Day
before yesterday I got back out on the trail for the first time in over five
months, before then it had been too hot to even think about going outside let
alone go hiking. This coming week, the
daily highs are predicted to gradually rise every day, back to ‘unseasonably
warm’ by the end of the week. So, I
better get back out there, take advantage of the good weather while I can.
 |
Calf Creek
|
On
the hike Friday (see: 231 Coursey to ORT) I was pleasantly surprised
that the Old River Trail was in such good shape. I easily made it down to the Buffalo River
but couldn’t find anything resembling the trail on the other side of the
river. Today I’ll try to find the Old
River Trail from the south side of the river, beginning somewhere around Peter
Cave Road. I end up parking off an old
road now seldom used for hayfield access. |
old road off of Peter Cave Rd.
|
From
here at my parking spot, it’s close to where the Buffalo River Trail comes down
the big hill from Collier Homestead then follows Peter Cave Road. But instead of heading out to the road, I go
west towards Calf Creek, just to check it out.
It’s easy going on the old lane almost 300 yards to Calf Creek at
a beaver dam. Turning here I follow the
creek downstream on the gravel and cobblestone floodplain. |
misty morning on Calf Creek
|
Still
easy going, the creek meanders back and forth some places not even close to
where the maps show it. I do have to
cross Calf Creek a couple times before it dries up completely, but the water is
shallow and not very wide. About 300
yards before reaching Peter Cave Rd. is a little ledge waterfall that I’ll bet
doesn’t exist when the water’s higher.
Dry as a bone at the road crossing, I stay with the creek, it should be
more interesting than the road. |
little temporary waterfall before creek dries up
|
At
about 700 feet from the road crossing the creek (still dry) makes a 90° turn
northwest. About 60 or 70 feet ahead
where water re-emerges, a young buck is ‘head down’ getting a drink. I get the camera fired-up, he finishes
drinking and starts walking toward me. I
keep snapping away as he’s oblivious to my presence until only 20 feet
away, he turns and slowly prances away downstream. |
a young buck on Calf Creek
|
I
to head downstream, eventually all the way to the Buffalo River about ¾ of a
mile north. Along the way I’ll get up
above the bank once and cross Calf Creek two or three times, but all in all
it’s pretty easy going. The creek dries
up a couple more times, but most of the way has flowing water with some bigger
deeper pools, to make for a scenic hike.
I was there two days ago on the opposite bank of the Buffalo, which is
only about 30 feet wide. |
cut bank along Calf Creek
|
As I’m getting close to the
end of Calf Creek on my approach to the river, I keep looking for any signs of
the Old River Trail. I don’t find a
trail, nothing ‘faint’ nothing ‘overgrown’ and definitely no yellow blazes
nailed on trees or even any faded plastic flagging. I head upstream on the Buffalo maybe I’ll
find some ruts coming down the bank, typically found on horse trails. Still nothing, I decide to climb above the
bank hoping to eventually discover the trail. |
further downstream on Calf Creek
|
After a thin line of woods
along the river, I plunge into an old field. The field I encountered Friday was a ‘walk in
the park’ compared to this jungle, with thick weeds, and saplings over my head,
I slowly stumble in generally a southwest direction. I’m able to stay on my feet but it isn’t
easy, after a long
400 yards is another thin strip of woods, maybe 100 yards wide. Still a bushwhack, but a huge relief getting
out of the jungle, then I’m in another field. |
Calf Creek empties into the Buffalo River
|
But this field is great, I
would guess probably cut in July or early August. I make a bee-line for the southwest corner,
where my map shows an old road. Sure
enough, I find a very faint old road with numerous downed cedars along the way. No farmer came this way to cut
hay, but at least it provides a path forward out to Peter Cave Road only 220
yards south. Right across Peter Cave
Road aka Buffalo River Trail (PCR/BRT), as I’m stepping over a cable gate I
notice an old house. |
| clean field after the jungle |
 |
very faint old road
|
This old house is small
only a couple rooms, built around 1880 it was the home of John Arnold. Just
down the road 400 yards is his son Luther Arnold’s place, c1915 it’s quite a
bit bigger than dad’s place and has a couple outbuildings. For more on this area (see: 110 Peter Cave Rd.). Past a well casing, and slightly
uphill south is what might have been the chicken coop, and just across the road
is a carriage house. |
John Arnold's old place
|
Continuing southeast on PCR/BRT
there’s some nice views of Calf Creek down below on my left. Then at a sharp turn where the road drops
down and crosses Calf Creek, is a faint old road off to the right. It has a worn path that I follow, but not
very far as it ends just 150 feet ahead where Calf Creek has washed out the
road long ago. Back to PCR/BRT I head
down and cross the creek. |
Luther Arnold house on Peter Cave Rd.
|
Just south of Calf Creek
the road winds around through another hayfield, at the south end of the field
are white blazes nailed on an angle, indicating the BRT leaves the road here
heading uphill to Collier Homestead, there is also a wood trail sign. I stay on the road for 200 more feet to the
old road on the right, from there it’s 1000 feet west on the lane to where
I’m parked and the end of today’s outdoor adventure in the Ozarks. |
| inside Luther Arnold house |
 |
back on the old lane
|
My goal today was to find
and hike the short piece of Old River Trail from the Buffalo to PCR/BRT, that
didn’t happen. I’ll be back, I know
there is a trailhead of sorts west of Old Arnold Cemetery and that’s probably
where I should have started. But Calf
Creek was calling my name, and I’m glad I ‘listened’, going down the
creek was a fun and easy route to the Buffalo.
All told, this hike was only 3.4 miles with little elevation gain (136
feet), the only part I wouldn’t want to do again was the 400 yard ‘jungle’
portion.
Calf Creek: Statistics Chart 232 There are many places to park along Peter
Cave Rd. from which you could do this route, to get to where I parked start on
SR 65 at the entrance to Tyler Bend. Go
west on Tyler Bend Road 0.8 miles to Peter Cave Rd., turn left (west) go down
the hill about 0.8 miles to the bottom.
Look for the old road off to the left before coming to the hayfield and
BRT junction, there is a cable gate at the entrance to this old road but it’s
‘usually’ open, 1000 feet down this lane is where I parked.
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