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Sipsey Wilderness // Apr 2025

Intermediate backpacking to Sipsey Wilderness

SUMMARY 🟡

DISTANCE/ELEVATION ~8 miles, 1200-1400 ft elevation

PACKING LIST:

Backpacking Packing List⁠

⁠

DEPART: 7AM on Apr 12

RETURN: Afternoon on Apr 13

COST: $31/Scouts, $15/Adults

⁠

Open to Scouts who have been on at least one backpacking trip with Troop 13.

ELECTRONICS REMINDER 📱🕹️

One of the great benefits of heading out on any of our trips is that we’re able to unplug from our digital world for a few days. Electronics are allowed while traveling to our destinations, but we have a longstanding rule that Scouts are not allowed to use electronics while on our trips (i.e. if brought they’ll be left in vehicles and not used during the trip).

ITINERARY

We’ll meet at and leave from the Publix on S Royal Oaks in Franklin (

Google Maps⁠

Apple Maps⁠

We’re heading down to the Sipsey Wilderness in northern Alabama for the first time. This is known as “land of 1000 waterfalls”.

The Sipsey Wilderness area puts a

limit⁠

on group size - max 10 people. If we have 10 or less people (at least 2 adults) we’ll send a single crew. If we have more than 10 (with at least 4 adults) we can send a second crew who will hike a different loop. If we send 2 crews they’ll both leave from Publix at the same time, but may return at slightly different times since they’ll be hiking different routes.

Registration will initially open for 12 Scouts and 4 Adults (assuming we’ll have enough for 2 crews) - we’ll make adjustments from there depending on how sign ups go.

If registration is full when you go to signup, please add your name to the waitlist.

Crew/route assignments will be determined after signup closes.

There are 2 routes we’ll consider depending on how many crews we have.

Route 1 is an an 8 mile loop called Sipsey Big Tree Loop (also known as Big Tree Short Cut Loop and Needles Eye). This has about 1200 feet of elevation ascent and descent.

Route 2 is an 8 mile loop called Randolph - Sipsey Loop (also known as Randolph and Sipsey Loop Trail). This is a slightly more difficult route with closer to 1400 feet of elevation ascent and descent.

Both routes have views of the river and several waterfalls.

MEALS

The

Backcountry Cookbook⁠

has trail tested recipes ready to go. See

Menu Ideas⁠

for additional inspiration. Cooks should complete the Backpacking Meal Planner.pdf on the

Cooking⁠

page as they plan their meals.

Saturday

Lunch

Dinner

Sunday

Breakfast

Cooking Budget

$16 per person

MAPS

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Loading caltopo.com⁠

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WHO’S COMING

RSVP list current as of 9:30PM Apr 7.

Scouts

Crew 1

Andrew Slonecker

Caleb Myers

Caleb Penner

Ian Ruzicka

Jude Myers

Micah Lyles

Noah Fritts (cook)

Seth Perry

Crew 2

Achilles Young-Estes

Elijah Wall

Jack Kelly

Kent Brooks

Parker Webb

Porter O’Neill (cook)

Simon May

Adults

Crew 1

Charlie Penner (drive 5)

Jeff Myers (drive 5)

Crew 2

Chris Wall (drive 5)

Matthew O’Neill (drive 5)

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