Buffalo River in the Ozarks

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I spent all of last week camping on the Buffalo River in Northern Arkansas, near Ponca. I hiked in after dark with my trusty flash light and head lamp to light the way. I spotted an armadillo on the path. Setting up camp was quick and painless, plenty of trees to choose from to tie the hammock up. I camped at the top of 20 ft bluff that overlooked the river. The first day in, I sat on the bank drying off from my morning swim and a very curious cottonmouth snake came closer to take a look. Then, closer... then, closer... until she was about a foot away. She and I stared at each other a full five minutes and then she swam away. That was not the most interesting encounter of the day, though!
I decided to hike to the waterfall at Hemmed-In Hollow. It's a 204 footer, the largest in middle-America. I wasn't sure if there would be anything but a trickle, but was hopeful since it had rained the evening before. Sometimes in the summer months, apparently, it reduces to nearly nothing. Just off to the right of the path was a brown furry creature I had never seen before in the wild! A mink! It was scurrying around the rocks. I managed to snap some photos, but only one decent one.
The waterfall was amazing!! There was a cool, clear pool below it full of tadpoles (little guys already had their back legs) and baby crawdads. The wind whipped the water around in a circle. It was refreshing to stand beneath the cold water after a long hike in the humid Ozarks. The sun glinted off the water droplets as they poured over the edge that towered high above. It was truly magnificent and reminded me of why I love the Ozarks so much (so full of hidden treasures)!
Back at camp, I swam some more, then slept on the rocks, swam some more, then slept in my hammock, swam some more, then slept on the rocks... I wondered if I would be able to sleep that night at all, but sleep I did! Until nearly 10 a.m. the next morning.
On the hike out I stopped and explored some old barns and stuff. Saw lots of toads, tortoises, raccoons, slugs, spiders, a baby decay snake, a black snake,...
All in all, was a lovely hike and some peace and quiet that I very much needed.

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Comments

[Scott Smith]

Old Barn
Is that old barn at Horseshoe Bend? We use to camp there when we deer hunted in the area years ago. A long hike in or a tough canoe drag up river from Kyles.