Fritz's Birthday Trip 2010

So, to officially begin our adventures, we have to go back to a weekend in late March, 2010, when Melissa treated me to a surprise trip to Boxley area of the Ozark Highlands in northeast central Arkansas.

But first, I would like to acknowledge Tim Ernst, author of Arkansas Waterfalls Guidebook, among many other great books about camping and hiking in Arkansas. We're using that book as our guide, and we look forward to meeting Tim someday, maybe on the trail.

Oh, the luxury! Unlike our normal "roughing it", we stayed in a small cabin (Rocky Hills Cabin)...with a hot tub! My baby loves me.

Glory Hole Falls
Our first waterfall adventure was an easy, one-mile trek on a well-worn path to Glory Hole Falls, where a small stream falls directly through a round hole in an over hang. Pretty cool, but we arrived right as a photography club was swarming about.

Bear Skull Falls
For our next trick, we drove further south through Boxley to a remote trail head to the Ozark Highlands Trail, from whence we went on a hike of about 5 miles. But we mistook an ATV trail for the hiking trail and ended up slightly confused. Good thing we had our brand new handheld DeLorme PN-40 GPS to help us find our first big treat, Bear Skull Falls, a great falls about 25 feet high or so. However, we arrived from a direction that put us on a high overhang above the falls. Once at the bottom, we could see how little ground had actually been under our feet!

Slit Rock Falls
Further in, and off the main trail, we found Slit Rock Falls. Look at the picture and you'll see why. Apparently, the pool below the falls is a great swimming hole in the summer.

Caught in a Hail Storm
Beyond Split Rock Falls, we had hoped to bushwack our way off trail to one or the other of two remote falls, Discover Falls or Sunset Falls. We came within a quarter mile of Sunset falls, but the going was tough, we seriously worn out, it was starting to rain, and were simply not up to the task. Alas, they will have to wait for another day.

Good thing we turned around because less than 200 yards from our car, the rain turned heavy and small hail pummeled us as we ran through thick mud for safety. Reaching the car, we realized we had not retrieved a jacket Melissa left along the trail on the way in. So guess who ran back in the middle of a thunderstorm to find it?

All in a day's hike...