Man its good be back on the trails!!! There’s just nothing like the clean, fresh, winter air in the forest. Oddly enough, the constant rain and sleet made the hike even more enjoyable. I hit several trails including TR203, TR206, some of TR209 & TR208, TR204, as well as Bee Branch. I’ll post about the other trails later; TR206 is my focus right now.
The trailhead was a bit tricky to get to due to all the ice and mud. I haven’t regretted getting an SUV yet, well, except at the pump…lol. I ran into a large group at the Thompson Creek trailhead. I guess that is what Jaybird posted the link to the Birmingham group regarding. They were very nice people and loaded down with gear. I almost wanted to stick around to see how they managed it, but I had too much ground to cover.
The trail is very well marked and clear running along Thompson Creek all the way to the Sipsey. The granite and variety of green hues were relaxing as I walked along to the cadence of crunching ice and the occasional crash of plummeting ice cycles. I couldn’t help but think about how different the forest is depending on the season and how even a trail you’ve been down before seems new at during a different season.
Having taken up geocaching, I ventured off the trail often to explore the bluffs or attempt to log a cache to which I only had luck half the time. This was the second trail I hiked in this series and I used it to get to Bee Branch via TR209. The emerald waters of the Sipsey were especially brilliant in contrast to the snow along TR209. It was fun trying to imagine what animals left what tracks. The turkey prints were unmistakable, but other canine like prints could be anything.
Following TR206 to TR209 making my way to Bee Branch. I followed the unofficial trail along the branch into the canyon to Big Tree. Bee Branch Falls were roaring away quite nicely. After logging a cache in the canyon, I looped up above the falls via the trail on the east canyon wall. Once above the falls I lost the trail almost immediately and bushwhacked up to Bunyan Hill. I did encounter TR204 a bit before Bunyan and intend on going back to hike in from that end to clarify my mapping.
From there I hiked over to TR208 and looped back around to the Thompson trailhead. I always enjoy finishing on the horse trails because they’re so easy to follow and there is something fun about pushing through all the damp pine needles that envelope the trail. I was able to make it back to my truck right at dusk with plenty of time to grab a cappuccino on the way home.
Map & Trail Data:
http://www.alabamatentand...thompson-creek-trail.html
TR206
TR206
TR206
TR206
TR206
TR206
