Last Saturday Hike

[Suz]

Every month WildSouth has a hike or three the last Saturday of the month.  This Saturday there will be three different hikes available.  Meet in Wren at the Trading Post at 9:00am   Bring lunch, water, maps, GPS, cameras, cap or hat, bug repellent, and friends.  Children 12 and up.

[Nalgene Ninja]

Here's the choices:
Next Wild South Hike Day in the Bankhead National Forest :

 

Saturday, April 26, 2008

 

Wild South staff-members and volunteers lead hikers into the hills and deep canyons of the Bankhead National Forest and Sipsey Wilderness the last Saturday of every month.  Everyone 12 years and older welcome (contact us about hikes for kids and families!).  Our hikes are free of charge, but we are over-joyed to accept your donations and your paid membership to Wild South!  After all, if we didn't have paying members, we couldn't do things like show you great places to go hiking.

 

This month’s hike choices to sign up for:

(You don't have to choose a particular hike before you sign up.  We just like to know how many people to expect)

 

West Basin Creek

Bluff shelters, sandstone glades, waterfalls. Northwestern part of the Bankhead.

Lead by Mark "Canyonman" Kolinski 

Level of Challenge:  Moderate.  Completely off-trail. Bushwhacking (no machetes please).  Brief steep terrain.

Distance:  2 to 3 miles, in and out same way

         

Payne Creek Trail

The newly designated Payne Creek Trail into Payne Creek canyon.  Deep sandstone canyon, creek, waterfalls, cascade, bluff shelters.

Lead by Janice Barrett

Level of challenge:  Moderate.  Much off-trail, some steep hillside climbing, many creek crossings.

Distance:  Approx. 3 miles. Loop hike.

 

One more route to be announced

Lead by Susan Wells

Sipsey Wilderness, probably

 

All these hikes involve creek crossings, traversing rugged, off-trail terrain and slippery rocks.

 

After signing up to let us know you are coming (janice@wildsouth.org or 256-974-6166):

 

Meet at the Warrior Mountains Trading Company in Wren, Alabama (2 or 3 miles south of Moulton at the intersection of Highways 33 and 36) at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 26.  The street address is 11312 Alabama Highway 33, Moulton , AL .  Park at the south end of the building and come into the store where we will have a brief orientation before carpooling up to the trailheads.

 

Bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water.

 

Other things to bring:  Walking stick, camera, binoculars, bandana, hat, notebook, pen, tick repellent, etc.

 

Dress for the weather.  Bring rain gear if it looks like it may rain (check the weather forecast).  Long pants highly recommended because of briars and ticks. 

 

Appropriate footwear is extremely important for happy hiking:  Sturdy hiking boots or sneakers with good tread for traction in slippery, rocky, wet, steep situations.  Wool socks are the best for those numerous creek crossings.  You may want to stick a dry pair in your pack or your car for afterwards.  No slick-soled shoes!  No flip-flops!  You’ll be sor-ry!

 

Need to know more?  Just ask me!

 

Janice Barrett

 

Wild South

P. O. Box 117

Moulton , Alabama 35650

janice@wildsouth.org

[Joshua Szulecki]

Does anybody have any information about this new Payne Creek Trail in Payne Creek Canyon?

[Suz]

It is being developed to be an interpretive trail.  The FS and WildSouth are working to complete it.  We used to drop down a canyon and now a trail has been developed to get you in and out.   I think the trail has been cut.  Don't know if it is blazed or not.  It is going to be the place to bring groups, sort of like a PR place for Bankhead.  Janice was talking about it Thursday on our pre-hike.  I'm sure Mark will have details on Saturday.

We tried to get to Clifty Creek Falls, but didn't make it all the way.  Time ran out.  Next time I'm thinking of dropping in from the high side, and doing a through hike.  Since we didn't make Clifty, my hike is going to be the Borden Creek, Fall Creek Falls loop.  Then, if anyone is game, we may hike upstream to Braziel and see if the orchids are still in bloom.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Suz,

Fill me in if you learn anything more about that trail. I'm still looking for hikes for my last two hiking days. Hmmm... I wonder if that is what that collection of hybrid cars along AL-33 was all about...

Did you find the orchids? They aren't hard to find, so I'm refraining from posting anything about their exact location, in the hope that they'll remain where they are. Since we only found two plants, not just two flowers, but two plants total, I'm concerned about that stand. Don't post a location if it isn't already public record, but do you know of another stand of them anywhere in the forest? I only ask because I'm concerned that may be the only trailside stand in the wilderness, considering how few hikers who frequent Sipsey say they've seen them in years of hiking. I'm sure there are many of them hidden off-trail...

[Suz]

I didn't make Payne Creek today, or the other hike.  I had a bolt in my tire this morning and took it to Wal=mart @ 7:30 for a repair after McGriff's told me the wait was 1.5 hours.  I walked out of Walmart at 10:50 so I missed the hike and most of the morning.  I don't know why they were so slow.  But Shame on Walmart!!!


We found some other plants without blooms further up the trail, but I haven't been out looking.  But we examined the holes and determined that they were created by animals digging.  Too much dirt thrown away from the hole to be an act of piracy.  So that was a relief.

[Nalgene Ninja]

Too much dirt thrown away from the hole to be an act of piracy. 

That must explain all that eye liner Johnny Depp wore in those movies.

[Joshua Szulecki]

I'd be counting my blessings that they were able to plug it at all. I've been finding that most places are getting more and more squeamish about plugging a tire. I live next to a Home Dep*t, and they were repairing fire damage to a unit near me last year, so I've had about a dozen flats since I moved to Alabama. The tires on the Taurus were decent enough that they never actually blew or leaked while driving, and I actually drove 2000mi with a nail in my rear driver's side tire last spring. In full knowledge of it. 

A bolt leaves a big hole. I'm pretty impressed they were willing to plug it.

Bummer about missing the hike.

[Suz]

Plant Pirates and Wildflowers
Sorry, about the over used "Piracy,", but we called people who stole plants "Plant Pirates" since the 70's.  I was in landscaping for about 20 years and sometimes people stole plants from the flower beds, or from the worksite, or from people's yards.  I guess it was an industry term, or just the local industry around Atlanta.  Before I was enlightened, and many wildflowers became threatened, I've been guilty of plant piracy myself, especially around new developments, where the dozer was going to take everything but the dogwoods because the driver didn't know about native azaleas or wildflowers.   Now, if possible, it is best to organize "Plant Digs" and "Plant Rescues," if the developer will work with you.  If you know the property is going to be developed.  Usually the first sign is the moonscape.  Sometimes there is a "commercial" real estate sign. 

Many Wildflower Societies sponsor digs, rescues, and sales of plants.  I usually ask if they were seed started or dug from the wild.  Some members have plants in their yards that they have divided and made available, so  those are some great ways to get some wildflowers.  There is no law against gathering seed, as long as you leave lots for the vicinity were you collect.

Tires
I'm hoping the repair was a patch.  I don't like plugs, because as the tire gets warm the plug works loose.  McGriff does a plug/patch that is a reliable repair, and I'm hoping that is what I got.  The reason I went for the repair, is that once the tire reached a certain point, it wouldn't take anymore air, and that point wasn't full enough to continue  riding around on.  I have ridden around with a tack or nail in my tire, as long as the leak was slow enough to manage.  But yesterday wasn't the day.  It is holding air now, though.  The reason it was repaired instead of replaced, is that I have the road hazard warranty.  It makes sense and cents to repair!  I get my tires at Walmart because there is a store in every town, and I know the warranty will be honored, even if I get old waiting.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Suz,

I've found it hard to get anybody to do a patch these days. Most of the time when they will do a repair, they'll only do a plug for me. The only time I've had a patch even offered was for a near sidewall repair, and they eventually decided they didn't want to take the risk, and sent me to another, more experience person, who wouldn't repair it at all. But... I've never had a plug for more than a year, because everytime I've had them, I eventually had to replace the tire due to later additional damage.

Speaking of gathering seed... I read a few days ago that somebody from one of the wildflower societies collected seeds from Cahaba Lilies in an attempt to get them to grow somewhere else. I didn't see any indication of results.