It’s
been over five months since my last hiking adventure (see: 230 Buffalo Point), it goes without saying; this summer has been a long one, I’m really
excited about some cooler temperatures and the upcoming hiking season. Only 50° this morning when I hit the road,
and it isn’t predicted to get much over 60.
Perfect for a short segment of the Old River Trail, that’s the plan, I
hope it won’t be too overgrown.
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Mill Creek
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Last
spring as the temps started climbing the tick and chigger populations really ‘exploded’,
some trails and especially off trail in fields was thick with the blood thirsty
pests. After some research over the
summer I’ve treated a set of hiking clothes with ‘permethrin’. Today will be my ‘test run’ just the
permethrin treated pants, shirt and socks.
No DEET on my skin today, last spring it seemed like DEET had no effect
on ticks, it didn’t even slow them down. |
tight parking @ end of Coursey Dr.
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Coursey
Drive (paved) is only about half a mile to its end at a permanent barricade
across the road, this is where I park. A
little tight but I get off the road, just to the west I see a cable gate in the
tall grass and weeds with a ‘no parking’ sign hanging from it, and begin hiking
in that direction. |
where the ORT leaves the field
|
There
is a pretty good trail for just over 200 feet to the edge of an old
hayfield that hasn’t been mowed in a couple years. Here the trail completely evaporates
leaving me ‘plowing’ through the tall grass and weeds. Continuing west, I hug the north edge of the
field for just over a quarter mile till I find the Old River Trail. Leaving the field the ORT turns to the
northwest along an old rock wall. |
approaching Mill Creek
|
The
trail soon starts heading downhill, up above a steep little drainage on my
right, curving first west then southwest.
The ORT is in surprisingly good shape and easy to follow, after about
300 yards the trail reaches creek level and the descent levels out. I soon cross this little (dry) creek three
times before the trail makes a big sweeping S-curve in a bottomland and arrives
along the bank of Mill Creek, which has plenty of flowing water.
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along lovely Mill Creek
|
Now
heading southeast, the trail soon drops off the low bank onto cobblestone along
Mill Creek. I find a good spot to cross
without getting my feet too wet, but I think I’ve lost the trail. Yellow blazes used for the ORT, are few and
far between on this section of trail, I’ll see only two on today’s hike. After crossing and continuing southeast, I
notice a narrow stone ledge a couple feet above the creek. I walk the ledge (easy) mistakenly thinking
this is the trail.
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Mill Creek
|
After
realizing there is no trail, I make my way up the bank zigzagging uphill about
a 40 foot climb where I see the Buffalo River straight ahead. But still no trail, now with the Buffalo down
below to my left, and heading mostly south I soon land back on the ORT. For maybe a hundred yards there’s an old
fence line on the left side of the trail.
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closer to the Buffalo confluence
|
The
ORT remains easy to follow for over a quarter mile, then detours around a big
old downed tree. Soon it becomes obvious
I’m getting close to river level, with increased cane and lots of round river
rock. Now the trail gets harder to
follow, sort of meandering aimlessly back and forth as the vegetation
thins before ending all together in the bare gravel and river rock along the
Buffalo River.
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on the Old River Trail
|
I’m
at a bend in the river, with the mouth of Calf Creek on the other side of the
Buffalo, but once again no obvious trail.
The river looks shallow, six inches to a foot, it would be easy enough
to cross but I can’t locate a trail on the other side. I decide to follow this gravel bar as far as
it goes downstream. On the other side is
a tall bluff, I watch 4 or 5 bald eagles circling above the river out in front
of the bluffline for a while, hoping they drift close enough for a picture, but
it doesn’t happen.
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meandering in the gravel
|
As
I walk along the river, if anyone happens to be hiking River View Trail at
Tyler Bend, they would have a bird’s eye view of me far below from any of the
vistas on the trail (see: 94 Tyler Bend Loop). After almost half a mile the gravel bar ends,
and I find an easy place to bushwhack up the bank and about 100 yards more back
to the ORT.
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in shallow Buffalo River, Calf Creek on the left
|
For
about 200 yards I scan the woods hoping to find White Cemetery, but with no
luck continue north. Soon I do spot a
big buck maybe 100 feet above the trail on an old road, the trail joins that
old road a little further and swings around to the west. And then starts downhill to Mill Creek, at
the creek crossing I lose the trail again.
Back up above the low bank, the ORT soon appears, back on track and
around the S-curve.
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looking north downstream on the Buffalo
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Then
It’s up the little side drainage with three dry crossings, and at the top the
overgrown old field. Back across the
field, with its nearly waist high weeds and grass, it doesn’t take long to get to the
truck. I do a quick ‘tick search’ and
find none, come to think of it, I haven’t seen any bugs all day. Maybe this permethrin stuff actually works, I
won’t pass judgement just yet, we’ll see how it fares in the spring when all the
creepy crawlies are hungry.
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headed back on Mill Creek
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It
just felt great today to get back out hiking after the long summer hiatus. I got the kinks in my knees worked out
early on then it was a pleasant easy hike all the way, even the couple times I
ended up off trail weren’t very challenging and the scenery around Mill Creek
and the river were fantastic (as always).
The hike down to the Buffalo and back was 4.2 miles with 423 feet of
elevation gain. Fall is finally here,
let’s get out there and enjoy it!
Coursey Dr. access: Statistics Chart 231 On SR 65 at the intersection with SR 333 (the
road to Gilbert) go just 450 feet south to Coursey Drive, turn west. Coursey Dr. swings around to the south and
ends under ½ a mile later at the barricade, with no actual ‘parking area’ just
park along the side of the road, as best you can, and beyond a well concealed
cable gate follow the ‘farmer’s lane’ west...
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