August Monsoons!

Ordinarily August in Arkansas is a pretty dry and miserably hot month.  This August however has been anything but ordinary.  Multiple storms have dropped several inches of rain on the natural state and brought in unseasonably cool temperatures.  In fact the first week of August 2013 seems more like the first week of May!

With all the rain swelling the rivers and creeks it seemed like a great time to head out and look for some waterfalls that would normally be little more then a trickle this time of year.  Julie and I decided to make a little loop around north out of Clarksville and check out several falls in one day. 

Haw Creek Falls

Haw Creek Falls

 We started out by heading up highway 123 to Haw Creek campground.  When we arrived we found the campground closed by the forest service due to the threat of flash floods.  We parked the Jeep at the and waded across the swollen creek and through the campground on foot.  We found Haw Creek Falls roaring with chocolate colored muddy water.  It was nearly flowing over the entire width of the falls.  It was pretty impressive but the light wasn't right for really great photos so we headed back to the Jeep and took off for our next stop.

Crossing Haw Creek

Pam's Grotto

Pam's Grotto Falls

Just up the road from Haw Creek Campground is an obscure trail head that leads up a steep hill to the base of some tall bluffs popular with local rock climbers.  Those bluffs also provide the setting for one of Arkansas most beautiful waterfalls.  Hidden a short distance past the climbing area is Pam's Grotto Falls.  This 37 foot water fall is tucked into a grotto surrounded by towering bluffs with some huge boulders guarding it's entrance.  The hike into the grotto is not an easy one but it is well worth the effort.

Bridge over the Big Piney

Making some peanut butter sandwiches for lunch

It rained so much that the even crawdads were heading for high ground

Along the bluffs leading to Pam's Grotto

Taking some pictures of the falls

After spending some time exploring the area around the grotto and taking a few dozen photos we climbed back down the hill to the Jeep and headed up 123 toward Pelsor.  

The Glory Hole

After stopping at the Pelsor store for a snack we traveled north on highway 7 and then back west on highway 16 through the small town of Deer (home of the Antlers) and on down the Glory Hole Falls trail-head.  Glory Hole Falls is one of the most interesting waterfalls in the Ozarks.  The water actually falls through a hole that it has eroded into the roof of a limestone bluff!

The upper Glory Hole Falls trail-head is loacted just off highway 16 about 2 miles east of Fallsville.  Most people park here and walk the two miles to the falls, however the first mile or so of the trail follows a rough 4wd road which can be driven, provided you have a capable 4x4! My Rubicon made short work of the muddy ruts leading to the lower trail-head where we parked and began the hike down to the falls.

The 4wd road to the lower Trail Head

We arrived at the falls we just in time to see a couple guys getting ready to rappel down the falls through the hole!  

We took a few pictures of the falls before heading back up the trail to the Jeep.  We then took highway 16 west toward Fallsville where we turned down highway 21 back down to Clarksville where we ended our waterfall tour with some delicious Mexican food.

Back at the Jeep

Julie by a small waterfall along the trail to the Glory Hole

Camping at Richland Creek

Well now that it is mid July I figure it is time to post about my trip to Richland Creek Wilderness over Memorial Day weekend, better late then never I guess.

After exploring the Big Piney Creek on Saturday Julie and I headed down to road to the Richland Creek Wilderness Area to do some camping and hike to some waterfalls.  Richland Creek Campground is one of my favorite places to camp and is one of the most remote drive in campgrounds in the state of Arkansas which, coincidentally, may be one of the reasons I like it so much.

 We arrived after dark and had to set up camp in a pull out on the side of the road as the campground was pretty full with the holiday weekend crowd.  Luckily the next morning several campsites opened up and we were able to pick a nice spot near the campground entrance.

Breakfast in Camp

After getting our camp set up we headed up the trail toward Richland Creek Falls located about 2 miles away.

Julie along the trail to Richland Creek Falls

The trail along Richland Creek is very primitive and on this day it was also really wet and muddy.  By the end of May most of the forest under-story had fully leafed out and the trail was becoming pretty overgrown.  We were getting whacked in the face with wet leaves for a lot of the hike and after about a mile we looked like we had be walking in the rain.

Julie crossing a short section of narrow bluff trail above the creek

This narrow section of trail is only about 30 feet long but that may be 30 feet to many for people who don't like heights. 

About half way to the falls the trail crosses along a bluff line and gets pretty narrow for short stretch.  The trail is about 20 feet above the creek.  This type of exposure isn't near as bad as some of the 14ers I have climbed in Colorado but it was apparently too much more a group of hikers that we meet earlier on the trail that had turned back when they reached this point.

 After the bluff line the creek comes up to meet the trail and then the trail actually disappears below the water for a ways.  This water can be anywhere from ankle deep to over your knees to impassible depending on how high the water is.  On this hike it was only about calf deep.

 Once we passed the underwater trail the creek makes a sharp turn at a pretty nice swimming hole.  This is also were the side trail to Twin Falls take off up the Devil's Fork of Richland Creek.  This is a neat hike to one of the most recognized yet seldom seen water fall in Arkansas, however today we were headed on up Richland Creek to see the falls of the same name.

After wading up stream for quite a ways not realizing that there was actually a pretty good trail on the other side we finally made it to Richland Creek Falls.

Looking up steam toward the falls

Richland Creek Falls isn't very tall at only about 10' but it makes up for it in width stretching all the way across the valley.  It difficult to get the entire falls in one photo without a extra wide angle lens.

Richland Creek Falls

Julie and I at the Falls

After taking a few pictures of the falls, which were the first water fall pictures with my new Canon 6D, we headed back to the campground trying to make it back before it got completely dark.

We spotted this woodland phlox along the trail on our way back to camp

We made it back to camp wet, sore and hungry right after sundown.  So we made a fire and made some deer chili for dinner.  A pretty nice way to end a fun trip up Richland Creek.  My next trip to Richland Creek will most likely be this fall to capture some fall foliage photos.

Deer Chili next to a campfire, a pretty good way to end the day.

I wish that a night enjoying some deer chili around a warm fire was the happy ending to this story but some of the other deer must have seen us eating their fallen friend because the next day they sprang a surprise attack on my Jeep's left fender on the way home.

Deer chili revenge 

Cool Thoughts

With highs near the triple digits I thought it might be appropriate to post something to help get people into a cooler state of mind, so I have decided to revisit a couple of my favorite winter photos...

First up is Herefords in the Snow.  I took this image in February of 2011 during a major snowstorm which blanketed Northwest Arkansas with over 2' feet of snow in one night.  Storms like this may be pretty common in the Rockies but they only come about ever 25 years in Arkansas!

Next is another of my favorite winter pictures, Breckenridge Powder Day.  This photo was taken in January of 2006 early in the morning after about a foot of fresh powdery snow had fallen over night.  The clouds were moving out as the sun came up on what would be an amazing blue sky powder day at Breck.

Both of these images are available as fine art prints at www.matthewparksart.com 

Memorial Day Camping Trip Recap

Over Memorial Day my girlfriend Julie and I took advantage of the long weekend to take a camping trip to the Richland Creek Wilderness Area with a little side trip to do some Canoeing on the Big Piney.

Part 1: The Mighty Big Piney!

Julie posing along side "The Mother"

We meet up with Julie's parents to float the Big Piney on Saturday.  This was our first time on the Big Piney so we weren't sure what to expect, although, we knew it had several class II and a couple class III rapids.  

The Big Piney flows south approximately 67 miles from it's source near Fallsville to Lake Dardanelle (Arkansas River) just west of Russellville.  We had decided to float the 10 mile section of the river from Treat to Long Pool. This section of the Big Piney is where it gets it's reputation for great white water!  There are many class II rapids in this section and and a couple of Class II+ building up to the grand finale, a Class III rapid known as "The Mother".

Long Pool Recreation Area

After leaving my Jeep at Long Pool Recreation Area we loaded into Julie's Dad's truck with the Canoe and Kayaks and headed up the back roads to Treat.  A couple miles above Long Pool you get a great view of the Big Piney as it curves around a horseshoe bend.  Long Pool can be seen on one end of the horseshoe and "The Mother" can be seen on the other.

Long Pool on the Left and "The Mother" on the Right

We parked the truck at Helton's Farm in Treat, unloaded the boats and headed down the river.  

Julie on the Big Piney

Like the Buffalo and Mulberry, the Big Piney is a "pool and drop" river with long calm stretches punctuated with rapids.  The first "drop" along the creek came as a surprise 2' tall ledge that stretched from one side of the river to the other.  The ledge kind of sneaks up on you as it looks like a normal rapid from above and you don't realize it is actually a drop until you are practically on top of it.

Julie's mom discovers the first "Drop"

Julie's dad on one of the Big Piney ledges

Between the rapids the river has many long cool ponds with great scenery along the banks.  It flows through a pretty remote area and we didn't see many other people along the way.  Quite a bit different then the Memorial Day weekend crowds on the more well known Buffalo and Mulberry.  We did however see a lot of turtles and snakes.

A baby turtle I was able to catch off a log

 After warming up on several more Class II and II+ rapid we finally arrived at infamous "The Mother".  This rapid starts with a ledge which leads into several cascades dotted with large boulders, waiting to trap flipped canoes, before the current tries to push you straight into a large rock on river left.  After scouting the rapid from shore we decided to take a line that kept us to the right of most of the rocks.  Julie's dad went first in his Kayak followed by Julie in her mom's Kayak.  Her mom had decided not to risk it and walked around on shore. 

Julie's dad taking on the white water

Julie in the kayak 

The look on Julie's face is pretty good in this one!

After taking the kayaks through it was time for Julie and I too try it in the canoe.

Heading down the cascades

That rock is a little tricky to avoid 

Another great expression on Julie's face

We made it

After taking on "The Mother" it was a pretty easy couple miles around the bend to Long Pool.  The Big Piney was a pretty nice float with good white water, nice scenery and not to many people.  We will be heading back next spring.

Julie's parents just below "The Mother"

Check back soon for the second half of our Memorial Day trip, Richland Creek...

Welcome to the all new Matthew Parks Photography Travel Journal!  I have begun adding images to my portfolio with more to follow in the weeks ahead.  Prints can be ordered directly from my portfolio page or by visiting my Fine Art America (FFA) page. 

In addition to showcasing my images I will update this site with information about upcoming exhibits and art shows featuring my work.  I also have added a travel journal to the site to share my adventures and provide a little background to the images in my portfolio.  I will also be sharing my journal entries on my facebook page.  I may even add a few adventure videos from time to time.

Thanks for checking out the page.  Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Matt Parks