Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

     For the past year the most challenging thing about Erbie has been getting there .  The low water bridge over the Buffalo River has been closed for some time, the ‘low road’ NC 2890/NC 2900 off Hwy.7 has been impassible where Cove Creek washed out the road, the ‘high road’ NC 2800 also off Scenic 7 is always subject to water levels at the ford through Cove Creek, and then there’s Compton Road NC 2700 which has been terrible for years.   a home with indoor plumbing        Today we want to check-out some of these routes to Erbie and do a little hiking while we’re at it, that is  if we can get there.   No problem today crossing Cove Creek which is flowing well and maybe a foot deep, after crossing we turn left at the Erbie Church and head down toward the Buffalo to check on the progress of the new low water bridge over Cove Creek.  Good news, the bridge is finished and open for traffic, but the Buffalo River low water bri...

     We haven’t seen much rain in the last week, and winter hasn’t shown itself, not yet anyway.  I thought it would be a good time to see Victor Indian Shelter which is north of the old town of Victor on North Fork Illinois Bayou.  To get there we’re going to try Sulphur Road just outside of Sand Gap, it’s a big short-cut compared to the long drive down Highway 7 to Victor Road.   Sulphur Road is in surprisingly good shape; in a remote area of the Ozark National Forest, we don’t see any houses on this road. Sulphur Road        The only obstacle encountered is a big tree in the road which we have to drive around through the ditch as it's too heavy to move.  The road does get a bit steep as we come down off the mountain into the North Fork valley.   At the ford across North Fork Illinois Bayou,  we stop and park.  The river is really moving, with little white caps making it hard to judge the depth, I decide t...

     The area we choose to hike today takes us upstream above Dixon Ford, into the headwaters  of the Buffalo River.   Most maps and documentation agree that the Buffalo River begins at the confluence of Big Buffalo Creek and Reeves Fork, from there upstream to the Upper Buffalo Mountain Bike Trails (UBMBT) is the area we’re out to explore today.   This is just a small part of the headwater's  region, the 'bottom' of the headwaters. Reeves Fork at crossing      But before we start, we have to get down to Dixon Ford, and unless you’re looking for a serious 4X4 adventure, there’s only one way to get there; north on Dixon Ridge Road off Highway 16.   Our previous trip  here,  (see:  8 Dixon Ford )  the last half mile down Dixon Ridge Road was terrible, with huge washed-out  ruts big loose rocks hairpin curves and very steep.  I t’s still steep and the hairpins haven’t gone away but the road is in really go...

     Almost a year ago we ‘discovered’ the Buffalo River Trail and have been slowly hiking the BRT one section at a time.  A couple months ago we hiked on the Old River Trail for the first time and were pleasantly surprised.  Since that time, I’ve been studying maps looking for loop hike possibilities.   Today we'll be utilizing both BRT and ORT, first hiking to Kyle’s Landing on the BRT then back down to Camp Orr on the ORT.  We park at Triple Falls parking area at the bottom of Camp Orr Road. bluff above Triple Falls     S tarting out south on Triple Falls Trail for just over 100 yards to a signed trail intersection where we turn right and head to the top of the falls.  It’s a little steep but levels out soon then turns to the left (south) on a ledge.  Along the base of a low bluff high on the hill above the creek is a small shallow cave.  This entire area is very nice, and we soon come down a little hill to th...