Little Bluff cabin cam February 28 - WARM and wet today as storm clouds breakup - but more rain moves in - HAPPY SUNDAY! It has been a great month...

*Hike update - I FINISHED my big hike! (In fact I did some of it twice - once on snowshoes and once without. I'm in recovery and research mode now and may hike some more of it again to fill in mental details for an upcoming book, I hope.) k

Ebook version of the original CLOUDLAND JOURNAL ~ BOOK ONE is now available on AMAZON - CLICK HERE.. (this is a "Kindle" version but they have a FREE APP you can use on pretty much any device including cell phones, tablets/pads, and even your normal computer.

NEW Arkansas Trees GUIDEBOOK BY THE OZARK SOCIETY - we have them - click here to order

02/05/21 Quick update. Past several days I’ve been in the woods, covering a lot of ground either bushwhacking or on trails and seeing a lot of interesting stuff. The weather has been quite delightful, even with the temp in the low 20’s this morning, with lots of sunshine and brilliant blue skies. Winter is a GREAT time to hike in Arkansas!

This is the spot on a map where I began my hike - the actual source of the Buffalo River, mile 0 -

Not a whole lot of wildlife sightings though - probably because I tend to make a lot of noise as I fumble and stumble through the forest. I hadn’t seen a single critter until almost the end of my second day in the woods, when I came upon not one, but three beautiful, shiny-black furry guys standing about 100 feet away. My phone is mostly worthless as a wildlife camera - I tried to creep up on them anyway but didn’t make it too far before they saw me and took off. Wild hogs, and oh my goodness had they made a mess of the forest floor!

One day I climbed high to the very top edge of a canyon and spent the night beneath a 100’ sandstone bluff (I’m not packing a tent, so seek out shelter when I can). Just after dark set in I heard what I thought was a dog barking. Knowing there was an all points bulletin out for a lost little pup named Chloe, I got myself ready to suit up and head back down into the canyon in search of her - then the barks turned to yips, then to howling - was a coyote, and he would spend the rest of the night singing lullabies to me from afar. The little pup was found safe and sound the next morning way over on the other side of the canyon near Magnolia Falls - after four days in the wilderness!

Above the big bluff that I spent the night beneath, and below is part of the trail near Steele Creek

Today something odd happened. I spent the last hour of slumber early this morning dreaming about two of the icons of the Save The Buffalo River movement (1960s), Harold and Margaret Hedges (of Hedges Pouroff). In fact in the dream I was sitting on a couch with old Harold when someone remarked we were not wearing masks and both of us were scrambling trying to reach for one when I woke up. I’d visited their now-historic homesite ruins in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness just a couple of days ago - it had been burned down many years ago, but the stonework remains and is still wonderful. Anyway, so this afternoon while hiking I started to think about the Hedges and of my dream when son of a gun - really - I looked up and was standing just a few feet away from the exact spot where I’d seen them both last (both passed away years ago) - in fold up lawn chairs at a campsite at Kyles Landing Campground (currently closed due to road construction). I literally had gotten off the trail and wandered into the campground by mistake! (I was on the Buffalo River Trail that turned up Bear Creek before the campground, which I had to backtrack to get to.)

This is the road into Kyles Landing Campground (still closed, but MUCH better than before!)

They are calling for snow during my hike today - I LOVE hiking in snow, so bring it on!

A couple of snapshots from the "middle" section of the Buffalo River bushwhack - slow going, but making progress towards a goal of hiking the entire length of the Buffalo River this month...

This root ball stands 15' tall - from a GIANT sycamore tree

Buffalo River (far right) flows past Flatiron Bluff (the peak) and the Little Buffalo joins the main river (center) and both flow together downstream to the left - this photo was taken from the opposite side of the Buffalo River from where the Little Buffalo joins,

Someone hit a LONG drive and it landed near the river!

Looking through Chimney Rock Arch/Bridge to the river near Hasty

Here's a snapshot from my "bushwhack" along the Buffalo that shows one of many situations I'm faced with each day (this is a narrow side channel off of the main river). There is no trail, and I don't know what is just ahead - should I proceed along the little ridge of land on the left to continue downstream, go along the base of the bluff on the right (don't know if it ends at the waterline or not), or backtrack and climb UP the steep hill and hike above the bluff to continue downstream? (Answer - I did the first two and made it past the end of the bluff just fine - yea!)

It was 15 degrees this morning at first light - the coldest I think I’ve slept “out” during this century - my record for a backpack trip in Arkansas is -22 (below zero) back in the early 1980’s (colder while cross-country skiing in the 1990’s in Colorado though).

I don’t mind hiking in the cold, in fact prefer it! But my fingers take a beating due to the Raynaud’s disease I’ve had forever. Normally when I hike my hands are tucked in my pockets and stay warm just fine, but I’m keeping notes during this prolonged hike and have to operate both a mini digital recorder and my phone, which I can’t do while wearing gloves, and that naked exposure quickly shuts use of my fingers down to almost nothing.

After many dozens of pairs of glove/mittens/etc., the only method I find works for me is what I used while in Alaska shooting the aurora at -69 degree temps - bare hands wrapped around a large chemical heating packet inside each pocket. I’m able to remove my hand and operate equipment for a few moments and return to my pocket and keep going. The little hand warmers don’t work - only the 18-hours ones provide enough overall heat to get the job done. Yet they still only work OK, and half the time my fingers end up being almost useless.

One example of my cold fingers not working was yesterday after I had put off stopping to pee as long as I could, it was time to go. Yet my fingers were so numb that I could not grasp the ZIPPER (what did you think I was going to say?). Such a helpless feeling! (or lack of) Really. I did eventually manage. (I stopped on the way home today and bought out ALL the 18-hour handwarmers at Dollar General stores I could find! $.94 each)

Anyway, the landscape was not nearly as bad/icy as it has been back home at Little Bluff, and the hiking, while brutal during the bushwhacking, has gone pretty well. I’m only taking snapshots with my phone, and the book I hope to eventually write of my adventure probably won’t include any photos - but sometimes I can’t hardly stand to walk right on by this or that without stopping to take a picture or three - but most of the time the phone just won’t cut it. (If I only had a tripod and remote control for the phone it would be a lot better, but then I’d never get anywhere because I’d be stopped all the time taking pictures!)

MUCH COLDER weather on the way (below 0), along with what they say is a foot or more of snow. I may need more hand warmers...

It was 19 degrees when I waded the 81' across this two-foot deep creek - using one of the beaver sticks shown here to keep from falling - I had no idea there were SO MANY beavers working the Buffalo River!

Speaking of beavers, they chewed the bark off more than 15 FEET up this tree!

The trail goes right through this tunnel of cedar trees...

I baked my bride a loaf of bread today - it was GREAT!

MiaWilson Falls on our property.

And here's one of the Natural Bridges I encounted during the big hike -

Journal Archives - previous months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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