Byrnes Lake to Gravine

Kristen got a new kayak so this weekend we had to break it in. We launched at Byrnes Lake and paddled out to the Tensaw. We crossed over to Gravine and rested at the sand bar. My intention was to go all the way around Gravine but the wind was kicking so we headed back. We paddled for 2 hours and I think Kristin likes her new boat!

Slidell Tournament

Here are a few pics of my students from the Slidell tournament. Click on the link at the bottom to see the rest.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ryangillikin1/Slidell2008#

A different kind of caving

Last weekend Jason and I took Chewie and went to Cypress Springs in Florida. Jason got a new dive computer and underwater camera and wanted to try them out before out Honduras trip. We borrowed a canoe from Taylor and paddled to the springs which was not far from the launch. The land around the springs is owned by a bottling company and now the springs can only be reached by boat. The water in the springs is crystal clear and it is a local hangout spot. There were lots of families there and Chewie had lots of dogs and kids to play with. The mouth of the spring is down about 40 feet and at the opening the flow is so strong we had to grab the rocks and pull ourselves into the cave. After you get through the entrance it opens up and the flow slacks off. We went down to 62 feet and could still just see the entrance, Beyond that point you have to take your tanks off and squeeze through and we are not cave divers so we headed back up. Jason's camera is great and he got some really good pics. Can't wait for Honduras!

The Jetty Jumper

Jason got an inflatable boat but in true Jason style he didn't go to the store and buy it. Someone bought a new house and it was in the barn so Jason bought it and built a new floor for it. That man knows how to stretch a dollar :-)

Girls Gone Mild part 3

When we went to San Fran we walked across the Golden Gate bridge and in St Louis the Eads Bridge so we decided that bridges are our thing. Sat night we checked the weather and decided that the hurricane was not going to hit us(we were worried we might need to head home early). Then we went to the Clarkson Covered Bridge just outside Cullman.

The bridge itself was constructed in 1904 for the cost of $1,500 on property once owned by J.W. Legg. Originally called Legg Bridge after the original landowner, the structure of the 270-foot bridge was quite unique. It was constructed based upon a design that had been developed and patented by Ithiel Town of Connecticut in 1820. Called the Town Lattice Truss, the bridge building system employed an elaborate framework of lumber that formed a cross pattern similar to that of a garden trellis. The wooden crosses were connected at each intersection by thick double pegs and were connected to large horizontal chords at both the top and bottom of the bridge. This innovative design allowed the bridge to be virtually self-supporting and capable of withstanding tremendous loads without sagging. Clarkson Bridge differs from many other such bridges in that iron carriage bolts were used to connect the lattice framework as opposed to the older design, which called for heavy oak pins. In 1921, a huge storm snapped the bridge in half, one part remaining in place while the other floated downstream. Washed away by the rain-swollen torrents of Crooked Creek, the lost half of Clarkson Bridge was later found lodged in a narrow spot of the creek bed and was salvaged. The locals worked hard to save the scattered parts of the ruined bridge and were rewarded soon after when the county was able to hire a contractor to repair the bridge using mostly original materials. The cost of the project to repair the bridge, completed one year later, was $1,500.
On June 25, 1974, Clarkson Covered Bridge was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly thereafter, in 1975, the Cullman County Commission restored the site with the help of concerned citizens as part of the American Bicentennial Project, embellishing the grounds with hiking trails, a picnic area, and two period structures built to accent the historical nature of the bridge: a Dogtrot log cabin and a working grist mill.

On Monday(Labor Day) we finally went rock climbing. I had found a new rock climbing park, Hurricane Park Creek, that is actually a city park. It has not been open long and I arranged an 8 hr private lesson on top rope rigging with the park manager, John McCrary. I was kinda scared because he only charged me a third of what the going rate is so I figured this was either the deal of a lifetime or else it was going to really bobo. Luckily it was fabulous. The park is closed on Mondays so we had the whole place to ourselves. John was really nice and very knowledgeable. The park was out of this world. It is 67 acres of hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing and it is gorgeous. I have never seen a city park like this.

Girls Gone Mild part 2

After hiking at Dismals we fixed some sandwhiches and headed to Bear Creek for some kayaking. Bear creek is located in Marion county and the water flow is dependent on the Upper Bear Creek Dam. This means taht the creek is runnable during the summer when most of the creeks are to low. We chose to do the lower section from Rock Quarry to Military Bridge. This section has a few Class I-II rapids but is mostly a float trip. The upper section of the creek has more whitewater and a few waterfals you have to portage. Maybe next time.

We rented Michele's kayak from Bear Creek Canoe Run and they provided a shuttle so we could do a one-way float. My favorite things were: not having to paddle up stream, the beautiful scenery and canyon walls and ...running the rapids!

Girls Gone Mild Part 1

My sister Michele and I have our birthdays within a week of each other. We joke that we are twins separated by 11 years. So we had a combined birthday celebration this year. After we had so much fun rock climbing in St Louis we went to the climbing gym in Pensacola. We had talked about going rock climbing in North Alabama but I knew that we would probably never get around to doing it. So, I decided to give Michele a rock climbing trip for her Birthday. I made a card that said that I would take her to the Econolodge in Cullman(haha). So she opens her card and her eyes light up and she says "we're going rock climbing?" So then I open my card and not only has she given me the same gift she made the same joke. Her card said that I was getting 4 nights in Robertsdale, Loxely or Stapleton or, and you turn the pages, Cancun, New York or Rock climbing in Colorado. So of course I picked Colorado. Labor day weekend we took our North Alabama trip and the last weekend in September we are going to Colorado.

We left after work on Friday and drove to Cullman. We ended up at the Super 8 instead of the Econolodge. It was not a 5 star resort but all we were doing was sleeping there so it was fine for what we needed. The next morning we went to Cherokee, Al where this great gun fitter works out of his home and had Michele's trap and skeet guns fitted to her. She was already a great shot so I can't wait to see how she does not her gun actually fits her body. It worked out great because Michele has been wanting to go see this guy but it is hard to justify the trip just for that so I am glad we were able to fit it in. Unfortunately it took all day so we weren't able to go hiking as we had planned but, whatever. I got to sit around and relax and read and not work or clean or do laundry all day so I was happy. I had packed a cooler with sandwich stuff because I did not know if there would be places to eat so we had a nice picnic.

Sunday morning we went hiking at Dismals Canyon. This place was really cool I can't believe i have never heard of it before. It is a 1.5 mile loop through the canyon and it is full of beautiful scenery and interesting history. It has been featured in National Geographic Explorer and was one of the shooting locations for the Discovery Channel's "When Dinosaurs Roamed America". At the entrance to the canyon is a little store and a swimming area. The first thing you come to on the hike is Rainbow falls. The falls were used for a mill that was destroyed about 50 years ago but you can still see pieces of it in the river and the swimming area was used for baptisms in the early 1800's.

This is the Dancehall. It was used by Chickasaw Indians for secret rituals

Champion tree: This Eastern/Canadian Hemlock is 138' tall and is the largest in Alabama. Secret Falls

"Fat Man's Misery" This 16" wide opening used to be the only entrance to the canyon.

Next was Burr's Hideout where Aaron Burr hide for several months in 1804 after killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

A few more scenic pics: