05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

[weathermansam]

Some days can go so terribly, terribly wrong, and today was one of them.  I can’t believe how badly I underestimated this hike, and the toll it would take on my wife.  She’s new to the “sport”, not totally sold on the great outdoors to begin with and definitely not in the shape to have done what we did with the Wild South group today, and for that, I apologize to her and the other hikers whom we held back.  It should not take anyone nearly six hours to hike two miles.  I have a new rule: I will never again take her or any other person on a hike of this nature unless I have explored the place myself beforehand.  

With the threat of severe weather, and downpours already occurring, this hike was shortened from three miles to two, and further delayed by a road closing that added a good 20-30 minutes before we got to where we needed to go.  Our goal, explore Upper Gillespie Creek, it’s rock formations, waterfalls and the cultural history of the area.  It had originally been intended that we would hike High House Hill as well to see the former homestead, interesting plants left behind, and the plantation areas.  There were lots of blackberry and muscadine vines all along the old road that was the former driveway essentially to the homes atop the hill.  

We began the hike on this old roadbed, hiking about half a mile to three-quarters of a mile up it, passing what looked like a member of the larkspur family and other assorted wildflowers.  From here it became an utter and complete bushwhack down the side of the hill to the stream that forms the headwaters of Gillespie Creek.  Slippery rocks abound, I tried in vain to get Laurel to use my hiking staff to which she refused and fell repeatedly.  In the middle of a downpour, we finally reached a rock shelter to wait out the weather a bit, though everyone was sticky, wet and uncomfortable.  Continuing down the drainage and up another draw we found a much larger rock shelter that we sat and ate snacks in for a little while.  Just outside of it, someone had carved his or her name into a Beech tree along with a date from 1936.  

Crossing other small streams, I noted several interesting carvings on the trees, though I’m not certain of whether they are true arborglyphs or not.  Further investigation should help determine it, though.  We stopped for lunch at another rock shelter that featured the rare Bosch Filmy Fern.  Several salamanders were also collected in this area, and we observed a bumblebee nest where the bees were busy drying their wings from all the rain, paying no mind to us at all.  We passed on to another drainage with an intermittent waterfall along with Solomon’s Seal and a blooming grouping of maidenhair ferns.  Several mosses were also in bloom in the area.  Just beyond there were many more tree carvings, some obviously native american, others obviously not, and those degraded to the point where it was no longer able to read what was written.  Not far from this area up another drainage was a shelter with a mortar stone.  Like many others places in Bankhead, this small section is rich in history.  

Keeping to the ridge line, we came into the next to last leg of the hike, a double waterfall, and a tree with a date from the 1880’s.  We pondered how we were getting up to the top here, but ended up going around one more bend, and after some trouble with the GPS, made for a rough and tumble scramble up the hillside to the top of the bluff.  Coming to the stream atop, the group leader and myself ventured down to see the view from atop the waterfall, which was wonderful, of course.  I’m the only from the group today to have a photo of the waterfall there and the view down.  Making our way back to the rest of the group, we then set out on for the road, where we’d dropped off some vehicles at Old Beulah Church (spelled Bulah on the sign).  Outside of having to circumvent a yellow jacket nest we came out of the last section relatively unscathed, and several hikers applauded Laurel's efforts and sticking with it until the end, with one man noting, “like a hair in a biscuit”.  There’s nothing like a great quote and a bottle of Gatorade to end a hike.  Nothing like it at all.  


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I'll post the photos tonight or tomorrow if my website ever decides to recognize they've been uploaded.  

[WolfVanZandt]

Well, she's seen the worst (well, not quite the worst, but the worst likely) so she has nothing but "better" to look forward to.

[weathermansam]

Well, she's seen the worst (well, not quite the worst, but the worst likely) so she has nothing but "better" to look forward to.

She enjoyed part of it, at least.  There were an array of spiders, salamanders and dragonflies that peaked her interest. 

[weathermansam]

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

05/29/10: Upper Gillespie Creek, Bankhead National Forest, AL

Janice Barrett identified that fern as the rare Bosch Filmy Fern.  The fronds were so thin it was translucent. 

Some more of the group, the bluffs and wildflowers we came across here:  http://www.weathermansam....052910bankhead/index.html

[Joshua Szulecki]

Sam,

I think you are being a bit hard on yourself and your wife... Might have been a poor choice, but...

I don't consider six hours to hike a two-mile BUSHWHACK in the RAIN totally unreasonable. Obviously, on a trail, two miles is easy. I generally consider each mile on a bushwhack in Bankhead to be similar to a three to four-mile hike on flat terrain. Rain ruins your stride and makes you terrified of slipping.  Almost every bushwhack I've done in Bankhead in the rain of about that length took four to six hours. I'm in very lousy shape and I do multi-mile bushwhacks several times a year. She'll speed up with some confidence if you can convince her to go back out, and a slow pace is not a terrible thing for a bushwhack. Also, keep in mind that Wildsouth is used to hiking pretty fast because many of them are very accomplished bushwhackers.

However, it is a completely lousy time of year for a bushwhack. I know Wildsouth probably had reasons for being where they were, when they were, which makes sense, but a great general public hike this was probably not. I consider late-May through early-October lousy for bushwhacks unless you HAVE to be out there. Too hot, too many snakes, and too many leaves to allow for decent rescue spotting.

I considered joining Wildsouth for this hike, but then remembered my dislike of warm weather bushwhacks. I spent the day in Tennessee running from the thunderstorms. Got clear of them ditching out after a few miles at Savage Gulf, got sprinkled on again at Fall Creek Falls and took off, and got soaked at Burgess Falls. It sounds like you had an interesting, if slippery, hike. Teach your wife about hiking sticks.

[Jdevil]

Hi Sam, thanks for the trip report.  Really sorry to hear that your wife had a hard time of it, as the forest can truly be a magical place during a rain storm (as I'm sure you know all too well;). Been meaning to explore the Indian Tomb locale myself, but will probably save it for later in the season. I  Really enjoyed the photos, as always! Thanks for posting! 

[weathermansam]

Sam,

I think you are being a bit hard on yourself and your wife... Might have been a poor choice, but...

I don't consider six hours to hike a two-mile BUSHWHACK in the RAIN totally unreasonable. Obviously, on a trail, two miles is easy. I generally consider each mile on a bushwhack in Bankhead to be similar to a three to four-mile hike on flat terrain. Rain ruins your stride and makes you terrified of slipping.  Almost every bushwhack I've done in Bankhead in the rain of about that length took four to six hours. I'm in very lousy shape and I do multi-mile bushwhacks several times a year. She'll speed up with some confidence if you can convince her to go back out, and a slow pace is not a terrible thing for a bushwhack. Also, keep in mind that Wildsouth is used to hiking pretty fast because many of them are very accomplished bushwhackers.

However, it is a completely lousy time of year for a bushwhack. I know Wildsouth probably had reasons for being where they were, when they were, which makes sense, but a great general public hike this was probably not. I consider late-May through early-October lousy for bushwhacks unless you HAVE to be out there. Too hot, too many snakes, and too many leaves to allow for decent rescue spotting.

I considered joining Wildsouth for this hike, but then remembered my dislike of warm weather bushwhacks. I spent the day in Tennessee running from the thunderstorms. Got clear of them ditching out after a few miles at Savage Gulf, got sprinkled on again at Fall Creek Falls and took off, and got soaked at Burgess Falls. It sounds like you had an interesting, if slippery, hike. Teach your wife about hiking sticks.

I typically hike fast, and this bushwhack would have been a walk in the park compared to a lot of others I've done.  Surprisingly, we didn't see a single snake the entire trip, and Janice made sure we knew this was noted territory for copperheads.  The rain lasted long enough for us to get to the first rock shelter, and then the sun broke out a while later, and that was the kicker.  After this hike, though, the next few I take her on are going to be so much easier in comparison [and comparable distance wise] that I'm hoping it definitely ends up a confidence builder.  She's still sore today from it, and probably should be.  I would have loved to have done a hike from those headwaters on Gillespie all the way down through Indian Tomb Hollow, but that will have to wait for cooler weather.  The heat doesn't bother me any, but ticks get old [had one wedged under my wedding ring, ugh!].  I had fully intended my hiking in bankhead to be over with for a couple of months.  As far as hiking sticks, it was hard enough to get her to drink gatorade.  She was sure she wasn't dehydrated, with probably me and half the group telling her she was and just wasn't aware of it.  She definitely needed the staff more than me.  I wobble [and do acrobatics!] like a drunk through the forest without one, but I have reasonably good balance. 

I have been meaning to get up and hike some in savage gulf.  I want to see greeter falls and the stone doors....I used to have a rule when I moved back to Alabama.  late fall/winter/spring I'd cater to cheaha/sipsey, places around here.  Come the heat of the summer thoughts usually turned to north Georgia/TN.  I'd like a trip or two to the smokies, and I'd love to camp on the fiery gizzard.

Hi Sam, thanks for the trip report.  Really sorry to hear that your wife had a hard time of it, as the forest can truly be a magical place during a rain storm (as I'm sure you know all too well;). Been meaning to explore the Indian Tomb locale myself, but will probably save it for later in the season. I  Really enjoyed the photos, as always! Thanks for posting! 

I think for her I need to cater more toward bugs/wildflower areas.  She could have cared less about the rock formations and waterfalls, but the multitude of spiders, dragonflies and salamanders we came across definitely got her attention. 

[Joshua Szulecki]

I left out the bugs in my post. The bugs, much more than the snakes, keep me from bushwhacking in the summer. For that matter, the leaves themselves slow down progress a ton compared to a fall/winter/spring hike. The worst is the groundcover that masks your footing.

We saw a MASSIVE snake in Savage Gulf yesterday. Nothing interesting, moving very slowly, and didn't even pay attention to the barking dog restrained a few feet away. The Copperheads are the ones that worry me, since you don't get much of an audible warning, and they are particularly hard to see in deciduous leaf litter.

Incidentally, I like that fungus-tree-fern photo.

[Uncle Wayne]

Well, she's seen the worst (well, not quite the worst, but the worst likely) so she has nothing but "better" to look forward to.

Yeah, that what I was thinking while reading your post.  I replied to your PM before checking your post.  I guess that answered my question. As Joshua alluded to in his reply, it's a bad time of the year to break in a new hiking partner.  But if they make it through this season and still want more, mid to late fall and winter will win them for sure.