A Wet and Wonderful Weekend at Sipsey

by

Tommy Gardner

Last Friday, I struck out from work headed for Sipseyland at about 5:00 p.m. Since I live in Memphis, it was about a three-hour commute to the trailhead at 201/202. Having paid my fee and thief-proofed the car, I hit the trail (alone and in the rain) at about 8:30 p.m., headed West/Northwest on trail 202. Approximately an hour later I stopped and made camp in one of the caves adjacent to the large waterfall just off the trail. The cave proved to be a great idea, as it rained constantly from about 10:00 p.m. on. I had just enough shelter to lay out the Thermarest and cook up some pasta. Due to the pristine nature of the cave, I decided against a fire [Lee's note, good for you Tommy!  Fires really destroy the appearance of caves, please do not light fires in caves that are not already destroyed] and went to bed. Other than my requisite tossing and turning, the cave-sleep experience was great, and I plan to use the caves and caverns more in the future, as opposed to a tent or bivy.

Saturday morning dawned rainy and cold, much as I expected, the rain Friday night had been intense at times, and the forecast called for rain most of Saturday as well. After an Esbit breakfast of Oatmeal with syrup, bagel, and two 16 oz. french-press coffees (*yum*), I hit the trail around 10 a.m. The rain was constant, but not a real problem. I was very impressed with the performance of my Pacific Trail Kaporous jacket. This jacket was a gift, and came from a department store in Tupelo. I always wondered how this jacket would perform under a pack, and was pleasantly surprised that it did a remarkable job in keeping me dry and venting the steam from my body at the same time. My only faux-pas was failing to put on my waterproof pants until my hiking pants were fairly soaked through.

Despite the rain, the river crossing at 202/209 was uneventful. The water reached up to my thigh, so it may have been a problem for shorter-legged hikers. I brought along a small empty container to fill with river water for rinsing of feet at the crossings, and it was a great idea indeed. Coupled with a small, cotton towel (golf bag variety), I was able to completely clean, de-sand, and dry my feet totally, with minimum hassle. The poly ‘pack towls’ just don’t seem to cut it for this, especially when it is c-c-c-old. The rain continued for most of my hike up trail 209, and ended abruptly when I reached Bee Branch. It was here that I encountered a Boy Scout troop from Brandon, MS., looking for some of their group. Also, I talked to some day hikers and a group that was base camped above the falls at the back of the branch. Considering the ominous forecast, I knew I was talking to like-minded souls who would rather be camping inside Sipsey in the rain, than dry on the couch at home!

With the overcast skies, I decided to go ahead and throw down a campsite, choosing the campsite far below the trail, to the left, as you enter the back of the canyon. I heard the sounds of chopping wood, and noticed a large group camp about 200 feet above me, in one of the caverns in the canyon wall. While I was concerned that it might be a ‘party group’, given the number of bodies and the amount of firewood they were collecting, I decided to remain at the site and take my chances. A lengthy exploration and photofest followed, I followed the creek up to the falls explored the rim of the canyon. That night I dined on Mountain House Chicken and Rice, and must say that it, along with a bagel and a large cup of hot tea, made a darn fine dinner. I built a small fire, and settled into the chores of drying out socks and gloves.

At about 8:30, I noticed the faint strains of music on the wind. I couldn’t place it at first, but soon determined that it was coming from the ‘cavern commune’ up the hill. It was soft and unobtrusive music, mostly a duo of banjo and guitar with occasional vocal accompaniment. I hit the sack around 9:45 or so, with the soft music still wafting through the air, and was quickly asleep. As I am prone to do, I woke several times during the early part of the night, and at each time was barely able to hear some music or singing coming from the high camp in the canyon wall above me. Probably induced by fatigue and my distance from the group, the tunes began to take on a chant-like quality, as I drifted in and out of dreams about Indians and campfires. It was actually a very cool experience, and I must say that I was not really excited about the music at first – it seemed a little out of place.

Sunday morning dawned fresh, clear, and cold. After breakfast and another double-dose of great coffee, I hit the trail – headed west on 209. I found and picked up an ‘Artic Zone’ 1-liter water bottle, which was floating in Bee Creek. Making good time, I stopped and shot some great riverside photos of places I must remember to visit when the weather is warm. Some of the beaches and rock formations simply beg to be used as swim-and-lunch sites during the Spring and Summer! I reached the 209 river crossing and made the ford with no trouble, once again employing the water bottle method of rinsing and drying feet on the far side.

Not seeing any signs to direct me to the 201-south trail I was seeking, I took a guess and headed North on the river trail, soon coming to a sign that indicated 201/209 headed up the hill. While the trail signs were well-placed, trail 201 south was a bit obscured and quite hard to follow at times, especially where it follows the creek bed up the waterfall. After consulting map and compass, I headed south and found the rest of the trail to be smooth and wide, a perfect ‘entrance trail’ for those times I have to night-hike to avoid spending my first night at the trailhead. After a lunch on the trail, I finished up at the 201/202 trailhead where my friend Bitter Bill had left an encouraging note and a chicken biscuit on top of my car – what a guy!! That biscuit tasted so good, it was almost fine dining!

All in all a great trip! I was able to field test several new pieces of gear, including a Mountainsmith Ghost backpack, Esbit Stove, MSR titan kettle, mini-tripod, Slumberjack’s bivy shelter, and a couple of collapsible canteens from Nalgene and Platypus. All performed admirably and will make the list for the next trip. The bivy actually slept quite cold, but this was probably due to my poor site selection, and the fact that I temporarily modified the foot area vestibule to allow for better venting – and to avoid condensation.

The lessons learned here are many.

First, trail 201 is a perfect non-technical way into the Wilderness after dark for us ‘late arrivers’ on weekends, and will enable me to sleep riverside instead of roadside on future weekend trips. Besides the descent on the waterfall, and portions of the trail down the canyon wall, it is a straightforward route to the campsite at the 209 river crossing.

Second, you need to put waterproof pants on to enjoy the waterproofness, and resulting dryness, that they provide.

Third, pitching a small, well-ventilated tent beside a creek in the bottom of a canyon is not the best plan, especially when it is really cold, and has been raining and windy all day.

And finally, the most important lesson of the weekend:  A cold, windy, rainy weekend in Sipsey is still better than a fair-weathered weekend at home!

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Email me at tommygardner4@hotmail.com if you have any questions or comments. Please pack out what you pack in, and practice leave no trace methods when possible.