Little River Falls & Hippie Hole - Sun, Aug 14 2011

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Little River Falls & Hippie Hole


The Basics:
Event Type:Water
Event Location: Little River Canyon National Preserve (AL)   Water: Little River Falls & Hippie Hole  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Aug 14 2011  7:50 am >> Sun, Aug 14 2011 7:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 8:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Mon, Aug 1 2011 9:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Aug 11 2011 4:00 pm
Event Duration:9 Hours 10 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D3: Moderate
Distance:3 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Marcus
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:8
Minimum Group Size:3
Number Registered So Far: 7 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Since there was such a big waiting list for the last event to this place, I'm posting it again. This is probably the last time I'm going to Little River Canyon this summer.

Little River Falls
Little River Falls

Little River Canyon was selected by the Travel and Leisure magazine as one of the best swimming holes in the United States:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-swimming-holes/2

In northeastern Alabama, the Little River snakes across the top of Lookout Mountain before plummeting into the 12-mile-long Little River Canyon. Bordered by broad-faced cliffs, with large blocks of sandstone jutting from the water, this canyon-at 600 feet, the deepest this side of the Mississippi-is home to a handful of perfect swimming holes. Just downstream from the Alabama Highway 35 bridge, follow the short paved path to the bottom of Little River Falls for an easy-access dunk when water levels are low. (...)

Knowing how to swim is recommended for this trip. Wearing a personal flotation device is also acceptable, but be aware that this is a natural environment, not a swimming pool. The depth changes abruptly from a few inches to several feet in some places and the submerged rocks are very slippery.

We'll start at Little River Falls. After a brief stop for pictures at the top of the falls, we'll hike to the swimming hole below. You will have to scramble a little bit and the terrain is very uneven in some places, with lots of loose rocks. I recommend wearing shoes or sandals that protect your toes. After getting there, you can swim about 50 yards to get to the waterfalls; or just stay around, sunbathe and take pictures.

Hippie Hole
Hippie Hole

We'll spend a couple of hours at the falls, then we'll walk to Hippie Hole. The hike is less than one mile, but there are steep parts on the trail. Rock scrambling is again necessary. At Hippie Hole, there are cliffs and rocks from where you can jump in the water. The jumps are from 7ft to 25ft (!!). You don't have to do it if you don't want to. You can walk downstream and there are easy places of access. This place is usually crowded, but it is a big area, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm rating this trip a D3 mostly because of one scramble to get down to the river gorge. There are also two very steep but short sections on the trail.

Important: This trip will be cancelled or postponed in case thunderstorms are forecast before 3 PM, or if water levels are too high.


Required Items to Bring:
- Daypack
- Lunch and snacks
- Swimwear
- Water to drink
- Change of clothes
- Plastic bag for wet clothes
- Shoes/sandals for a short hike
- Sunscreen
- Towel
Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
- Swimming Goggles (you may see fish if you are lucky)
- Camera
- Sunglasses
- Bug Repellent
- Water Shoes (optional)
- Floats that are easy to carry (optional)

How to Get There:
Event Directions:Will be given at carpool. I'm not allowing to meet at the event because I don't have any cell phone signal at the location.
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):166Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 8:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $66.40 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:
- The time zone at the event location is Central Time. We'll arrive there around 9:00 AM local time (10:00 AM Eastern).
- We'll have a quick stop at McDonald's in Rome (1504 Turner McCall Blvd, Rome GA 30161).
- All roads to the event location are paved.
- There are toilets at the destination parking lot, but they are not flush toilets.
- This is not a secluded place. It may actually be a little crowded. However, if we get there early we may have the place for ourselves in the first couple of hours.
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note: There is usually a big waiting list for events like these. If, without a good reason, you cancel so late I cannot put someone else in your place, I will flag you as a no-show.