Severe Weather - Somebody Watch the Streams?

[Joshua Szulecki]

Hey folks,

Can somebody in Cullman, Lawrence, or Winston County drop in and give me an idea on how much today's storms drive up the stream levels, or at least how much rainfall you folks get?

My schedule for tomorrow and Saturday is clear, so I might consider getting out and going a little waterfall hiking if the rainfall is significant. If anybody is interested, let me know, it might motivate me some to get out their despite the water levels. I'm thinking about dragging my old Graflex 4x5 press camera to Upper Caney Creek Falls if we can manage some rain.

[toph]

I was about to post almost the exact same message...lol.  Early tomorrow morning in Sipsey *should* provide some great pictures after the storms that are about to rumble through today and tonight.  I don't think I'll be able to get up there that early but I am strongly considering heading up mid-afternoon and spending the weekend.

[Cuffs]

Its currently raining in B'ham (and for the last hour!)  Hopefully its going good north of here!

[Lostsheep]

It's been raining off and on in my area of Birmingham today. Haven't gotten too much yet though. Hopefully some more rain will come. I'm hoping the water levels on the Tallapoosa side start to increase some too.

We'll keep watching and see what happens.

[toph]

I'm getting reports of multiple tornadoes and baseball sized hail from friends in Jackson, MS.  Buckle up...it's headed this way.

[Joshua Szulecki]

I apologize to Walker County for forgetting them...

It has been raining since about noon in the parts of the Birmingham area I've been in today (Homewood, Hoover-280) so we are getting some acceptable rainfall. Hopefully it will smooth things out a bit.

I'm still debating a trip to Caney Creek tomorrow, but with the weather being as bad as it looks, I might stay closer to home and get some shots of Peavine or something instead. The Caney Creek area is prone to wind and deadfall, and that trail is already a pain with camera gear...

I've had the misfortune of personally experiencing three tornadoes in my life so far (1 unconfirmed F0 in NY which was reported as a tornado, 2 confirmed F3 tornadoes in MD) and I have no interest in experiencing another. If they tell you to, TAKE SHELTER. If something doesn't feel right, TAKE SHELTER. The first tornado in MD hit after we thought we were clear. Everybody be safe, but if you get a lot of rain, chime in.

[toph]

Which way do you hike in to Caney Creek?  The way in from Hwy. 2 on the forest road is quite possibly the easiest hike in the whole area with the exception of Fall Creek Falls (when Bordon is low that is)?

Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be beautiful weather-wise.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Toph,

The one dead tree at the end of the logging road is a pita to get underneath while carrying a full camera bag and a tripod, and holding a dog leash. I should have mentioned that on easier and safer hikes I take my very small dog with me. He loves hiking, but doesn't get to go often because he is at perfect rattler-strike height. Without the dog and camera gear, it is absolutely an easy hike, and even with it that is the easiest hike in the forest, I would dispute that. The issue is getting the bag, tripod, and dog safely under that darned tree with one hand free!
I'm waiting for it, and the one in the pool, to finally fall.

I'm going back and forth one what I'm thinking about doing tomorrow. If a lot of rain falls, I might head up around dawn and visit Caney or Kinlock for some photography. I'd actually love to walk to Quillen Creek and explore a little, but that will have to wait for the next good rain, because I can't get my stuff in order for camping in time for the peak flow tomorrow.

[toph]

I believe I know the tree you are referring to.  Does it have a smaller tree lying under it where you have to squeeze *between* them to get by?  If so, on our last trip up there, we cut the lower tree out of the way to make passage a little easier since we were all pack laden.

Quillan is absolutely beautiful...quie t possibly the most scenic canyon of them all with many waterfalls and cascades.  Now that's some tough traveling though

[Joshua Szulecki]

That's it, and if you folks cut it (your big trip was right after my last visit), then I am most pleased! It wasn't an issue heading the one direction, but in the other direction I kept getting one thing or the other stuck in the tree, mostly my tripod. I should really find a better way to carry my tripod than with the arm clamped on a backpack strap, it already cost me a tripod, whose parts are missing in action somewhere in Sipsey.

[Cuffs]

After following the radar maps, there should be great water in Sipsey now!!

[Joshua Szulecki]

I'm still debating what to do with myself tomorrow...

I WANT to go to Sipsey, but I just don't feel like being in the car very much after driving down from NY... Maybe I will head over to Peavine.

But BOY did it rain here on 280!

[Cuffs]

Its STILL raining up here in N. Jefferson County!

[Rob]

      Josh, just a point of interest for me, is your Graflex pre 70's? Do you use it often?

[Joshua Szulecki]

Rob,

My Graflex is a 1954/55 Pacemaker Speed 4x5 side-mounted Kalart model. I use it occasionally, although I plan on ramping up my use of it over the next few months, now that I've found a new source of stupidly cheap 4x5 film.

[Rob]

Cool, I'm by far not an expert on those types of cameras and not very well versed on the terminology but didn't Graflex go to a top mounted graflex rangefinder in 55' or was that just on some models of the 4x5's for that year? The side mount didn't have interchangeable cams either did it? It must be quite a chore lugging that thing around on the trail. What other type of cameras do you use? Perhaps this would be better discussed in a new post............ .... Rob

[Joshua Szulecki]

Rob,

I goofed. My Pacemaker is from around 1948 or 1949. It isn't all that heavy without the box and film holders, but I don't own a meter, so I have to carry an extra camera every time I use it.

My general camera gear consists of a Canon Digital Rebel XT (begging for sweet release by now), a Canon Rebel Ti (film), several Canon lenses, both consumer and professional grade, and some other assorted gear. I also have some point and shoot camera gear that I'm trying to force myself to carry around more often.

My Rebel XT has been through quite a bit, too. Besides my waterfall photography abuse, it had the misfortune of spending a few weeks at Canon's NJ service center in the summer of 2006 after I turned my ankle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and sent it hurtling across the parking lot of the highest point on the road. Canon lost the camera for a few days, too!

[Joshua Szulecki]

You know, recently a friend of mine came back from Fall Creek Falls SP in TN and told me the water levels were great. I assume he was BSing me, but take a look at the water flow map for TN! Now if only WE could get back in the green.

http://water.usgs.gov/wat...amp;r=tn&w=real%2Cmap