Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

       After three days straight of rain and thunderstorms, with an average of six inches around most of northwest Arkansas, I think the drought is over.  March turned out to be drier than usual, it appears April is determined to make up for it, that’s fine we need the rain.  The three days of rain ended Saturday, Sunday waterfall photos started showing up all over the internet featuring a lot of dirty brown water, hopefully everything has cleared up today. @ Sweden Creek Natural Area      I pick Sweden Creek of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, after considering a few ‘waterfall’ destinations.   We visited Sweden Creek once over eleven years ago (long before ‘Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks’) in the middle of winter, on that day the icicles where the main attraction.    A lot has changed in the years since, as I found out even before reaching Sweden Creek Natural Area, a return visit has been long overdue. two li...

       It must be spring, since now I’m choosing the cooler days to go hiking, the last couple weeks have seen temps in the upper eighties and even a ninety-degree day.   March has also been unusually dry, most of northwest Arkansas is under a burn ban.   Last night a fast moving storm front blew through but we didn’t get much rain, maybe half an inch.   So instead of looking for waterfalls today, I’ve decided to check out a rock climbing area in the northern part of Richland Creek Wilderness. nice vistas one after another      Parking is at an old road blocked by a Forest Service gate, there’s plenty of room here for five or more cars east off Falling Water Road (FR 1205).   I’ve heard of ‘Heaven Boulders’ and ‘The Wasp’ climbing area, but without any firm coordinates I expect a bushwhack at least until a trail turns up.   Through a ‘diversion channel’ I head west into the woods, had I known better I would have gone up the r...