Cossatot Falls - Cossatot River State Park - Natural Area
Fall color is always a wonderful time in Arkansas. Early in the season (the second week of October) you will see the colors begin to change up in the Ozarks and on the high-points of the state like Mount Magazine and Rich Mountain. As the color continues south the Ouachita Mountains turn beautiful yellows and reds. Finally by mid November we still have color left in the lower parts of the state. Just pick a pretty weekend and head out on one of the many scenic drives or maybe a state park.
This year we had a bit of a problem with that last part. October 2009 became the wettest on record. Now for many this made for a dreary indoor where those without a true adventure spirit stayed inside and watched football and reruns. But they missed some good stuff.
Bring on the Arkansas waterfalls! With a mixture of water and fall color those who ventured out were treated with some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
Triple Falls (courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Mountain Biker enjoying the ride!
Last weekend I had the opportunity to represent Arkansas State Parks at the CARPe Diem Mountain Bike Festival at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Our booth was set up next to friends from FoOT (Friends of Ouachita Trail), Ozark Extreme Adventure Racing, Teen Challenge and CARP (Central Arkansas Recreational Pedalers). A more honorable group you will not find. Besides us, several cycling stores were represented.
The race organizers, Bell & Company Mountain Biking, were great to work with. They had both breakfast and lunch for us, racers and just about anyone else that showed up. As the races started a drum circle formed in the area in front of our booth. They were soon replaced with one of the three bands that would entertain us throughout the day.
The organizers had set up the stage in a fun, unique way. they had a flatbed trailer as a stage and a viewing area for people to watch and dance to the music. The race course actually passed between the stage and the viewing area just before it went to the finish line. It was a nice way of keeping everyone involved in the race. The racers seemed to have a good time and I know I did. Looking forward to this event next year, maybe I’ll ride in it.
Arkansas State Parks Booth
Mountian Biker passing the stage
Some drum circles can't be explained...this one shouldn't be explained.
The view from the stage
The Ouachita Adventure Race could become a classic! What a great race, 12 hours of running, orienteering, canoeing, rappelling, mountain biking, etc. All just about 1/2 an hour west of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Our team (ExtremeTrek) did not do as well as we would have liked but still had a great time. We think that those that finished quickly just didn’t get to enjoy the course as much as those of us who spent more time out there. I don’t have any photos of my own, heck, I was busy racing and had enough stuff to carry but you will see some photos of the race in the slide show below followed by the one photo of us.
Ozark Extreme Racing did a great job of course layout, checkpoint placement and keeping everything interesting. The volunteers were wonderful and plentiful. If you are at all interested in adventure racing I highly recommend trying one of their sprint races. If you are not so inclined please sign up to volunteer. That gives you a chance to meet some of these crazy people in their best moments.
Also, I wanted to thank Mountain Harbor Resorts for hosting the race and for supporting adventure sports. I know they have been very involved in the creation of the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail which may be one of the best mountain bike trails in the state.
ExtremeTrek, coming in from the orienteering section
What a crazy week! After a bit of decorating and design work in the southern part of the state (I helped hang photos and posters in the new cabins at Moro Bay State Park) on Tuesday, Wednesday had me heading North to Mountain View, AR and the Syllamo Mountain Bike Trails. Some friends of ours and I were giving an out of state travel writer a tour of the trails and general area. It was great fun. Finished it all up with an excellent dinner at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Here are a few photos from the ride.
The group
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- The group
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- Sylamore Creek
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- Bluff View
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- Kelley, Lisa & Sarah
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- Lisa & Sarah
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- Kelley
Three days, three parks, three hiking trails, and horses. Last year we spent the entire Labor Day Weekend camping at Lake Ouachita State Park and had a wonderful time kayaking, swimming, geocaching and hiking. This year we opted for something a little different due to other commitments. Saturday started with a quick run/hike at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Just the simple around, up and over that I have always loved. It was a little tough as I am just coming off a couple of months with little working out, I survived. Later in the day we had lunch with my daughter and her fiance at a local Mexican restaurant, Senor Tequila’s, a family favorite. We would have taken advantage of the outdoor patio but we were in the middle of our only rain of the weekend.
On Sunday we took it easy, you know gotta sit around and read the paper after sleeping in (this was Labor Day weekend after all). After running a few errands we couldn’t handle sitting around anymore so back to Pinnacle again for another short trail run on the Rocky Valley trail. L continued to run a second lap while I went and GPS’d a portion of a new trail I have been laying out in the park. She had to wait on me awhile while I bushwacked through the woods for about an hour.
Monday, Labor Day, had been somewhat planned. The plan? Head to Lake Catherine State Park and do some hiking have a picnic and see what else we could entertain ourselves within the park. Lake Catherine State Park is one of the original Arkansas State Parks and the first facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp. It is famous for it’s beautiful campground, cabins, trails and of course, the lake. Arriving around 11:00 am we headed straight for the Horseshoe Mountain Trail. At 3.5 miles long it is the second longest in the park and has some nice elevation gain. We started up and quickly came across a family of deer. Three does and three fawns paying us almost no mind. Then it was up, up, up. We followed the trail to an overlook where we could see the lake pretty well and decided that this would be a great place to see fall color. After winding down the trail and getting back to the trailhead we headed over to the swimming area to see about a picnic lunch.
L had made some sandwiches and we had some cheddar potato chips for lunch, finished it off with some brownies, mmmmm. We had considered going swimming but it looked a little crowded so we
Getting ready to hit the trails on horseback
opted for horseback riding. The park does not have trails for people to bring their horses on but they do have a wonderful stable where a concessionaire takes guests on hour long guided trips through the woods. We arrived at the very clean family friendly operation and met Ray Lovett, the owner. Ray got us set up with horses and introduced us to our guide, Jesse.
We were accompanied by another couple and their two cute children. Soon we were meandering along the trail on well behaved horses. We saw several deer along the trail and just really had a great time. I think it was the highpoint of M’s weekend.
Afterward it was back home to grill out stack and fresh corn out on the deck. Another perfect weekend in Arkansas.
Cabin 15 at Devil's Den State Park
We had been planning this weekend for months. The final race in the Ozark Extreme Adventure Sprint Series would be at Devil’s Den State Park. We had done the other two races at Cane Creek State Park and Village Creek State Park and were excited about the final being at one of my favorite state parks. I’ll write more about the race later, it was only a part of a great weekend.
As a final summer treat we opted to rent a cabin in the park for both Friday and Saturday nights. The cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in the 1930’s. Although they are old rustic classic style cabins they have been updated with modern amenities like air conditioning, satellite television and a huge hot tub. The kitchens are modern and stocked with all the necessary cooking implements. We stayed in cabin 15, a one bedroom with a single pull-out bed in the living room. It was just the right size for us. The rock construction in and around the cabin is a work of art.
We got to the park just before 8 pm on Friday, time to get unloaded and settled in before dark. We decided to take it easy that night and prepare for the next day’s race. After a good nights sleep L and I went down to the parks’ new pavilion for the race start at 10:30. By 4:30 we were done with the race but certainly not done with the weekend or the park.
Deep in the cave
A dinner of grilled brats and scalloped potatoes was the perfect meal. Then we were off for a park program lead by Casey the park interpreter. Casey was very engaging taking us on a short hike on the Devil’s Den Trail and explaining the unique geology of the park. Devil’s Den is known for it’s caves and crevices. Casey explained that sandstone on top of shale plus a little pushing up from below and lots of water created over 60 caves and crevices in the park. He also did a good job telling us about the human impact on the park. The program culminated in a trip into one of the caves. One cool thing was since it was dusk we dodged a lot of bats flying out as we walked in. The entire group went about 100 feet in the cave with Casey. We were then given the option of going deeper while Casey took the rest out and back to the visitor center. Well of course we went deeper. I was a bit concerned about the life expectancy of our headlamps and after a little while we turned back. We walked back to the visitor center in the dark talking away about our latest adventure.
Blueberry Stuffed French Toast w/eggs
The evening found us tired so we just vegged in the cabin and watched Blazing Saddles. The next morning L got up and prepared one of the best breakfasts ever! Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Eggs. It was time to work off breakfast, first, packing up and cleaning up the cabin. Next, we were off to do a little more hiking, L and M had not been to the Yellow Rock overlook before so I decided to give them this special treat (actually L and I ran through the overlook area during the race but had no time to take the beauty in). A nice little hike up from camping area A to the overlook for pictures and to watch the vultures catching thermals in the Lee Creek Valley. We decided we needed to come back for fall color.
Yellow Rock Overlook at Devil's Den State Park
After heading back down to the car we toured some more of the park checking out the new campgrounds and the new suspension bridge over Lee Creek just downstream from the dam. By this time we were ready to eat again and after a quick browse and purchase in the park store we headed over to the Ridge Runner Cafe for lunch before hitting the road. The cafe is worth a visit both for the great park food and the ambiance. You get to sit at table built by the CCC in a CCC structure. If you visit the park when the cafe is open, don’t miss out on this treat. It was soon time for the trip home taking nothing but photos and memories. Another GREAT Arkansas weekend!
…it was taken by the Chief Photographer for Parks and Tourism, Chuck Haralson. (That’s me pointing a camera in the wrong direction). We had gone to the Ozark Folk Center State Park last year to do a photo shoot for the new park Web site and brochure. This place doesn’t have a name that I know of but it does have a couple of waterfalls and this great cave. To get there you have to know right where to park the car north of Blanchard Caverns and right where to jump the guard rail to get to the trail. We plan to go back soon and get lots of photos. For now we have to live with this beauty.
This past weekend we put together a nice little ride for the mountain bikes. The Little Rock area has a wonderful array of cycling opportunities. Wow, that sounds a little like something from some marketing guy. Let me start over…..
What a freakin’ awesome weekend! Temperature in the 80’s, clear skies, the perfect breeze and the excellent trail systems of Little Rock and North Little Rock. To start the weekend, payin’ my dues, three hours of trail work at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Got a nice treat about halfway through, suddenly a wooshing sound from above. There it was, a hot air balloon came floating over the mountain. It was going to be a great weekend!
Big Dam Bridge
Sunday morning L and I headed out for a little ride. Starting at Murray Park we rode west on the river trail to the Big Dam Bridge. It was early and only a few had ventured out to the bridge. On the North Little Rock side we accidentally missed the turn for the Pfeiffer Loop Trail. It would have been an easy warm-up but that was okay, we stayed on the river trail headed for the trails at Burns Park. I had heard that a lot of trail work had been done recently and wanted to see the new stuff.
We first rode the easy flatlands of the western part of the park then made the climb past the horse area to the Boy Scout trails and up to the top of the ridge. Going north we dropped down to the abandoned road and then up the next ridge. I love this part of the park. We dropped down again and passed the pavilion area. I saw the turn off for some of the new trail a bit too late and instead took on another climb. We soon cleared the area and hit the road.
At this point we decided to go east on the river trail to climb the Fort Roots switchbacks. There are two ways to the top of Fort Roots, the mountain bike way and the road bike way. We opted for the previous. It’s a nice climb with some tight switchbacks, a little gravelly. At the top we took a few minutes to eat some jelly beans, almonds and raisins. Next we were down the relatively new trail down the east side of Fort Roots. Nice ride with beautiful views off the bluff line.
At the bottom we decided to keep going east and cross the river downtown instead of going back to the Big Dam Bridge. By now the churches would have let out and the bridge would be crowded. So off we went down the river trail to the Main Street bridge and over into downtown Little Rock. A couple more miles following the river trail through Little Rock brought us back to Murray Park for a 21 mile ride.
Arkansas River Trail
Satellite view of the 20 mile Lake Sylvia Loop
Well I’m back on the bike. Due to several “ailments” I have not been on my bike for a couple of months. Last week I ventured back out. Some road rides a few climbs a little bit of dirt all around Little Rock. It was nice to be back on but horrible to realize just how out of shape I got in that short time. Not that I was in great shape when this all started but this is getting bad.
This weekend (Sunday) I decided it was time for a true test. the 20 mile loop at Lake Sylvia. This ride should really have a name. It’s the shorter (and easier) of two loops in the area. The other is a 40 miler with a killer hill that goes on for almost 5 miles. Lisa joined me for this ride. It’s all dirt roads with no singletrack. Nothing technical but it has a lot of climbing and has always been a good workout. An excellent training ground for adventure races.
Lake Sylvia is a small lake west of Little Rock off highway 9 just south of Perryville. It was constructed by the CCC I believe although a lot of the structures look more like WPA styles. They have a nice swimming area, campground and trails, plus the Ouachita Trail goes right through the area. This area is often referred to as the Flatside Wilderness. On the bike ride you pass Flatside Pinnacle Mountain, North Fork Pinnacle Mountain and from Flatside you can see Forked Pinnacle Mountain. It is a beautiful area.
There is not a lot of traffic but enough that you’d be hard pressed to be stranded more than a few hours without someone coming by. I always start at the Ouachita Trailhead parking lot near Lake Sylvia campground and ride in a counter-clockwise direction. heading north out of the parking lot you get a couple of miles of asphalt as a warm up before the dirt roads start. You’ll see a dirt road on your left that says hwy 88. Take this road and follow it for about 9 miles. When you come to a T intersection turn left again straight up the hill. At the top is the Flatside Pinnacle Overlook. To the west you can see Forked Pinnacle. You then continue following this road for about 8 miles and then turn left (It’s a four way intersection, you can’t miss it). Enjoy the downhill ride back into Lake Sylvia. Have fun on this one.
Topo Map of the 20 mile Lake Sylvia Loop
There is a lot of discussion going on concerning the new long range plan for the Buffalo National River. The Arkansas Times just posted an interesting article about it on their blog. Here is an excerpt:
Equestrian use of the park is a point of contention, Ben Milburn, who runs Buffalo River Outfitters, a canoe rental and guide service business in St. Joe, said. He attended the Springdale and Harrison meetings and said folks at the former were likely to suggest limits on horseback use and that the opposite was true at the latter.
A little editorial on my part, the idea of horses on trails in the area worries me. My first experience with horses on the trail was in Montana on a backpacking trip several years ago. The trailhead that would take us deep into the Beartooth Mountains was shared with equestians. Now maybe I should back up a little, as I kid I worked on a stock farm cleaning stalls and taking care of the horse barn. I have a lot of respect for horses. The problem I’ve found was usually the riders. I’ll get to that in a bit. The Montana trail was dry except for some wide areas where horses had obviously stopped or where they walked two or more abreast. We were forced to skirt these areas as we headed up past the horse area and into the backcountry. On the way out about a week later it was raining steady all day. This was not a problem until we got back into the horse area where we found ourselves trying to cross ponds that had formed on the trail in these same wide areas. Wading through the muck was slow and dirty. I even fell in at one point. (yuck)
I’ll fast forward now to a trail I was recently mountain biking on that was a multi-use trail servicing equestrians, mountain bikers and hikers. Again we kept coming across these wide spots and creek crossing that were so torn up from horse hooves that we had to dismount and carry our bikes though. Coming upon some horseback riders we got off our bikes and walked around the horses so we wouldn’t spook them. They were all just standing (the horses not the riders) in the middle of one of these “ponds” totally oblivious to the damage they were doing to the trail. One of them slipped the cell phone from her ear long enough to thank us for our consideration. I fell in another one of these puddles about a mile up the trail.
I have seen some trails that were designed very well forcing equestrians to ride single file but I worry that eventually these trails too will be damaged. I know some will argue that my mountain bike damages trail also. Remember though that my bike with me on it weighs less than 250 pounds and it rolls on the ground instead of walking. Also, that horse and rider weigh in at over half a ton and contact with the ground is usually made with iron shoes. The trail doesn’t have a chance.
Another issue with horses is that their waste can often time carry the seed on non-native plants. How would you like to see the Buffalo National river overrun with Kudzu? So my only real issue in this long range plan is please limit the use of horses in this pristine area.
You can get more information and voice your concerns about the Plan at the NPS site here: Buffalo NR
