A few days ago a long slow moving storm front swept across the mid-section
of the country, as a result Arkansas is out of the drought and the ‘burn bans’
have been lifted. Many areas received
over a foot of rainfall in the three days it took the storm to pass through the
state. Flash-floods were widespread all
over the Ozarks but now just a couple days later all is back to ‘normal’.
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Falling Water Falls (always impressive)
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This morning not really knowing what to expect, I drive south to ‘ole
reliable’ Richland Creek Wilderness.
North on Falling Water Road, I’m not seeing much storm debris on the
road in fact FR1205 is in great shape. I
stop at Falling Water Falls, although I’ve been here many times the falls are always
worth a quick look. With the upgrades complete there are now two sets
of stone steps, first to the top and second to the base of the falls.
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on top of Falling Water Falls
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With all the recent rain I thought Falling Water Falls would have much more water over the falls. I’ve seen the falls with a lot more (see: 15 Falling Water Falls...), and a
lot less, today would be ‘moderate flow’ I suppose. But still (as always) very impressive, after
a few pictures I continue downstream and notice few others out here enjoying
the morning just one other car with Oklahoma plates. Just before the bridge I pull in and park
next to Falling Water Creek.
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near bottom of Scenic Gorge
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After looking up and downstream on the bank from this little campsite
squeezed in between the road, Falling Water Creek and a little feeder stream
flowing down the steep gorge to the west...I decide to hike up the Ozark
Highlands Trail west up this same little steep gorge, after all this is a ‘piece’
of the OHT (section 18.2) that I haven’t seen and that’s as good an excuse as any. Just across FR1205 is the trail, marked only
by a couple white blazes nailed on trees.
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bluff along north side of gorge
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Right away the OHT crosses wide northbound Fuzzybutt Trail, curves
up and around the bend in Falling Water Road, then down into the gorge and my
first creek crossing. As I head
upstream, I’m thankful for all the blazes
along the way, with many switchbacks lots of big sharp rocks and a thick
blanket of dead leaves it would be almost impossible to follow this trail
without them.
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rugged and rocky Scenic Gorge
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The trail keeps to the south above the creek only a couple hundred yards
before crossing back to the north side at a slanting rock slab wedged mid-stream
at the heart of this very scenic and
rugged gorge. The steep angle of this
slanting slab makes it a little slick but I make the crossing without falling
in the creek, which I’m sure is normally dry.
Heading uphill through lots of big boulders is a bluff up ahead with a
rock-fall grotto that has a hole in the roof.
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looking down in the gorge
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It would require more energy than I can muster to reach the grotto up
the steep rocky hillside covered with dense undergrowth and downed trees. I continue up the trail which switchbacks
often as it climbs through a boulder field on the way up the mountain and out
of the gorge. This half mile section I’ve
just completed, from the first creek crossing to the top of the boulder field
is the steepest most rugged part of the entire hike, I’m glad to have it behind
me.
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OHT gets easy past Boulder Field
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Now the ascent mellows out to an easy hike with a gentle grade the rest
of the way to the top which is about a mile.
Along the way are a couple nice pools down below on the creek, later the
trail comes alongside the creek with some small falls and more little pools. Continuing upstream the OHT crosses the creek
a couple more times then flattens out at the top with four rock piles before I
reach the road.
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terrain flattens near the top, so does the creek
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The road is FR1203A and we have been here before (see: 107...Stump Mtn. Trail), at the end of the road under half a
mile north is a nice large campsite a big parking area and Stump Mountain
Trailhead. Also just 100 feet north of
the OHT there’s a good parking area, I cross the road continuing west. Near mile marker 137 I meet a friendly young
buck standing about 25 feet from me, I gently
talk to him as I get the camera out to take a few pictures. He doesn’t seem timid, eventually he turns
and slowly walks away to the northwest.
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| young buck |
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south on FR92093C
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A little farther south where the trail turns back west is a little pond
hidden in the woods, and just past that an old road crosses the trail with
recent evidence of ATV traffic. 200
yards west powerlines cross overhead and finally a quarter mile more I arrive
at another seldom used road FR92093C.
This is the spot where I turned around on a hike back in April (see: 172 Ben Hur to Jack Jones), just
across the road is the landmark ‘Double Trunk Tree’.
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Double Trunk Tree at road crossing
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Once again this becomes my turnaround point, but for some different scenery I loop back south on
FR92093C to FR1203A west then back to the Ozark Highlands Trail. My third time on these roads is my first time
‘walking’ them, I remember lots of mud holes and naturally they’re all bigger and muddier than ever today. The OHT is in much better condition than
these roads, along the way are a couple old road turnoffs and a small field at
some old stone ruins, soon I’m back on the OHT heading east.
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| lots of mud holes on both roads |
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fork in the road
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Going back is mostly downhill so naturally a lot quicker, at the top of
the boulder field where the steep descent begins I have to slow down and be
careful on the steep grade, loose rocks and dead leaves all the way down to
that slanted slab of rock in the heart of the rugged scenic gorge. From there it’s not bad the rest of the way
back to the truck at Falling Water Creek, I do take a short cut out onto the
road before the final creek crossing.
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almost back to the top of the boulder field
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OHT 18.2 Statistics Chart 181 Today’s hike of 4.4 miles was easy after that first strenuous half mile climb, 623 feet of the total 752 feet elevation
gain is also attributed to that same climb.
And as usual I had a great time outdoors in the Ozarks. Many know where the concrete bridge over
Falling Water Creek is and how to get there, if you’re new to this area though
you can check out some of my past blog posts for directions, see: (86 Fuzzybutt, Six Finger...) or (151 Falling Water Creek...) or even (154 Wilderness Cruise, 157 Wilderness Cruise II) and enjoy. |
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