Canoe Camping the Sipsey

[highlife]

I've already done thompson>sipsey take out at picnic area, but I'm thinking more of starting at the picnic area.
I'm thinking of a early summer trip before it dries up.

[McDowra]

when did you do the thompson>sipsey? I've thoght about it but didn't know how much portage there was.

thanks

[highlife]

when did you do the thompson>sipsey? I've thoght about it but didn't know how much portage there was.

thanks

About 5ish years ago a group of us started at Thompson creek and it was awful. It was semi floatable, but tons of logjams. The only real portage is at the rapids just past ship rock and all that, or you can be brave and take the rapid.
BUT oh the log jams....a few are ok, but they get old quick. Most of the jams were the type where you stand on log..pull canoe over...

I heard the lower portion is better.

[mich4076]

I did a river float last year at the river near cleveland... darn memory!!! A bunch of people got together on pool floats and floated on the river for about 5 miles down rapids.. it was very fun and i'm hoping to do something like it again this year... I spoiled myself for Christmas this year and bought myself a kayak... Doesn't do more than class 1 rapids tho... got it from academy for 225$. It would be fun to get a group together and do some canoe/kayak camping this spring/summer. Once it warms up some I'm going to get out on Smith lake just to get some time on the water in. 

[Firedog]

I recommend Hatchet Creek if you want a fun beautiful class I/II or the upper Tallapoosa. Check out the run index on alabamawhitewate r.com for water level requirements ect. Here are a couple of links:

http://www.alabamawhitewater.com/
http://www.hatchetcreek.net/

Carl W.

[elbowman]

During the week between Christmas and New Year, I saw a group of 4 canoes come down the Borden Creek heading for the take out at Sipsey Rec area. They had put in at the Borden Bridge at FS 208. They stopped at the curved bridge at the Borden Trail head for lunch. The leader of the group told me the water level was good, but the blow downs over the creek were awful. They had to repeatably get out and carry the canoes around the trees. He said they were not having much fun.

Eric

[Uncle Wayne]

when did you do the thompson>sipsey? I've thoght about it but didn't know how much portage there was.

thanks

The best / only time to start the float from Thompson is when the water is over the 3.5 mark on the bridge over the Sipsey on Cranal Road.  You may / will  still have logjams but no portages because of low level water.  I've done that a dozen times probably, but you have to wait on the water level to be right.

It also possible to come from Kinlock Falls when the water is at that level but Hubbard Creek is much more narrow than Thompson and thus much more likely to have trouble spots.

When we do a Thompson to HWY 33 float, we usually camp around Fall Creek falls. If the water levels high enough to float from Thompson, Fall Creek falls is a tremendous sight.