Dismals Canyon
Not to far from the Tiffin Service Campground and Red Bay, Alabama is Dismals Canyon. Just a short 40 minute drive and you can go from a small hometown feel that is Red Bay to a rain forest like atmosphere in Alabama.
Dismals Canyon was once used as a shelter by Paleo, Cherokee, and Chickasaw inhabitants and traces of them abound. From the Temple Cave where you can find traces of pottery and arrow heads from the Paleo Indians that inhabited this area 10,000 years ago, to the Kitchen area where meals were cooked and tribal rituals were performed by the Chickasaw Indians.
Dismals Canyon
A Narrow Walkway In Dismals Canyon
A Narrow Walkway In Dismals Canyon
Waterfalls In Dismals Canyon
To hike the canyon is fairly easy. It’s only a 1.5 miles trail that takes you all along the floor of the canyon. Winding it’s way around boulders and the waterway.
Many waterfalls greet you around secret corners and passage ways. It’s easy to get turned around in this place. Unfortunately the trail is not easily marked and the map that they give you is not very helpful at all. So their were some places of interest that we did miss.
Their is something to be said however in finding your own path. Making your own way and discovering a secret cave or hideout. It makes it all that more special and exciting.
Brenda Taking A Picture of David
David Taking A Picture Of Brenda
David And The Champion Tree
One thing we searched for was the Champion Tree. This Eastern/Canadian Hemlock is the first Champion Tree in Franklin County. The tree is 138’ tall, 8’9” around and has a crown spread of 50’. It is the largest of its species in Alabama and thought to be the largest anywhere in the world.
We were less than impressed. Sorry, but we’ve seen bigger and taller trees elsewhere. Maybe it was impressive in it’s own right being an Eastern/Canadian Hemlock but to us, it was just a big tree.
Honestly, if it didn’t have the sign telling us this was the Champion Tree, we would have never been able to pick it out from the other surrounding trees. It really was not that impressively big.
Oh well…I digress.
Tree Growing In And On Boulders
Tree Growing In And On Boulders
What we did find it impressive how these trees seemed to grow out and around the boulders. As if they were just sprouting out of them. Hugging them, or better yet, smothering them with their roots.
Now that was impressive.
Ferns And Moss Covering Every Surface
With all of these ferns and moss growing from every surface imaginable, you really do not realize that you are in Alabama anymore. We have yet to get to the Pacific Northwest but I have a feeling that this is what it’s like.
If you’re lucky enough to be in this area in the evening time, the canyon has a night time hike that I hear is wonderful. Taking your own flashlight a guide will lead you through the canyon and the canyon, umm, shall we say, comes alive.
Their are thousands of tiny bio-luminescent creatures, or a close cousin of glow worms, that come out and “light” your way. This canyon has the distinct honor of being one of only a handful of places in the US that you can see these creatures. The canyon walls make a perfect atmosphere for these creatures and here in Alabama, in Dismals Canyon, is one of the largest concentrations of these colonies in the world.
It really has a rain forest type feel to it. With it’s cooler temperatures and babbling brook, you can close your eyes and almost transport yourself to another place.
Which is exactly what we needed from sitting in the service center parking lot campground for weeks.
A different change of pace.
A different feel.
Dismals Canyon was anything but dismal.
That looks like a great place to unwind and get back in touch with nature.
Yes it was and what a pleasant and surprising find in Northwest Alabama!
Good to see that you are out and about! This is something we always wanted to see when we were in Red Bay, but it was always too cold or there was too little time. Thanks for the report…we won’t miss it next time…and there will always be a next time…Have a good week!
Kathy, Larry and Dakota
It was a nice outing and I’m glad we went.
Sorry to say that we are still waiting on our newly designed fan clutch, that has been delayed two more weeks. So we made our way north to Florence and are sitting in McFarland Park right on the river, with FHU while we wait. A much nicer place to wait than the Tiffin parking lot campground.
What a fabulous place! :)
Yes it certainly was a nice and surprising find in Northwest Alabama.
We’ve been there, and it really is amazing that such a Rain-Forest-like spot is in Alabama. Definitely a nice “get away” from sitting around service bays.
Speaking of which… are you STILL stuck at Tiffin for more work on the coach?? That nifty new coach seemed to go all-so-well during the build, it’s disheartening to see that you ended up right back in Red Bay to resolve the “check” light. Is this turning out to be a major issue? … or are you just waiting for some silly little parts (always frustrating) ??
It does seem like you’re getting some extra little mods done while you’re there that will make this an even better coach — but I’m sure spending the first month after delivery in Red Bay was NOT on your list of things to do !!
Unfortunately Gary, yes, we are still waiting for parts. We are waiting on a new fan clutch that has been redesigned. It was supposed to be done with R&D last Tuesday but was delayed two weeks. So instead of sitting in Red Bay for those two weeks, we headed an hour north to Florence and are staying at McFarland Park right on the river. A much nicer place to sit and wait for parts.
There has got to be more going on than the fan clutch. I do not think they are telling you the whole story. They have been using fan clutches for years in side radiator coaches with no issues……….??????
Hi John…You are right, their is more to why their is a fan clutch issue, we just did not post it. The reason their is an issue is they wanted to look to move the DEF tank to the driver side. In doing this, they need to make space for it. So they reduced the size of the radiator. When you do this you then need a larger fan for more air flow to equal out the change so you can still cool the engine.
Well, the larger fan they put on was simply too heavy for the current clutch they have been using for years and thus ends up killing the insides of the clutch. (It is right on the limits of the clutch.) The strange thing is that it does not happen on all the coaches. In fact, the first one they put it on is still on the road working without issue. We are just unlucky in this regard.
So they have a new fan clutch design that is 3rd party stress testing and three will be sent to them after the testing is complete so they can be real world tested. We were asked if we would mind and we jumped at the chance to get on as we already know we have an issue with the current ones. If all goes well we will have one in under two weeks and then if it goes well with us, they will start to use these new clutches on all the new coaches starting in mid to late may when they get in a shipment once approved.
Hope this helps.
Sounds like you are between a rock and a hard spot. Very poor engineering and planning…………A smaller radiator with a higher output fan is asking for trouble…………best of luck………I still think they are playing you along as long as they can so you do not resort to legal help………
What a beautiful find.