Friday, January 23, 2009

January 17 Club Hike in the Sipsey Wilderness


In spite of the cold weather, the club met for a loop hike in the Sipsey Wilderness on Saturday, January 17.  We started at the Borden Trailhead, crossed the bridge and followed the path down the west side of Borden Creek to trail 209.  We followed that along the river to the junction with trail 204 which we then took north to its end at trail 224.  We returned to the trailhead on 224.

The distance must have been about 12 miles and it took us just under 8 hours.  All the trails were in good shape except 224 which has a number of downed trees blocking the path.

The icicles on the bluffs along Borden Creek and the Sipsey were exceptional.  The winter scenery from Bee Ridge was a treat as well.

For more details, please see the complete Hiking Trip Report on the club's website.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Iron Bacteria in the Bankhead National Forest

Anyone that has spent time under the bluffs in the Bankhead National Forest has probably seen the bright orange stains that seem to seep out of the rock. The orange color is associated with iron-rich groundwater. The orange color is the result of dissolved iron in the water being oxidized by iron bacteria at the surface; it not a sign of water pollution. The naturally occurring iron bacteria change the colorless ferrous iron dissolved in the groundwater to a orange or rust-colored ferric form of iron. The ferrous form is somewhat soluble in water, while the orange ferric form is relatively insoluble. Deep in the earth, where oxygen and bacteria are not present, the colorless ferrous form is stable. But when this groundwater seeps out and is exposed to the oxygen in the air, the bacteria "feed" on the ferrous iron and derive energy from the chemical reaction. Where the iron-rich water seeps out of a rock, a soft orange deposit will build up at the site where these iron bacteria are working. Sometimes the deposits will build up over the years into mounds that look like soil. Some more photos of iron bacteria in the Bankhead National Forest are located in this photo album. These iron bacteria deposits are seen in the Bankhead National Forest because layers of rock that are normally 70 feet or more underground are exposed at the base of these bluffs. Bluffs of this size are not common in other areas of Alabama. Groundwater in more shallow layers of rock and soil has usually been in contact with oxygen and bacteria before it comes to the surface. More information about iron bacteria is located in wikipedia.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club Trailblazer Award

The Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club recently selected Larry Barkey as its Trailblazer of the Year. Pictured from left is, Gary White-Chairman, Larry Barkey-Vice Chairman and Trailblazer of the Year, and his wife, Mimi Barkey, Secretary/Treasurer. The award is given to the club member with the most hours of volunteer service. In the past year, Larry Barkey volunteered 62 hours of service. In 2008, the Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club volunteered 349 hours work toward public service projects, such as clearing trails in the Sipsey Wilderness Area of the Bankhead National Forest. Since the club's inception in 2000, the club has spent 3,728 hours in volunteer service. Click on the report image to see the detail our 2008 Volunteer Service Report.