Just out for a drive in through the woods

[Pathfinder]

Yesterday I was in the area, so I went for a drive on several of the gravel/dirt roads in the Bankhead.  The roads were almost totally deserted.  I only saw one other vehicle in the 2 or more hours that I was in the area.  I turned off 33 onto the Northwest Rd and had a great time just leisurely driving through the woods.  Road conditions weren't too bad on any of the roads I drove on.  There were long stretches where both sides of the road were covered in beautiful black-eyed-susans.  At least I think that is what you call them.  I turned off the A/C and rode with the windows down.  It was fairly hot and humid.  I enjoyed the ride, but I'm sure it would not have been as fun to be hiking and climbing around in the Sipsey in that kind of weather.  That kind of activity will have to wait a little while until it cools a bit.  I'm anxious to get back out there and experience the wonders of the Sipsey-Bankhead area again.  Driving may not be as fun as hiking, but just being there yesterday helped recharge my batteries!  No matter how many times I have hiked and camped in the area, there are still many things I want to see and discover.  Thanks for letting me ramble on here a bit.  I just love this corner of God's earth.

[Joshua Szulecki]

To tell the truth, I love a good drive as much as a love a good hike. I've driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Cherohala Skyway, and other fine roads, and while I might be pre-disposed to prevent such a road's construction if proposed today, I still love the drives. I've done most of the roads around Sipsey, including the full circuit around the Wilderness, and it is worth doing if you love Sipsey. It helps you get a better lay of the land, lets you have a geographic memory of where escape routes are in an emergency, and lets you scout for interesting areas with easy access. That said, some areas are REALLY remote in that area, and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have confidence in your car. Note I didn't say trust, because no car should ever be trusted to work.

Those roads are a blast, too. Just watch out for that darned Chihuahua.

[Pully]

I've driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Cherohala Skyway

Fantastic to drive during the Fall.

I turned off 33 onto the Northwest Rd and had a great time just leisurely driving through the woods.  Road conditions weren't too bad on any of the roads I drove on.

The Northwest Rd was in terrible condition Friday morning. It was like people were driving on it all night during the rain or a lot of heavy trucks drove on it right after the rain. It was like that all the way from 33 until it meets Gum Pond Motorway.

I have to agree. A ride through Bankhead/Sipsey is almost always peaceful.

[WolfVanZandt]

Last week, I drove up to Louisville, Kentucky. My first stop was last Tuesday night at Brushy Lake. It was pouring when I got there so I just crawled into the back and slept. It was so hot that I had to open the side windows on the van (they're the kind that swing out slightly from the bottom) and that's how I slept with a stick insect. I was planning to check out the waterfalls in the park and the one up the hill from the park but I couldn't even hear the water running over the spillway, which is usually a roar heard all over the campgrounds, so I didn't even bother - I just took a shower and left.

[Joshua Szulecki]

The Northwest Rd was in terrible condition Friday morning. It was like people were driving on it all night during the rain or a lot of heavy trucks drove on it right after the rain. It was like that all the way from 33 until it meets Gum Pond Motorway.

Not the same spot... but that makes me wonder... I haven't been in Bankhead since last Spring. Have they fixed the rapidly growing pothole on the CCC camp side of the bridge over Hubbard?

[Pully]

The Northwest Rd. is in better shape since it has dried up.

Not the same spot... but that makes me wonder... I haven't been in Bankhead since last Spring. Have they fixed the rapidly growing pothole on the CCC camp side of the bridge over Hubbard?

I didn't notice a pothole today but that doesn't mean it's not there.

[Joshua Szulecki]

If you didn't notice it, it wasn't there, because it was HUGE.

It showed up around the super-rain we had the morning of the Eagle Creek Bushwhack, which was great for hiking, but horrible on the roads. I had to side-step my car over it because it was getting so deep, and it was regularly filled with 2 feet of water. It was between the bridge abutment and the road itself, which I imagine was not good for the bridge.