Tomorrow
winter weather makes its return, today is going to be warm and windy as the
cold front slides in, maybe I should get out there for some hiking while
the weather agrees. A few days ago,
visiting Loafers Glory WMA for the first time I was investigating a
possible route into a remote area of BNR (see: 219 Loafers to Painted). Today I’ll be doing more of the same, except
this time I’m going to Gene Rush WMA.
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Lick Creek
|
A
couple months ago in Gene Rush I explored upper Lick Creek on a nice easy loop
hike that involved a few of the many ‘firelanes’ in the Wildlife Management
Area (see: 210 Firelanes). Today
my primary goal is to access some remote areas along the Buffalo River, and to
do that I’ve decided to follow lower Lick Creek down to the Buffalo. Parking at designated camping area #2 just
off NC 4265, I begin my hike on Firelane 1105. |
| parking @ camp area 2 |
 |
Firelane 1105
|
The
first thing I notice as I head north is that this area has recently been burned,
(prescribed burn). The firelane (road) is
not very long, it provides access to 3-4 campsites then ends at the locked gate
into WO1104, which is a 7 acre field. As
soon as I’m around the gate and in the wildlife opening, I see a small pond at
the edge of the field less than 100 feet north, I head over to check it out. |
gate @ wildlife opening 1104
|
Nothing
special about the pond although it actually has water in it, but what gets my
attention is the burnt landscape heading downhill through the woods. The nice thing about going hiking through a
prescribed burn area soon afterwards, is that the forest is really clean, very
little if any undergrowth. I can’t
resist, this little drainage that feeds into Lick Creek appears to be the
perfect way down to the creek. |
| little pond @ edge of field |
 |
prescribed burn = easy hiking
|
And
it doesn’t disappoint, technically a bushwhack but really easy, the way is
clear I can see every fallen tree up ahead well before reaching them. Keeping mostly on the south side of the
little dry creek after half a mile is a low broken rocky bluff where this
little feeder stream tumbles off a steep cascade (if there was any water). I head to the south a short distance till I
find a break down the rocky hillside onto the Lick Creek flood plain. |
really clean!
|
From
the top of little wet weather cascade down through the rocks then to Lick Creek
is about a 80 foot descent, easy all the way thanks to the ‘burn’. And if I didn’t think a bushwhack could get
any easier, well Lick Creek proves me wrong.
For about a quarter mile Lick Creek flows over solid bedrock, the creek
bed is pretty wide providing a nice stone ‘sidewalk’ for easy access downstream
along the beautiful sights and sounds of lower Lick Creek. |
gorgeous Lick Creek with sidewalk
|
The
’sidewalk’ ends when the banks squeeze in against the creek, I climb up on the
west bank near the unmarked BNR boundary.
Maybe 100 yards further I land on a nice trail blazed with faded pink
ribbon, and continue north along Lick Creek.
After almost 400 yards the trail crosses over to the east side of Lick,
then soon heads through an overgrown area that might have been cleared pasture
a long time ago. |
lower Lick Creek
|
Near
the north end of this overgrown area is a trail intersection, I turn left ‘west’
which soon swings back north and crosses Lick Creek with deeply rutted banks
where horse traffic has dug out gullies on both sides of the creek. The trail swings around the base of a wide
ridge off to the left, and to my right I soon catch glimpses of the Buffalo
River. When I reach a spot that offers a
semi-clear view of the river I stop for a picture, out on the edge of
the bank which is maybe 15 feet above the wide turquoise river flowing east. |
on 'pink ribbon trail'
|
Off
the riverbank and back on the trail almost immediately is an old road that the
trail joins, going west above the river the woods have thick cane pretty much
everywhere. The road doesn’t last long
through the thick cane-brake, after 100 yards is a clearer area on a
little point of the river with a campsite.
The bank is still quite high here at the camp, I could pretty easily slide
down to the thin sand/gravel bar but climbing back up would be a problem. |
| on the bank above the Buffalo |
 |
boulder along trail above river
|
Back
on the trail, I continue northwest still in the cane-brake which is now much
taller 12-15 feet in fact. Through and
over the thick cane I catch glimpses of the tall gray bluff across the Buffalo,
but find nothing resembling a trail through the cane. About a quarter mile past the campsite is a
trail junction, the faint trail right heads in the direction of the river, I
get my hopes up and follow it northwest. |
in the cane-brake
|
This
‘trail’ soon evaporates in thick brush and old downed trees, I fight my way
forward about a hundred yards before I give up and head back to the
junction. Turning right I continue on
the ‘original’ trail that now swings around a little more south. Soon I notice some ‘new’ bright orange ribbon
in the trees, then the trail just ends in a spot where someone has cut many
small saplings. Apparently reaching the
end of the line, I turn back again. |
| looking down at the Buffalo from campsite |
 |
dark pond on top of ridge
|
Now
I’m faced with a predicament, I don’t really want to go all the way back
the way I came, and I see on my map that an old road is up on top this wide ridge
to the south. I leave the trail
beginning a bushwhack up the hill, just steep enough that I zigzag my way,
partially to make the grade easier but also to avoid some thick patches of
brush and briars. Right away I see some
faded orange flagging going up the slope, and naturally I follow that. |
maybe a root cellar?
|
The
orange ribbon helps keep me pointed in the right direction, and I’m soon
at the top where I don’t find a road but a faint trail, I’ll take what I can
get. Pretty soon I’m back in the ‘burn’
area, fortunately I can usually still distinguish the trail from the
rest of the charred landscape. Since the
trail is ‘spotty’ I just keep heading in a southerly direction, soon spotting a
dark pond ahead and to the left. |
more of lower Lick Creek...
|
After
visiting the pond the trail improves becoming easy to follow for the next
quarter mile, where I find an old homesite.
I only noticed the small stone footprint of a house after stopping to
investigate a large area of yucca, when I continue, around a corner the trail
lands on the old road. Above this road
is a rocky ridge with many nice little ‘rock patios’ below the ridge. After about 200 yards is a BNR pipe gate
across the road, and just below is a good parking place.
Having
left Buffalo National River, I’m back in Gene Rush WMA the road improves as I
continue south and up a steep hill.
After the over 160 foot climb is a junction, to the west I turn to see
what’s back in this hilltop area with lots of cedars. On the right I find stacked stone in the
ground, maybe a root cellar but I don’t find anything looking like a ‘homesite’,
just some daffodils poking up out of the ground and more yucca scattered around,
with an old field further west.
Back
on the road heading south, it’s over half a mile back to the camping area where
I’m parked. Along the way is FL1102
running parallel and below the road to the west, on the east side of the road
are two locked gates at firelanes heading out on ridges. At the truck it ‘dawns’ on me that I didn’t
really use much of the firelanes today.
Today
my hike was 4.5 miles with 480 feet of elevation gain, about 1.5 miles of that
was a bushwhack, most of it easy in the burn areas. Also 1.3 miles was on varying quality of
trails, that leaves about 1.7 on roads some still in use, others closed to
vehicles. Beautiful lower Lick Creek and
Buffalo River contributed to insure this was a great Outdoor Adventure in
the Ozarks.
 |
@ last Lick Creek crossing
|
Lower Lick Creek Loop: Statistics Chart 220 Getting to designated camping area #2
where I parked today is pretty easy. South
of the Buffalo River/SR123 bridge about a quarter mile is NC 4500 into Gene
Rush WMA, there is a sign. Go east on NC
4500 about 1.8 miles to a fork, take a left on NC 4260 and continue northeast
about 0.6 miles to NC 4265, turn left and go just 0.25 miles further to the
camping area on the right.
 |
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