Bee Branch Canyon from Gum Pond Trailhead.

[Nalgene Ninja]

Been looking for a shorter route so our 2yo can walk the whole way.
http://www.briartech.com/sipseyonepagea.pdf

From the Gum Pond TH, take FT223 south 1.4M, then east on FT208 about .5M, then South on FT224 about a mile, then going left on the "No Name Trail" .8 until you hit the canyon trail.

Anybody done any of this?

[dayhiker]

I've come from Borden on 224 to 208 to no name.    If you're asking how it is coming in from the top of the canyon, then I've done that.  I don't recall no name being that big of a deal.  As you come in, you'll hit the creek basically at the falls in East Bee.  As you face into the canyon, the creek will be on your right.  You'll see a trail go around the left (east) face of the canyon and after maybe 30 yards there's a little awkward place for you to get down into the canyon.  From the time you see the creek until you're in the bottom you're going to want to hold the 2 y.o.  The whole time you're right at the edge of the cliff.  I had a dog fall in West Bee once and am dang respectful of those heights now.

[Joshua Szulecki]

I've never gone that way... But I have made the ascent from the canyon up to no-name, and I would NOT bring a small child. The ledge is narrow, occasionally obstructed, and the fall is long. You COULD however, hike all the way down no-name to the Sipsey, then hike up the canyon trail. It would be longer, but I imagine the change in elevation at the end is much less harsh.

I personally like the Whiteoak Hollow approach for speed, which if I wasn't afflicted with a massive cold at the time, would have been pretty darned easy. Unfortunately, the way we dropped into West Bee Branch would be just as unsuitable for a 2 y.o. as approaching from the top of East Bee Branch. The hike distance is 95% percent safe, but the actual drop, both into the side canyon, and into West Bee, would be unsuitable for a small child. There may be another way down, because there are some other side trails on the trail (FT 205) between Whiteoak and West Bee, but you'd need to scope it out without a kid.

[dayhiker]

Agreed on W.O.H.  My son is almost 9 now and I'm just about ready to take him.  The issue is that where you drop into West Bee it's pretty nasty.  There are several little steps you have to do with 4-6' drops.  The hard part is the adult getting down while making the child wait and not freak out.  Once you're down, the child could walk to you, and setup for the next step.  If it didn't happen that way bad things could happen.  I don't think 2 adults and would child would scare me, but I'd be very, very careful

[Joshua Szulecki]

The other thing about the Whiteoak Hollow route is that the most obvious descent into West Bee Branch is REALLY slipperly when wet in two different locations (the spot next to a waterfall and the descent immediately before crossing a stream) and a long slide could be in the works if you make a mistake. Also, it is really easy to get lost along the ledges before the drop, which results in a sudden dead-end at a cliff edge.