Sipsey is my favorite hiking spot! Those streams are often very difficult to cross, especially in the spring.
Sipsey is my favorite hiking spot! Those streams are often very difficult to cross, especially in the spring.
What a great trip and report!
Originally Posted by squidbilly
Yep, I don't know the numbers off hand, but my memory is: Come to Bee Branch/Sipsey intersection, turn north up hill at Bee Branch for about 1/2-3/5 mile to the intersection with east Bee Branch and head north east up east bee branch. Go roughly 1/3 mile into a deep box canyon at the foot of Bee Branch Falls and the Big Tree. It is a pretty steep climb to get out of this box canyon to the top pf the falls and on to some other trails like 224 which is really an abandoned road. And yes, climbing over fallen trees the entire way, pretty rough!
Also, though I have not hiked it, I think just east of the Bee/Sipsey intersection and nice campsite there is a trail called No Name Trail. It goes up the ridge that forms the top of the canyon that you were in, and later the east wall of E Bee Branch Canyon. The only thing is you have to watch for the small trail that comes from the N. west about 1 mile or so, then hike about 1/4 mile to the top of (E)Bee Branch Falls, with the Big Tree down at the bottom. Again though I have not hiked it, I have wondered if this ridge trail might not be much easier than traveling in the bottom of the canyons? Let's go hike it someday and see!
Big Tree( I think) at bottom of E. Bee Branch Falls:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...7&d=1257180043
Top of B.Branch Falls looking down towards Big Tree:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...2&d=1257180043
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...3&d=1257180291
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...4&d=1257180291
Based on your directions it definitely sounds like you could reach the canyon and big tree from 209 without having to go through the really tough part of 204A with all the downed trees. I would love to go back and try to reach that area coming down 206 since the west side of 209 was a lot easier than the east side of 209 coming from 202.
Thanks for the pics! I think the last few pics is where we rested before filling up with water before coming down trail 204A. But I don't remember seeing the falls in the distance though. Definitely a pretty place.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1403986957.769652.jpg
Here is a winter photo of the top half of the big tree. I was standing on the canyon rim when I took it. It is not far from the bottom of the falls. Since I live to the east, we often start at Borden Creek and take 224 (Bunyan Hill) to 204 which is about 5 miles. It is near N34 19'42.54", W87 26'41.27"
BillyBob: The "no name trail" you describe sonds like 204. The other route that follows Bee Branch / East Bee upstream to Big Tree is 204A: the unofficial, but popular trail.
MississipVol: If you take the 206/Whiteoak Hollow shortcut, you still have to climb up East Bee Canyon over those downed trees. However, it is faster and easier because you're travelling lighter, carrying a daypack instead of the full kit.
Let me know if you want to do it sometime- I'll be glad to lead it.
Those last few pics are MacIntyre, Hikingshoes, and finally me, standing on the edge of E Bee Branch Falls looking down on the Big Tree(but you can not see the tree in those pics, though we can see it down below us). Is that where you got water, up above the Big Tree, on top of BB Falls?
Looking at another map, I think you are correct, No Name = 204. My Sipseyonepage map shows it as NoName, my Topo 7 and USGS topo do not show a trail period, and this map shows it as 204: http://www.sipseywilderness.org/maps/204_206.pdf
Have you ever done this trail? It may not be maintained, but being on a ridge rather than on the creek side in a canyon, it MIGHT be easier than the more popular trail(204A?), the one I have done. 204/NoName is the trail I ended up on after climbing up from the tree to the top of the falls on my way to 224 and back north and then southwest back to Thompson Creek parking. But I did not take the trail from Sipsey River up to the falls. I doubt that it could have any more fallen trees than the other trail.
The falls where we filtered water was called "West Bee Branch Falls" on my topo map. We didn't see the tree down below us but we didn't know what we were looking for really. We took a trail south at that point that seemed to split into two trails, one that went closer to the ridge and then the creek and another that went a little higher up. The one higher up may have ended later on (don't know) because we followed the lower one. But NEITHER of these were 204. I can say that for certain, because we took 204 from 209 and neither of these trails went that high. 204 is much higher on the ridge and is better maintained. I think the trail we took south walking past the entrance to the canyon (unknowingly) is what some people call 204A.
Also Squidbilly, would love to let you show us that trail later that fall. We would still love to hang in that area. I regret we were not able to find it on this recent trip.
By the way Billy Bob, love your signature - Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters. Also saw you are in Tupelo where I live. I wish we had a "Sipsey" a lot closer to us!
Below is a pic of my topo map and the area we are discussing. On this map, we filtered water at the squiggly lines (to the right of the # 20). This is designated on the map key as "West Bee Branch Falls". We then followed that trail southward. When the trail moves to the right (going southward) there seemed to be a higher trail not on my map that continued straight-ward and higher up but I am not sure how far it went. That trail is not on my map at all.
Is the trail into the canyon where the Big Tree is located before or after the junction of east and west been branch streams? I remember a trail going off to the right as we got lower but can't recall where we saw it.
BigTreeTopo_zps6e91f4ed.jpg
Here's a nice detailed trail map in PDF form. 204 and 204A are not labeled as such, though they are on the map (one isn't labeled at all, while the other is labeled as No Name Trail). Also 207 (which connects the Borden Trailhead with the Northwest Trailhead) is mislabeled as 210.
http://www.briartech.com/sipseyonepagea.pdf
I found the Sipsey Wilderness to be really lacking in signage for 204/204A and the Big Tree, as well as where 207 crosses Borden Creek to connect to the Borden Trailhead (there isn't a sign there at all, and the trail slowly fades off into the woods).
Those squiggly lines represent East Bee Falls...so you were right there. Big Tree is near the end of East Bee Canyon, maybe 50 yards from the bottom of the falls. After taking the ONLY trail down from the the top of the waterfall, you have to go right, back toward the falls to reach Big Tree.
I have no idea why the key on your map calls this West Bee Falls when it is obviously East Bee Falls. Last time I was in East Bee Canyon (this past winter) there were several branches of the trail, but they all eventually led up the canyon to the same place. The branches are due to people taking different routes to avoid all the deadfall from the recent storms. It was a somewhat difficult trail due to the deadfall, but not hard to navigate ( just follow the water up the canyon). It's harder to see where you're going this time of year because of seasonal growth: all the leaves are filled out and it's hard to have any perspective on the topography.
At the junction, go east (East Bee Branch) - instead of north (West Bee Branch). I really feel you're overthinking this. I've been turned around before several times in the SWA. Seems it was always due to the lack of perspective I mentioned, (can't see or not paying attention to the topography) plus I'm a terrible judge of distance.
Like I said earlier, I will show you the shortcut. On your map: look for the forked tributary of West Bee Branch just north of the junction (19).The shortcut trail comes in from the west, there.
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