Buckeye Trail and Caney Creek trip report and pics

Well guys I went into the Wilderness on Tue. and came out late on Thur. Not the best time to
go due to the weather but I had it all to myself. Tue. I worked down from the Buckeye Trail
clear as I went. I took five hours to hike and work! The briars was trying to take over the ridge
again and cut them back some. Needs further work later. Coming down the trail, off the ridge,
at some point the left side of the trail gave way and I went down hard on my right knee. I am
scuffed up and the knee is swollen but I kept going. Was afraid that if I stopped it would be hard
to get back going again. I had gotten a late start, 11:00, and I got to the campsite above the falls
at 4:00. Was battered and sore but I made it. Instead of snow I got rain and fog!

Wed. was a bust. I didn't get away from the campsite till after 1:00 but did manage to clear the trail from the Buckeye Junction to the next Crossing of Caney Creek gong W. I didn't take my camera on this section due
to all of the fog and light rain. Lots of nice places on the creek in this section and also a good camp
site. I would have liked to have gone farther than the creek crossing but didn't feel like getting wet
and cold! Every crossing going west would have been a wet crossing unless there is a long period of no
rain.

Thursday I took my time packing up. And left out around 9:30. I planned on taking lots of pics and lopping
brush all the way the the E. trailhead. I did just that. EVERYTHING is now clear! I don't plan on doing any
more work on the trail from the E. to the Buckey till this time next year.

The following are some of the pics with a link to the album below.


The date is wrong, it is 12/29/09







Trail goes under this old oak that was brought down by the Hurricanes



This large branch is holding up the tree with the trail on the left. We cut thru this mess
last fall to open the trail.



Katy falls

The full album, lots of pics, can be found HERE

I really want to go on this trail!!!!! This Spring I will be down there, thanks for the report and I hope that your knee does well.

Tom,
That is a great picture of Katy Falls. I was there in October and I've got a trip scheduled for April 10th.
I'd like to thank you on behalf of the Dallas Sierra Club for all the work you do on that trail. We'll have 3 or 4 groups of 10 or more hikers use that trail this year alone.

Thanks again,
Mark

Dwight,

When you come I would be honored to give you a guided tour! Just get with me in advance and let'
get our schedules together. You can do the Buckeye and Caney loop easily in two days. And by the way
my knee is already better. Just a freak accident. Could have happened to anybody. Plus my pack was to
heavy. I will work on that.

Mark,

I appreciate the kudos. You know me I do this because I am concerned that no one seems to be doing anything
about this amazing place. It is a fantastic place to hike! But you can't go fast to take it all in.. I am thru with the E.
trailhead to the 1st crossing of the Caney past the Buckeye Junction. Now if I can find the water levels low to work to the
West. Still trees to cut in the middle of the trail.

By the way folks if you want miles how about hiking the Tall peak trail then drop down into the Caney wilderness,
then follow the ridge tops, or close to them to the W. then drop down the the Caney Trail then up the Buckeye.
Or bushwack from the Buckeye down to Short Creek. See many different ways to do it.

Tom

By the way if you want miles you can do like to guys I met Tuesday afternoon were doing. They parked at
Albert Pike, hiked to Shady Lake, hiked the Tall Peak trail, road hiked to Caney Creek trail then was going
to hike back to there car. I don't know there exact route but that had to be some impressive miles.

Tom

I parked at the parking lot just North of Albert Pike and started my ERL trip from there on December 30th through Jan 1. Didn't see anyone else on the trail while we were there. Only saw one other vehicle parked there when we started it was a red for ranger....