooking the creek and it is very beautiful. The creek is gurgling and the water is crystal clear. It is obvious we will not get back to the truck until the middle of the afternoon. Our best estimate is that we have got at least 6 miles to do tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you and the kids-Love you-call you tomorrow."

What I remember most about that trip was that I did not have an appreciation for the beauty of the place, nor have the respect of how hard a trip like this was. I have learned over the years to soak up the beauty and to give the park all the respect it deserves. I will be interested as how the young whippersnappers feel about the place after their trip.

Future Big Bender during Christmas

I thought I would post a few photos of my future hiking partner to Big Bend. Of course, I am being optimistic about my abilities to continue to backpack and as Les Miles would say "His having the wont to go". But as the old saying goes, Hope springs eternal.

Jack Wesley Keith is now 19 months old and these are pictures with Pam's granddaughter Samantha (Sam) and Holly's daughter Evie. They are both about 6 months older than Jack Wesley but I hear he likes older women.

Finally!! After 63 years.....

Since I spent most of my adult life in Monroe, Louisiana I knew the chance of seeing a white Christmas was going to be very slim. When I moved to Birmingham in 1996 I heard all the locals talking about the huge blizzard of a few years before and I knew that would be my chance. The only problem was that not only did we not have a white Christmas, it quit snowing all together. Only in the last few years has Birmingham gotten any snow. In fact, my steep driveway leading down to my house has never even been iced over.

Well, yesterday around mid-day it began to snow in Birmingham. Vestavia Hills, which is right up the street, seemed to get the most. On the way to Christmas dinner at the Sanderson's we picked up Karen's Aunt Dot and her yard was covered with snow. The rest of the day it snowed on and off.

Last night the snow returned and I awoke to the beautiful view that I have outside my office window. So now I can cross something off my list. I have seen a white Christmas.

4 days and a wake up.....

Heaux, Heaux, Heaux

A Facebook friend of mine greeted me this way yesterday and I thought it was unique, so I borrowed it. I hope each and everyone of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This time next week I will be somewhere in southeast Texas heading along I-10 to Fort Stockton, Texas to spend the night before the last push into Big Bend National Park.

My pack is ready to go as evidenced by the embedded photo (hopefully). I think my final weight with water will wind up being around 38 pounds. That is not too bad considering 13 pounds of that is water and 5 pounds is food. I could leave my hammock at home but I do not want to sacrifice the comfort when I am in the mountains.

I hope that Santa was good to all. Karen got me a new camera for my trip. Olympus makes a imaged-stabilized waterproof and shockproof camera (Olympus 8010) that I will be toting around. It is designed specifically for underwater and backpacking. As hard as I am on gear this is just what I need to document the trip.

Emily got me a Leatherman multi-tool for any small gear repair and light cutting that I need to do on the trail. I like it because it does not have all the unnecessary tools that just add weight but I never use. It is basically a pocket knife with pliers and wire cutting capability.

I spoke with Mother and Dad this morning a wished them a Merry Christmas. I expect that the kids will call later this morning. I hope that Jack Wesley had a wonderful Christmas morning and enjoyed all the trappings.

We are awaiting snow this afternoon in Birmingham. If it does then this will be my first White Christmas ever. I am always like a kid in a candy store when it comes to snow. I can't get enough of it except when on the trail. Then I would just as soon do without it.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. 5 days and a wake up.

Eight Days and a Wake Up

The count down continues as the calendar moves slowly toward the jumping off day. Progress was made in a couple of small steps yesterday.

First, I was able to get my extra clothes set aside in a compression bag. I decided on mittens, a pair of glove inserts (if I need to be able to use my fingers), a fleece hat, one pair of tightie-whities, one pair of smart wool socks, a pair of capilene and rain pants. The rain pants will probably serve more as wind pants or snow pants.

Second, I decided to go with the freeze dried food. I went by Alabama Outdoors yesterday morning and they had a decent selection of Mountain House vacuum packed generic food. The vacuum pack fits very nicely in the pack and the generic food (beef and rice, chicken and rice) are ones that I have eaten before and with a little spice they will work well.

Today I will do a little map work. I will be inputting some coordinates of the plunge pools on Fresno Creek so that the group can make a side trip to an area I have not been for 26 years. You think you know the area but it has been too long since I went down the creek and I know how easy it is to take a wrong turn on the way back.

I am so short now that I can hardly see over my boots.

Single Digit Midget

I am now coming down the home stretch. I have completed preparing my first aid kit for the trip. I decided rather than make sure everyone has their own first aid supplies, I would just make sure my kit is complete. It was not very much additional weight but better safe than sorry.

All my clothes are now prepared to go. I have yet to decide which stuff sack they will go in however I am leaning toward using my compression bag (even though heavier than I like) because I will need the room in my pack. The unanswered question will be does the jacket get strapped to my pack for easy access or does it go in the compression bag? I think I will wait to see what the long range forecast will be. If it looks like it will be in the 40's during the day I will want easy access for stops. Because the wind blows constantly in Big Bend, you will get chilled easily when you stop for rest.

My food bag is still in a state of flux and probably will be till next week when I finally decide whether to take prepackaged freeze dried food or utilize instant rice mixed with chicken and/or tuna. I can augment this type meal with some dehydrated fruit. My lunch will be a combination of Slim-Jim type protein, some dehydrated fruit and a couple of Hershey chocolate miniatures. Breakfast will be Pop-Tarts.

I will be taking 6 liters of liquid at a time. I will start with 2 liters of water in my platypus that is connected to a hose coming out of my pack to my harness so that I can drink without taking my pack off. I have a 2 liter dromedary bag that I can fill as I need it. Outside of my pack will be 2 liters of water in smart water bottles and 2 liters of Gatorade that can be used as water bottles once I finish drinking them. I will have some powdered Gatorade packets in my pack if I want to flavor some water.

I will need to top off my fuel bottle and make sure it is working properly. We will have 3 additional stoves on the trip so if my stove breaks down we will have plenty of backup. There will be 3 tents on the trip plus my tarp. That will be perfect in case we hit any real in-climate weather like snow. I think that is highly unlikely but you need to plan for it anyway.

I carry a survival kit just in case I get separated from my pack for any reason. That is all together and ready to go. It just includes a fire-steel, water purification tablets, a pinch light, whistle, compass and small knife. I carry it on a carabiner hanging off my belt.

I will begin to check and double check my list over the next few days. Since work is always slow this time of the year I have the time. Counting down.......

Fifteen Days and a wake up

I remember some events in my life when I was a day counter. Do you remember the times as a kid you were counting the days until Christmas morning? If you were like me you were also counting the hours Christmas Eve so that you could get up and see what Santa brought.

As you neared the end of a school year you were counting the days until the summer vacation started. Your senior year in high school those last days of the beginning of the rest of your life moved so slowly. Looking back you now wished they moved even more slowly.

I posted the title to this chapter of the blog on my Facebook page and Harvey Carsey knew immediately the connotation. When you got to Viet Nam you usually came up with a short timers calendar that you would mark off in reverse order of how many days before you could go home. The last day was always a wake up and not a full day because that is the day things began to happen. When you got down to less than 10 days and a wake up then you were known as a single digit midget. When you obtained that status nobody dared mess with you. You were going home and usually did not hit a lick at a snake the rest of the time.

Well, that is how I feel about this trip to Big Bend. It is countdown Christmas, summer vacation and in a small way freedom bird day from Nam. I am ready to go and this will not be anti-climatic. One of our contributors on Big Bend Chat has a website that he posts pictures of Big Bend. His name is Tom Avery and I thought I would include a link to his website so you could see what a beautiful place it is.

http://www.thomasjavery.com/proj_big_bend/index.html#0101

Odds and Ends

Clay came by the house this afternoon and we went through his gear inventory. We were able to go on -line and get a great deal on a Kelty 0 degree bag from Overstock.com. That was the first time that I used Google shopping to find the best price and it worked well....Wes and Clay can fit well into my Marmot 2 person tent but they will not be able to put their gear inside....Made reservations at the Motel 6 in Fort Stockton, Texas for 2 rooms at $45.99 a night (I am sure they are palatial rooms).....Still trying to get my gear organized but the more I try the more mess that I make....I really need an air mattress for my time in the desert (these joints just do not like the hard ground anymore).....I made my final decision on clothes for the pack and settled on my down jacket vs. a polar fleece below a waterproof shell.....Clay was very excited about the trip and said that all his friends were jealous (made me feel good).....Wes got a new job as soon as we get back from the trip so that was good news......It really needs to warm up before we leave for our trip......

Remembering My First Trip to Big Bend-Part 2

When we decided to take my first trip to BIBE, Ed asked me how difficult of a hike was I willing to take. My answer, foolishly, was "the harder the better". Since I had no frame of reference as to what the harder really entailed I was talking through my hat. But Ed took me at my word and designed a trip that would test my hiking skills and cardio fitness.

We began our trip down Elephant Tusk Trail shortly after lunch. The trail really wasn't a trail at that time. It was just tall metal poles in the ground periodically to sort of keep you going in the right direction. I set the early pace and learned quite quickly that the terrain looked flat but we were steadily going uphill. Ed asked me what my hurry was and I breathlessly said I had no idea and immediately slowed down. We hiked some very tough terrain that first day and camped in the wash just east of Elephant Tusk Mountain. That night I got my first taste of freeze dried food. If you are hungry you will eat anything.

The next morning we were off and running. We got temporarily lost as the trail was just going through a wash and somewhere we made a wrong turn. After about an hour we found Tortuga Mountain and we were back on track. By mid day we reached Fresno Creek and ate lunch and resupplied our water. These were the days before water filters so we just dipped out the water and put it into our water bottles as is. Now we would not even think about that. Since the days of that first trip I have visited this area of Fresno Creek many times.

We met the Dodson Trail at the saddle above Fresno Creek a little earlier so we were on to our second segment of the trip. We headed down the Dodson toward Juniper Canyon Trailhead. After a long day we arrived at our destination just before dark. We had enough time to set up tents and cook dinner before turning in for the night. My remembrance was that it was not very cold at night and very warm during the day.

Then the hike really got tough for me. Juniper Canyon Trail is a long slog up a steep canyon that seems to go on forever. We restocked our water at Upper Juniper Springs but had to run about a dozen javalenas away from the pipe that supplies the water. Javalenas are fierce looking hog-like animals but have very poor eye-sight. We got our cook pots out and began to bang them with a spoon and the creatures decided to move on down the trail. After lunch we spent the rest of the day trying to get me to the top of the canyon. I learned the value of having a large chocolate bar in my pack. Just when I thought I could not go any more, I sat down and ate my Hershey's bar and soon thereafter found enough energy to summit the canyon. But I was one tired puppy at that point.

We spent the night on the Southeast Rim of the Chisos Mountains. It was a windy but starlit night. The stars were as bright as I have ever seen them. You could see satellites as they moved steadily across the sky. The rim is a truly spectacular place to be. Unfortunately I have spent most of my time since then in the desert so the upcoming trip will re-acquaint me with the Chisos.

The next day we climbed up to Emory Peak, the highest point in the Chisos and photographed the desert looking into Mexico. Then on around the rim and down Blue Creek Canyon Trail to the Homer Wilson Ranch House and our water cache. When we reached the ranch house we were totally out of water and very tired. Ed wanted to keep going down the Dodson Trail but Lane and I convinced him to spend the night there. That gave us half the afternoon to just relax and soak up the beauty. It also gave me a chance to use the trash barrel that used to be at the road above the ranch to get rid of a lot of extra stuff in my pack.

The next day was truly the most spectacular of all the days on the trip. We headed across the Dodson to the Elephant Tusk Trailhead at the saddle. I remember thinking that there is no end to the ridges we had to cross to get to the last saddle. Lane was beginning to have ankle problems because of some bad boots. We stopped on Fresno Creek for water and I wrapped his ankle which seemed to help. Rather than continuing on down the Elephant Tusk Trail we decided to head down Fresno Creek to something Ed called the Plunge Pools. Little did I know what was about to face me.

Fresno Creek began to flow down hill into a large canyon that got smaller and smaller until we ran out of room. At that point the creek flowed over a series of plunge pools that were about 10 to 15 feet drop in elevation for each of them. This did not look like something I could handle but rather than turn around I decided to get with it. We took off our boots and put on our running shoes. Then we took off our packs and tied some line to each of the packs. I was able to get down to the first pool by circumventing the side of the canyon and jumping down. We lowered all the packs and the rest of the group followed suit. We were able to make it down the next pool the same way but the next pool Ed could not get down the side of the canyon. So he decided to jump into the pool which wound up being over his head. The temperature at that time was probably around 40 degrees. Ed was now soaking wet and we still had one more pool to climb around. I fell into the last pool but only got wet up to my knees.

We got Ed down into the wash below the pools and got him out of the wet clothes. He put on a pair of my silk long johns and got into his sleeping bag until we could get him warm enough to continue. Late that afternoon we put the packs back on and headed out again. We arrived at a rocky ledge over looking a very fast running Fresno Creek. We listened to the wonderful sound of Fresno Creek running all night.

The next day we headed down the creek until we thought we were far enough down to cross country back to the truck. We should have continued down the creek but after being lost for about 2 hours we finally found the road and then eventually the truck. What a trip that was. It was very tiring and dangerous (at the time I did not know how dangerous). However, I will be making that trip at least one more time. The guys I am going with probably do not want to bite off that much but if they do I am all for it.

I wish I had some pics to put on here from that trip but they are packed away somewhere in the attic. One day I will scan them in and put on my blog.

Remembering My First Trip to Big Bend

As I was preparing to take my first trip to Big Bend National Park in 1984, I was trying to visualize the park in my mind. I always envisioned Texas as rolling pine hills in the east followed by the desolate mesa area of west Texas. I was not aware that mountains even existed in Texas. I had seen some pictures taken by my friend Ed but these did not really prepare me for what I was to find.

On the initial trip to the park, Ed, his son Lane and I left early on the first Saturday of the new year for the 14 hour drive into Big Bend. We were in Ed’s Chevrolet pickup truck with all three of us crowded into the front seat. I remember being very apprehensive about this adventure. I had not backpacked since my days as a Boy Scout and I was not in great physical shape.

We arrived in Big Bend around 8:30 pm. It was a very dark and cold night when we stopped at Panther Junction Ranger Station for a bathroom break and a quick pay phone call to let everyone know that we had arrived. The most amazing sight was directly overhead. I had never seen so many stars in all my life. I was a real novice as to star constellations but as Ed began to point out the different collections I was totally awed. Until one has seen the sky in the absence of light it is hard to describe. The Milky Way on a moonless night in the vast Chihuahuan Desert of Big Bend is a must see.

We proceeded to a spot in the desert along Ross Maxwell Scenic Highway where our hiking trail will near the road. We hiked a short distance into the desert and hid 3 gallons of water to resupply as we work our way through the trip. My apprehension level continued to escalate as this exercise left me breathing very hard as we climbed back up the hill back to the truck.

Since it was very dark I had no real feeling as to my surroundings. At night, the mountains surrounding me took little form and had no reference as to their height. We continued on to the Chisos Mountain into what is known as the Basin, a bowl seemingly carved out of the mountains where the park lodge, store and campgrounds are. After a short night’s sleep in the back of the truck, I awoke to see what this place really looked like.

As the dawn began to break, I was stunned by the enormity of the Chisos Mountains. All the features seemed to be super-sized. The landmarks I had read about-Casa Grande, Lost Mine Peak, the South Rim- all were much larger than I had imagined. The Chisos was much greener and lusher in vegetation. I remember thinking “Is this really a desert?” I was to later learn that there was plenty of desert for me to see.

After getting our gear situated and back in the truck, we headed back to Panther Junction to get our backcountry permit and head to the trailhead. I was not prepared for the absolute enormity of the park. The drive from Panther Junction to Elephant Tusk Trailhead, our starting point, was well over an hour of some of the worst 4 wheel drive roads I have ever been on. It was not the muddy Louisiana swamp roads but rocky, rutty, wash-board, dusty desert roads that will rattle your teeth.

We finally arrived at our trailhead in the middle of nowhere. Actually we were at the Elephant Tusk Trailhead off of Black Gap Road looking north into the Chisos Mountains. The elevation was probably around 2000 feet and the Chisos were two and a half days and 5800 feet in elevation away. I could now since the wildness of this place. For all the beauty around me, I also knew that one must respect Big Bend for what it is-an inhospitable, uncompromising environment that must be taken seriously.

To Be Continued…..

Dark Desert Highway

As a prelude to the long awaited trip to Big Bend I am posting the proposed roads and trails that the group will be traveling.

• December 31-Leave Birmingham around 9 am to travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Spend the night at Mother's
• January 1-Leave Baton Rouge no later than 6 am to head to Big Bend National Park
• Arrive Fort Stockton, Texas early in the evening
• Eat dinner and stay at a cheap motel in Fort Stockton
• January 2-Leave Ft. Stockton no later than 6 am
• Arrive Panther Junction Park Headquarters by 8:30 am
• Get back-country permit
• Make water cache at Homer Wilson Ranch House on Ross Maxwell Scenic Highway
• Drive to the Chisos Basin, have lunch and prepare to begin the trip
• Hike up Pinnacles Trail into the Chisos. This will be a 5 mile hike gaining 1700 feet in elevation
• Take Boot Canyon Trail to the Southeast Rim Trail and find designated campsite
• January 3-Break camp and hike up to Emory Peak the last part being a rock scramble and great photo op of the desert looking over the Rio Grande into Mexico
• Explore the Chisos before working our way over to Boot Canyon campsite for the evening
• January 4-Head down Juniper Canyon Trail to the Dodson Trailhead. This will be about a 6.2 mile hike downhill.
• Eat lunch at the trailhead and then hike over to the Dodson Ranch House to set up camp
• January 5-Break camp and hike to Fresno Creek to find water. Hike over to Homer Wilson Ranch House and get water cache for the next day. Make camp in the Red Rock area of Blue Creek Canyon Trail.
• January 6-Hike up Blue Creek Canyon Trail to the high Chisos. Elevation change on this trail will be about 2000+ feet. Find our campsite in Laguna Meadow and make camp.
• January 7-Break camp and hike back down to the Basin and the truck. Easy downhill 3.5 mile hike.
• Pack up the truck and head out of the park.
• Spend the night somewhere on I-10 to shower and rest up.
• January 8-Arrive in Baton Rouge with time tba
• January 9 or late January 8 head to Birmingham.

This will be a good trip for the guys and give them a great taste of the park. I have found in time past that you will either hate Big Bend or love it. There never seems to be a middle ground. Since Wes has been there twice already I know how much he loves it. My guess is that Clay and Bradley will love it also.

What Every Man Likes to Talk About

No, not that! Gear!!!! As part of my getting things ready to go to Big Bend I thought I would list what will be in my bag as I head out into the desert. Just on the oft chance that someone might actually read this post I hope that this will be helpful on your next trip.

Backpack-Granite Gear Meridian Nimbus

Sleeping Bag-Marmot EverSummer 0 degree

Tent-Granite Gear 8 x 10 silnylon tarp

Pad-Thermarest self inflatable (doesn't self inflate anymore)

Cook Kit-MSR all black

Stove-MSR Whisperlite International with bottle

Hammock-ENO Doublenest (For mountains only)

Knife-SOG Field Pup

Light-Princeton TEC

Hat-Tilley Airflow

Shirt-Columbia Long Sleeve Fishing Shirt

Pants-Columbia Hiking Pants

Socks-Smart Wool Trekking socks with polypro liners

Boots-Merrill Moab middies

Long Underwear-Patagonia Capilene

Rain gear-U S Army Poncho

Poles-Black Diamond Trail

Compass-U S Army issue Lensatic

GPS-DeLorme PN-40

Water Filter-MSR MiniWorks

Water Bladder-MSR 2L Dromedary Bag

Water Bottles-4 Nalgene Bottles

Gear Repair Kit-DIY

First Aid Kit-DIY

Food-Trail Mix, pop tarts,cheese and peanut butter crackers,Hershey chocolates,Quaker Oatmeal,rice a roni, instant potatoes, chicken breast and tuna breast, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, instant soup mix.

Maps-Park map, 4 individual quads for the outer mountain loop

Bird Book-Peterson's Guide to Western US Birds

Binoculars-Nikon Travel lite

Well, that is it hopefully. I am hopeful that the whole pack with full load of water will weigh no more that 30 pounds or so. If it gets much heavier than that Wes or Clay may find some of my gear in their bag.

Anticipation

I am starting to get really antsy about my trip to Big Bend. I have never been the patient sort so the wait will be agonizing.

I received a call yesterday from Karen's nephew Clay who is a student at the University of Alabama and he is definitely going on the trip. That was good news and I know he will truly enjoy himself. Bradley Jones, who made the Pinhoti Trail trip with me will also be going.

My son Wes is starting to put together his gear for the trip. Wes has been with me twice before and has soloed in the Chisos overnight. However, this will be his first long distance backpack trip. He has always been great in the outdoors and does love Big Bend. His friend, Jeff, is working to get himself off so that he can take the trip.

In anticipation of the trip I am bugging the potential group with emails as to what to expect in Big Bend as far as weather and terrain. I sent them all a daily weather report for Big Bend that is posted everyday on their web page. The high for today is 70 and the low is 23. The temperature extremes in the park always amaze me. Because it is a desert and you get radiant heating and cooling, the nights can be colder in the low desert than up in the mountains.

This is also the time before the trip that I start getting all my gear together and begin the culling process. My problem in time past has been taking too much gear. I am always trying to plan for every emergency both medically and gear wise. I am hoping to reverse that trend this year. I am only bringing one extra pair of socks and underwear. I will reducing my first aid kit to the bare minimum. I do not need every possible gear repair item that I own.

My repair items will be a sewing kit, duct tape, super glue, tent patch, stove repair kit (I spent hours a few years ago trying to fix a balky stove) and a couple of heavy duty safety pins. I usually carry extra straps, webbing, buckles, glue sticks, head light lamps and the like.

My food bag in time past was always the heaviest thing in my pack (other than water). I always packed a breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day along with snacks, tea and coffee. In addition, my dinners were always Mountain House or Backpacker Pantry freeze dried foods. This year I am going to bring pop-tarts for breakfast, peanut butter crackers and chocolate for lunch and instant rice/potatoes and chicken breast for dinner. I want to keep my meals down to no more than 1 pound per day. I will keep some trail mix in my pocket for snacks.

I am going without a tent this year to save on weight. Instead I will carry a silnylon tarp that only weighs 18 ounces rather that my 5 pound Marmot tent. I will use my trekking poles as tent poles at night. I practiced setting this up over the holidays and it seemed to work fine. It does rain in Big Bend but normally not heavily so this should do me fine as long as I can stay out of the wind.

Over the next couple of weeks I will continue to refine my packing list probably adding and deleting the same items several times. But that is the fun of it. Anticipation!!!!!

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Toting on the Pinhoti

I met Bradley Jones and Ben Deason at the Pine Glen Campground early on Saturday morning to begin a two day backpack of Section 10 of the Pinhoti trail. This section begins at the campground and travels northeasterly to Burns Trail head near Pinky Burns' cabin. The total distance is approximately 16.5 miles and is considered moderately difficult.

Curbie had not been out lately so she was ready to go and have a good time. The weather was cool and a little overcast when we began. Once we found the trailhead we were off to see the wizard.

The first day we hiked around 10 miles and camped on a creek in Chipmunk Canyon. Along the way we went through some hardwood bottoms, along Lake Sweetwater and Coleman Lake, some pine ridges and then into the canyon. What we did not realize at the time was Saturday was opening day of deer season. We realized that when we walked under a tree stand with a deer hunter sitting in it. I wore a yellow hiking shirt but we did not have hunter orange on which we should have. I will try not to make that mistake again.

We ran into a very large Boy Scout troop camped at Lake Sweetwater. They were just getting things ready to backpack in the same area that we were going so we moved on out to get ahead of them. We spent some time exploring Shoal Creek Primitive Church and went past the Laurel Shelter.

The camping spot in Chipmunk Canyon was very nice with a great running stream next to the spot. Filtering water was very easy and Curbie could have all she wanted. I slept under the stars in my hammock that evening. The only wildlife that I heard was a pack of coyotes racing through the woods but I did not spot them. The moon was so bright that it was casting shadows on the trees up the hill from my hammock.

The next morning was a 6 mile hike to the end of the trail. It was a very interesting hike from a topography standpoint. We started in the bottom of the canyon and then gained a lot of elevation as we came out of the canyon. There were several blowdowns along the trail that I had a little trouble with. I find myself forgetting I have trekking poles and they get stuck in the limbs.

When we got to Choccollocco Lake we took a nice long break on a pine ridge overlooking the lake. This was a very pretty place and the ground was covered with pine needles making for a nice resting area. The Boy Scouts caught up to us at this point allowing Curbie to have some fun with the kids.

As I got started back on the trail I heard loud wing beats and looked up in time to see a turkey flying into the woods above my head. What a pretty sight.

The Pinhoti Trail is a true gem for the state of Alabama. It travels from Sylacauga to the Piedmont area and then continues into Georgia. The Georgia section connects to the Benton/McCaye trail which then connects to the AT at Springer Mountain. I am going to continue working on the different sections of the Pinhoti until I complete the trail.

It was a nice weekend and a good warmup for the main prize-Big Bend National Park.

New Ground to Break`

Over the last couple of months I have been in contact with some younger guys in Birmingham who are into backpacking in a big way. I posted some trip reports on Backpacking Alabama which is a site on Facebook hosted by one of these guys. As time has progressed we have now planned a trip to the Pinhoti Trail in the Talladega area. I have only liked an initial section of the Pinhoti so I am very interested in this weekend's trip.

We have had some rain in the Alabama area over the last week so I am hoping there is some water in the creeks so that we do not have to carry much. The weather looks like it is going to be very nice with cool nights, warm days and clear skies. I am sure that Curbie the wonder dog is ready to go.

I will bring a small digital camera on the trip and bring back some pictures of the area we will be hiking on. The leaves are changing and hopefully there will be some color left to see.

The Road Takes a Short Detour

We all have people who were great influences on our lives. This weekend I will along with many of my family members pay homage and honor to one of the most profound influences on my life, my Dad. Dad will be 90 years old on November 4. Since I have to be out of town that day Emily, her husband David and I will be going to Baton Rouge this weekend for the first birthday party Dad has ever had. Karen will not be able to attend because we do not have anyone to keep the dogs (this fact made Dad a little sad because he loves to talk to Karen).

Dad was always an outdoorist, he loved to hunt, fish, walk in the woods, bird watch, animal watch, just anything attached to being outdoors he loved. I guess that is where I got my love for outdoors and the activities that I enjoy doing. He did them at a time when not everything was hi-tech and there were still many places you could go and not be stopped by fences. For that I will always be jealous. But for passing on his love of outdoors to all the boys, I am forever grateful.

Sometimes life is not fair and there are times when the world seems to be closing in on you, but one thing remains constant-you can always go for a walk in the woods and things do not seem that bad anymore. But I digress. Many of the grandchildren and great grandchildren will be at their house Saturday to honor the man that we all love so much. Even though he and I do not always see eye-to-eye (mainly because as Karen says "you are Jimmy Keith") I always have respected Dad for his uncompromising outlook on life.

So Dad, get prepared for the onslaught of kids, grandkids and mostly those precious great-grandchildren that we come to see the great man on Saturday and may God bless.

And Down the Stretch We Come

After a week at the beach, eating everything in sight and 75 days till Big Bend, it is now time to get back to work. Back in the spring the Big Bend trip just seemed to be a dream. It was fun to talk and think about but it was always so far away. In addition, I knew that getting in shape was paramount to getting to go so everything seemed to not be real.

Well, reality is now starting to set in. I have taken the necessary steps to get ready to go. I have gotten into one of the best conditions I have ever obtained. I have lost about 60 pounds, added a good deal of muscle and my cardio-vascular conditioning is above average. Best of all, I have not had a cigarette in over a year. I still want one but I have not come close to smoking one.

I am now entering the last phase of the program. I will be fine tuning my conditioning by concentrating my efforts on cardio-vascular work at an incline to get ready for the tough up-hills and down-hills that await me. In addition, I will work on my core strength to help with balance and pack weight. Working on the core can be very boring but in the long run pays dividends. You cannot see much outward difference in your body but you can sure tell the difference on the trail. You are much more confident in your balance and steady with your burden.

The new thing in backpacking is called lightweight or ultralight backpacking. This is simply reducing the amount of weight you carry on your back to enjoy the experience more than just feeling like a pack mule. At first I was sort of put off by the idea. Many of the anonymous souls on the message boards were trying to make it a contest as to who could carry the least amount of weight and still survive in the wild. But the more I studied the concept the more I understood what the underlying idea was: Carry enough gear to be safe but make as many things in your pack multi-functional.

With the new silnylon material that is on the market you can really reduce the amount of weight that you have to carry. Instead of taking a 5+ pound tent, I will be taking a 8 x 10 tarp out of silnylon that only weights a pound. I have reduced the amount of first aid gear and repair gear down to a more manageable level. I am bringing a grease pot from WalMart rather that a whole mess kit and saving almost a half a pound. Rather than bringing a heavy ground cover I am bringing a piece of Tyvec that is used in the housing industry. The list keeps on going but I will not bore you with it anymore.

Suffice it to say that I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I start writing those kind of cliche's you know that I am ready to go.

A Break From the Routine

I will not be backpacking or hiking this weekend as I will be moving my office to the beach for a week. When I return I am planning a multi-day trip up on the Pinhoti Trail in Eastern Alabama. The Pinhoti Trail is now a feeder to the Appalachian Trail. The beginning point is in the Sylacauga area and continues to the Georgia border in the Piedmont area. The trail then continues on to the Benton/McCaye trail that ties into the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain.

I am going to section hike the whole of the Pinhoti Trail (in excess of 300 miles) over time. My start will be the Adams Gap, Chinnabbee and Skyline trail loop on the side of Mt. Cheaha. I am going to try this loop as a light-weight backpacker, meaning sans tent. Instead I will be using a hammock and tarp combination. I am interested to seeing how this works out. If all goes well I will not be taking a tent to Big Bend but instead will take a tarp.

The hammock could be utilized in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend but would be of no good down in the desert. The main reason is there are very few trees in the desert to hang the hammock between. That is a real shame because the hammock is a lot more comfortable to sleep in versus the hard ground. The trade-off is that when sleeping on the ground you get an insulating effect from the ground. In a hammock you get air flow from below and my big tush compacts my down bag. The obvious effect of that is a cold butt. I will counter that with my poncho liner from VietNam.

Well, more on that later, for now enjoy the week and I will be back soon.

Wild South

I took the time this morning to look at the website for Wild South. org. I met some of these guys on the trail this weekend on my overnight trip. They are surveying all the habitation along the trails and waterways of the Sipsey Wilderness. I copied a piece of their site addressing the surveying of the plant life on the Sipsey.

In a grant proposal submitted to NFF earlier this year, Wild South proposed to conduct a walking survey of all marked and maintained trails and year-round streams in the Sipsey Wilderness and record all NNIPS populations within a reasonably observable corridor. The grant was awarded, and since early May, Wild South staff members, interns and volunteers have been walking the trails and streams, collecting data with handheld GPS units, cameras, voice recorders and field survey forms. All data is collected and digitized according to the USFS’s Data Recording Protocols for Invasive Species Management and stored in the Terra module of the National Resource Information Systems (NRIS) database.

Trails, stream corridors and old roadbeds are some of the common entry points and conduits for the spread of NNIPS, so it is no surprise that our inventory so far has shown the most diverse and numerous NNIPS populations occurring along the major waterways and trails that follow historical roads. For example, Nepalese browntop (Microstegium vimineum) occurs in an almost unbroken strip along the banks of Sipsey Fork itself, as well as along Wilderness Trail 208, which follows the Old Northwest Road.

As noted in the article, they all had GPS's hanging around their necks. I asked them about the reception from the sats in the canyons and they thought the Garmin's did a great job. They thought they were getting down to about 20 feet. They also told me about a shortcut to the Big Tree through White Oak Hollow which I need to find on another trip.

What a beautiful weekend up in the Sipsey Wilderness. There was not a cloud in the sky and very low humidity. Curbie and I arrived Friday afternoon at the Thompson Creek Trail head with no other vehicles there except a group readying their horses for a trip to Breazelle. After getting my boots on and loading the pack we headed out for your adventure.

We spent the next 3 hours hiking the six miles to the campsite at the intersection of East Bee Trail and the Sipsey River Trail. As we were hiking along the Sipsey River I noticed Curbie stopping and trying to see something. Since I could not see anything I hurried her along. We then came around a big tree and in the bushes was a man looking right at me. I admit that I was startled but I tried not to show it. It turned out that he was with Wild South surveying all the plants in the Sipsey Wilderness. He asked me if I had seen his other two partners down the trail. Curbie could smell them but I never saw them. I need to pay closer attention to her. They told me that I could go see some of their work at www.wildsouth.org.

After that we had an uneventful walk to the campsite. What a beautiful area of the Wilderness. The river just below the campsite is filled with boulders and there is a small little drop in the riverbed that makes for the serene sound of gurgling water the entire time you are there. Some boulders were at the end of a small path to the river which made for a great view in both directions. Sitting on the boulders filtering water was a very nice experience.

I got camp set up as soon as we got there. My Marmot tent is always easy to set up especially with the ground being so soft. I set up the hammock, fixed a run rope for Curbie and then got the cook stove and other gear ready. Then it was just time to sit back, relax, but your worries aside and enjoy the surroundings.

The night would up being nice and cool but not as cold as I thought. I was expecting temperatures in the mid-40’s but I do not think it got that cold. Once it got dark Curbie would not leave my side. I think she was missing the other dogs. She spent the night in the tent sleeping at my feet. I got up at around 4 to make some coffee and everytime I turned on my flashlight she came out of the tent. As soon as I would turn off my flashlight she would get back into the tent. I have no clue what that was all about.

After breaking camp the next morning we headed up East Bee Branch headed to the Big Tree. The Big Tree is thought to be the largest Poplar in the State of Alabama and sits in a beautiful canyon with a beautiful waterfall when there is water. It is very dry in Alabama (could not make a fire in the Sipsey which was a bummer) so I knew the falls would not be there. What I was not prepared for was the amount of dead fall in the trail to the Big Tree. All of this dead fall was an aftermath of Hurricane Ivan a few years ago. For an old man with a backpack on this was tough trucking. I am not the most graceful person in the world but going over and under fallen trees was very taxing. Since I was going to out and back the trail I was having to do it twice. The tree was a large tree and the canyon quite nice and peaceful. I would love to spend some time there during the rainy season.

We got back to the truck around 1:30 and I was very tired. That was 9 miles of hiking today with some of it being in rough terrain and a 35 pound pack on my back. I made a decision in embrace light-weight packing from now on. I need to reduce my backpack weight by at least 10 pounds. I can still carry the weight but sometimes it is not as enjoyable when your knees and hips are killing you.

It was a great trip and the good news was that the bugger bear did not get me.

"One is the loneliest number"

I have been backpacking since 1985 and have been on many week long trips, especially in the southwest desert. However, during all that time I have never been on a solo overnight trip. That will change tomorrow when I head to the Sipsey Wilderness for an overnighter. Technically, I will not be alone because Curbie is going with me.

We will probably hike 15 to 20 miles over the weekend but the weather is going to be nice and cool so that should not be a problem. I have packed and repacked my backback about 4 times now removing gear each time. I am carrying more weight than I need but I want to work on my gear so I am bringing some extra things.

I will post a trip report on Sunday if the bugger bear did not get me.

What is the shelf life of a honey-do?

This was not a hiking weekend but I did manage to store up some honey do points for my next hiking weekend. We may have some house guests in the next few days so I spent my time cleaning up the place on the outside while Karen worked on the inside. A young man Karen has formed a relationship with had a heart transplant late last week and it is possible that some of the family members may need a place to stay. So we spent the time making the hacienda more presentable.
I am in the early planning stages of taking a weekend trip up to Mt. Cheaha and doing the Pinhoti, Chinnabee and Skyline trail loop over 2 or 3 days. My guess is that 2 days will be sufficient but I will leave room in case Curbie and I want to take our time. The trip will be in late October after we spend a little time at the beach. I am really excited about the possibilities. Normally when I go out for an extended trip it is with another person but his time it will be just Curbie and I. Curbie has not spent the night out on the trail before so this could be interesting. Right now my plan for her will be a lead rope out of paracord or some sort of run on the paracord. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
I will begin my trip at the Adams Gap Trailhead taking the Pinhoti trail to the intersection of the Chinnabee Silent Trail. I will hike over to the shelter on the Chinnabee Trail above the falls and spend the night. If that is taken I will go back down the trail to the falls and use one of the large campsites there. The next day I will go over to the Skyline Trail and head back to the Adams Gap Trailhead. If I do not make it all the way then I will just do a stealth camp and come out the next morning. I do not think I will have any problems going all the way the second day but if not no problem.
This will give me a chance to try out my water filter in some of the available creeks in that area. It is nice not having to carry so much water like I do in Big Bend. At over 8 pounds per gallon water is one heavy load. Having to only carry my 2 liter dromedary bag makes life a lot easier on a then 63 year old body. My workout routine has certainly paid dividends in the cardio fitness area. I still huff and puff some on the longer uphill but the recovery time has been excellent. I do have to make sure that I am hydrating enough though. I have a bad habit of drinking only when I am thirsty which is not recommended. I need to drink regularly and not get behind the curve.
I will try and be a dutiful photographer on the trip so that I can post on my humble blog. Sometimes I get to having too much fun or engrossed in the scenery that I forget to memorialize the moment. I will try to do better.

The Hole in the Wall Gang

Because of some medical issues my mom has been experiencing I have not been out in the outdoors for a few weeks. Even though the weather has not really cooled off yet I was anxious to get back up to the Sipsey Wilderness. I was not alone because Curbie could sense that she was going to be included. I got up at 3 am on Saturday morning and was quickly joined by the wonder dog from upstairs. Since I had put together my pack the night before it was not too long before I was loading up the truck.

As soon as I opened the back hatch Curbie was in and taking her place in the back seat ready to go. I told her that I was not ready yet but she was not going to be left behind. After pulling together and packing all my gear plus an ice chest for when I got back to the truck we were ready to go. After a short stop at the local service station for coffee we got on I65 sometime around 4 am.

We connected to Corridor X and up to Jasper, then over to Double Springs and finally arrived at the Sipsey River Picnic Area much too early. I had never been to this trailhead before so I did not know what to expect. It was still very dark so I took my time getting things ready to go. But the wonder dog was ready to go so I said okay. Using my flashlight periodically to get over some rooty areas we were gone. We were on the Borden Creek Trail (200) heading to the Sipsey River Trail (209). I was not prepared for all the people that were camping in the area. Even some boy scouts were there with tents actually pitched on the trail. (Scout leaders; please make your scouts pitch their tents off the trail. People actually do hike at night). I knew after a while that I had missed the turnoff to the Sipsey River Trail. So I thought I would hike the length of the Borden Creek Trail and catch the Sipsey River Trail on the return.

I am certainly glad that I made that decision. The Borden Creek Trail is a beautiful trail with many rock formations and cliff walls. You can stay down by the creek or you can hike up near the cliffs. What a great place to be. I now know why this area has so many people. It is very accessible and the trail is not hard to hike. Once I reached the Hole in The Wall near the terminus of the trail I took a little break and headed back to find the 209 Trail marker. In order to avoid some tents near the trail I hiked up close to the cliffs only to hear “Get away from me dog, I am trying to use the bathroom!!” I was laughing to myself as Curbie was licking the less that fully clothed man in the bushes.

A short time later we ran into a couple with a pit bull that Curbie fell in love with. They would meet again on the trail several hours later and play and play. The couple was really nice and was like me in that they had missed the trail marker last night when they hiked in. I parted to continue my journey. Eventually I found the trail marker in the daylight. A camper had hung all their gear over the trail marker making it impossible to see in the dark. I do not understand how people can be so idiotic.

The rest of the day was spent hiking on the 209 down to Trail 202. Once there I took a little lunch and water break and Curbie went for a swim. I ran back into the Scout Troop again. They had broken their group into two parts. The older boys were in the lead group and the younger boys were in the trailing group. As an old Eagle Scout with Troop 32 in Monroe, Louisiana I always have a soft place in my heart for scouting and the adults who lead them. If I was more industrious I think I would get involved with a troop in some way. Some of the happiest days in my life were in scouting. Orrie White and Sam Walker were my scoutmasters and they took us camping most weekends. What a great time in my life.

When we got back to the truck in the middle of the afternoon we had walked about 18 miles and my feet and knees were a little sore. We got home took a shower and rooted LSU to victory against Mississippi State.

News Bulletin on the Walls of Jericho

"The state’s Forever Wild program has recently acquired hundreds of acres of biologically important forest in Jackson County, Ala. The 535-acre Sims, Swaim and Johnson addition to the Walls of Jericho Forever Wild tract was purchased in May 2010 from the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy with support from a $640,000 Forest Legacy grant from the USDA Forest Service. The land is located along the Estill Fork tributary to the Paint Rock River and is adjacent to the James D. Martin-Skyline Wildlife Management Area.

The Sims, Swaim and Johnson addition will be used for public recreation and conservation efforts, and will increase public access to the popular Walls of Jericho trail system located near the communities of Skyline and Hytop. State lands managers have documented more than 15,000 hiking and horse trail users annually on the growing trail system. New land acquisitions such as this ensure the public's access to the property and enhance the quality of life that state lands afford Alabamians.

Considered one of the most biologically diverse and important regions in the United States, the Walls of Jericho Tract supports several species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and plants recognized under the Alabama Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy as species of highest conservation concern. As part of the Paint Rock River watershed, this area contains several springs and more than 3,000 feet of perennial stream habitat along Estill Fork Creek. The habitats within and along the Estill Fork waterway support some of the last remaining populations of several species of fish and mussels protected under the federal Endangered Species Act."

The preceding was a release from the Alabama Forever Wild program. My only concern here is that the more people that come to this area the more ecological damage that can be done. Of course, I am being selfish.

The Walls of Jericho 2

The Walls of Jericho

Curbie and I left the house this morning at 3:30 am for the 2.5 hour trip to the Walls of Jericho. The area is just a few miles north of HiTop, Alabama which is just north of Skyline, Alabama on Alabama Highway 79. To put this in better context this area is about 25 miles north of Scottsboro and just a few miles south of the Tennessee border. In other words, it is in the middle of nowhere.
We hiked the 3 miles down to the Walls of Jericho in a couple of hours. The hike was all down hill and not that tough except for a few rocky places. Curbie decided to chase after a coyote but fortunately she came back to my whistle. If I lost Curbie on the trail I do not think Karen would let me back in the house.
There was not much water flowing at the falls but the scenery was exceptional. One deep pool below one of the falls was deep enough to swim in and the water was very cold. What was evident is that when the water is flowing in the creeks during the wet season this place will be spectacular. The Walls of Jericho is actually more of a box canyon with streams coming in from several directions. Rocks abound and look like the steps up to a monument.
It is becoming a very popular area as several groups arrived while I was there. Most of the people were coming down to swim in the swimming hole. One group was rappelling and climbing some of the rock outcroppings. Another group had their young sons on an overnight trip. As I was hiking out I passed 5 more groups coming in.
I photographed for about an hour until the light was used up. This is the first landscape photography I have done since Big Bend National Park and I found myself a little rusty. I have attached some photos to this page for your review.
I hiked out which was 3 miles of total uphill during the heat of the day. I was glad to see the truck at the parking lot and so was Curbie. We had a lot of fun, stayed healthy and took some decent photos.

And the walls came tumbling down

The title is the first thing that came to my mind when thinking about my upcoming weekend jaunt to North Alabama. Not too far outside of Scottsdale is a beautiful natural area that until recently was on private land and not accessible by the general public. The Nature Conservancy and the State of Alabama came together to purchase and make available an area that spans Alabama and Tennessee. The Walls of Jericho as it is called is a wonderful waterfall area at the bottom of a very large canyon. Beth Young has taken some very nice photographs of this area recently and I want to have a look for myself.

Curbie and I will drive up there on Saturday morning and hike the 2.5 miles down the canyon for a morning of photography. I am going to put on my photography backpack complete with camera, lenses and tripod along with a daypack for water and a late breakfast. I hope that there is waterflow in the falls but if not I will know what to expect for a follow-up trip in the rainy season.

Curbie kept trying to understand why I did not take her anywhere this last weekend. I think she knows what day of the week it is and I hurt her feelings. I will make up for it on Saturday. I hope to come back with some decent pictures and if so will post them on this site.

Home on the Range

Curbie and I did not venture out this weekend because of the hot, humid and possible morning thunderstorm forecast for the regions. Curbie does not like thunder so I did not want to subject her to that two weekends in a row.
I was sitting at the computer this morning surfing the web looking for interesting things to read or view. I always like to see how other people do things hoping that I might improve the way I do things. I also confess to being one of the worlds worst gear heads. The internet proves that I am not alone in this affliction. Most of the backpacking forums have a section specifically for gear. So I thought in the oft chance that someone might actually read this blog other than me and a couple of my close friends and family, I would provide a list of the gear that I use to pack with.

I know that this seems self-indulgent and it is. But of course keeping a backpacking blog may be the ultimate in self-indulgence. However, if this helps someone better understand the sport or creates discussion then it was worth it.

So below is a listing of most of the gear that I will be using in Big Bend in January. Packpack Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian Ultralight
Sleeping Bag Marmot Down Mummy Bag 25 degrees
Tent Marmot 1 man backpacking tent with fly (freestanding)
Sleeping Pad Thermarest mini self inflate (25 years old)
Stove MSR Whisperlite
Hydration MSR Dromedary Bag (2 Liter)
Hydration 4 Nalgene bottles (1 Liter)
Water Filter MSR mini works
Illumination Princeton headlamp
Minimag flashlight
Orienteering U. S. Army lensatic compass
Silva Clear plastic compass for map work
Cold Weather clothing Cabellas Down Parka (25 years old and stuffable)
North Face polar fleece stocking cap
Columbia Fleece pullover
Capalene thermal tops and bottoms
Magellan long sleeve simplex shirt
Magellan zip out legs cargo pants
Smart Wool hiking socks
North Face ski gloves
Hat Bandana
Tilley ventilated hat
Raingear North Face rain pants
Magellan poncho
Boots Merrill Moab mid-length hiking boots
First Aid MSR first aid kit (25 years old)
Cooking MSR cook kit (25 years old)
Food Backpacker Pantry
Utensils Lexan Spoon
Lexan measuring cup to also be used as drinking cup
Miscellaneous Granite gear stuff sacks (4)
Tent, sleeping pad and backpacking repair kit
Nikon Travelite binoculars
Emergency whistle with small compass and thermometer
Maps
Garbage bag (take out trash and can be used as pack cover)
Swiss Army knife (subscription gift for Outside magazine years ago)
Towettes individually wrapped
Pillow case (stuff parka into for sleeping)
Plastic entrenching tool
Ziploc bags (1 gallon size)
Moleskin for blister prevention
Sunscreen
Earl Grey Tea
Equal (cant leave home without it)
Trail mix (with M & M’s)
One large Hershey bar (to get up the last of that mountain)
Fig Newtons
Melba toast (whole wheat)

"Sipsey di do dah"

Curbie the wonder dog and I got up early Saturday morning and drove up to the Sipsey Wilderness which is north of Double Springs. We took 195North out of Double Springs until we hit County Road 23 at around mile marker 23. We turned left and went down a couple of gravel Forest Service roads until it deadended at the Thompson Trail Head.

It was very humid and damp on the trail in that it rained the night before. It was not long until I was soaking wet. The trail was beautiful with some great Hemlock trees and moss covered rocks. The trail eventually came to to the Sipsey River and all its cascades and huge rocks in and around the river. Curbie had a lot of fun smimming in the river and then rolling in the sand bars by the shore.

We continued on till we met the Sipsey River Trail as it came across the river. We hike for another 2 miles to a huge campsite on the Sipsey River. Just up from that campsite was the trail head for the Bee Branch Trail.

We began to head back to the truck at this point. We had already hiked about 6 miles and needed to get back before the bad weather started. As we were coming back it began to thunder which makes Curbie crazy. She went from running and sniffing everything on the trail to almost getting between my legs. She was glad to see the truck to seek safe haven from the thunder.

We had a good time, saw some interesting topography and certainly burned a lot of calories. I look forward to going back again but I will wait until it gets a little cooler.

Tallulah "Bankhead" and "Sipsey" Rose Lee

I know, I know. That is a pretty cheesy title but it is the best I could come up with. I would think any younger readers (if there are any) would say "Who?". For the younger set Tallulah Bankhead was an actress in the 40's and 50's. Gypsy Rose Lee was a famous stripper during the vaudeville days. But I am actually talking about Bankhead National Forest and the Sipsey Wilderness in Lawrence and Winston Counties in North Central Alabama. This area is probably the most popular hiking and backpacking trails in Alabama because of the abundance of waterfalls, hemlock canyons and rock outcroppings.

I acquired a very good map of the area from CartoCraft on Tyler Road in Birmingham. The trails seem to be laid out very well on the map along with other points of interest. If the tropical weather system that is supposed to be in the gulf around the weekend does not interfere, Curbie and I will go up there and look around. I want to do some hiking and exploring some of the trail heads and just get a feel for the country. When you get a chance to put boots on the ground in an area you have never seen before then it is not as intimidating for a solo hiker.

I am becoming more and more comfortable with hiking by myself (at least as far as human company is concerned). The hardest part is just getting out the door and trying the adventure. The more times you do this the more comfortable you get. I am old enough and experienced enough not to get crazy and I understand the risks. For me it all about slaying the demons of the past.

The trip to Peavine Falls

A lot of meat but mostly gristle

This morning the sun was not shining. The day was overcast with clouds hanging low in the sky. I was at the trailhead just a little after six intent on just doing some exploring. I started out on the red trail, joined with the orange trail, green trail and then the yellow trail. Three hours later I was back at the South Trail head soaking wet. It rained at some point during the night so the trail was wet and the humidity could be cut with a knife.

Curbie and I then went up the Peavine Road and hiked down to Peavine Falls. There was nothing hard about the hike but when we got below the falls there was only a trickle. I will post a couple of pictures but only to memorialize the trip. All in all there was a lot of exertion this morning but very little to show for it. But in the end getting out and exploring with Curbie is better than sitting in front of the computer.

"The Heat Is On"

I came out of the gym this morning at 8 am and it was already hot and humid. I think if this weather would break every ones humor would improve. The legs felt good this morning so I upped the intensity on the treadmill and Steven followed that up with some fairly heavy strength work.

Even though it is still going to be hot this weekend I will go out to Oak Mountain State Park and do some hiking. I have not hiked up to Peavine Falls this summer so I think I will make that trek. If I am lucky Curbie and I can pick up a ride back to the trail head. What I may actually do is start at the South Trail head and go up to Peavine Falls and back down to the trail head. Then I can go down the blue trail toward the North Trail head and turn around at some point and come back to the South Trail head.

I am just putting in some miles slowly getting in hiking shape for later. The Pinhoti Loop Trail will probably be my next real adventure. The 17 mile loop can be done in one day but I think I will make an overnight out of it. Curbie has not spent the night out in the woods like this before so I think she will enjoy it. The question is will I enjoy her enjoying it?

The Chinnabee Silent Trail Take Two

Chinnabee Silent Trail

Travels with Charlie (Curbie)

If you grew up in the 50's and 60's you know that Captain Kangaroo had a cartoon on in the mornings called "Tom Terrific and Manfred the Wonder Dog". John Steinbeck wrote a novel that I loved called "Travels with Charlie" about his trek across the country in a truck camper with his mutt dog Charlie in the 60's. Curbie has turned into my Charlie and Manfred the Wonder Dog both.

Curbie is a lab mix that Karen picked up as a stray dog in Tarrant. She was one flea bitten mess but she had the sweetest personality. All she ever really wants to do is play unless it thunders. Then all she wants to do is get under the stairs and not come out for a day. When I got back to hiking I knew that I was going to want some company and the beagles cannot go to the woods without a leash. The thought of walking mountain ridge lines holding a leash and wearing a pack did not interest me. So Curbie was my only option. No, Karen was not an option. She is always welcome to come but she does not do hiking.

Curbie and I have done very well hiking together. She stays in front of me for the most part unless she gets real tired then she follows close behind me. I have been able to get her to drink at just about every creek whether she needs to or not. Just in case I bring a plastic bowl and an extra liter of water for her. She will drink out of the bowl but she prefers wading in the creek to cool off and hydrate.

Today Curbie and I hiked the Chinnabee Silent Trail outside of Cheaha State Park. The trailhead was at Turnipseed Parking Area just above Turnipseed Hunting Campground. The trail goes along some nice pine ridge lines, across a waterfall, past a shelter with a great overlook, past Cheaha Falls and into the Chinnabee Recreation Campground. The total distance is about 4 miles one way. This will be a great hike during the fall after the leaves are off the trees. There are a couple of vistas that will be very nice without the leaves. Cheaha Creek runs next to the trail the last third of the trail and the waterfalls while not large are very picturesque.

Curbie and I had brunch at the campground on a picnic table overlooking Lake Chinnabee, a very pretty small lake at the terminus. We brewed some tea, ate some fig newtons and Curbie had a small can of dog food. It does not get any better than that.

After we had our brunch and hydrated we headed back to the Turnipseed Parking Lot the same way we came. The only problem was that it was considerably hotter on the way back. I had to make sure that Curbie drank more than usual as we went over and past the creek. We were both very happy to see the truck.

I went to the Park store and purchased two nice maps of the area. I am interested in doing an overnight trip on the Pinolti Loop Trail. Which is the Chinnabee Silent Trail, Skyway Trail and a section of the Pinholt Trail. The total length of the hike will be 17 miles which is easily done in two days. I want to wait until the fall to do this because I do not like to sleep with the mosquitoes.

I will be posting some pictures of my trip after this post.