089
Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area
9/15/2012
Conditions: Cloudy, rainy, temp in 62, temp at 1200 71, distance 9 miles
The radar at 2:00 a.m. still showed rain over most of the state. I figured it might fade by the time I got to wilderness...so onward ho. This was partly true...it did dwindle by the time of my arrival but started back as soon as I got into the woods. It rained the entire drive en route. The parking area off FS 1410 was empty at 5:45...and that's a good thing. There is another parking area near here at the Kapark Cemetery that I wandered by...but the road to it is a bit rough for the average vehicle. The hike was started at 6:oo with light rain falling and light absent but slowly rising. An owl hooted very close to me...which is unusual...I called back without reply. There is a trail one can follow most of the way to a spot above Bowers Hollow Falls...this was utilized. Small ditches were not flowing with much water so my chances for a full waterfall were slim. Arrival to the top of the falls confirmed a small amount of water dropping over the slab of rock. The north side of the hollow was followed and I crawled down the bluff access to the lower hollow below the bluff. It was still raining on and off and I was soaked...but still quite comfortable. The only way I know of to the falls is to follow the northern bluff line for 1/4 mile...drop down...and backtrack 1/4 to the falls. It was still cool at the falls area...even without much water. The woods had recovered from the dry spell with the last few episodes of rain and were quite lush. After piddling around here for a while I went back to the access point and followed the top of the bluff line towards the Buffalo. There is not really a trail from here onward and the tonnage of laid over trees made it a difficult to progress. Rocky bluff viewpoints are hard to find. There was a cool leaning rock on the edge of a bluff above the Buffalo that I paused at and climbed. The vast opening of Boen Gulf could be seen across the river to the north. The foggy and rainy Upper Buffalo River Valley was a fine sight. The sound of the rain and an occasional Pileated Woodpecker, plus some insect sounds were all that filled the woods...it was quite pleasant.
The hike continued onward to the north paralleling the Upper Buffalo. By now it was raining pretty hard. The woods were thick with plenty of poison ivy...but no ticks were seen. The opening of Hubbard Hollow was found and I worked my way up along the upper edge of this hollow. The creek was about as full as the other and a waterfall at the bluff line was running lightly. I donno if this fall has a name but I'll refer to it as Donny Bob Hubbard Falls (he lived in these here parts). An easy way down was not spotted...and the area below was pretty messy anyway...so it was not pursued. There was a cool looking bluff down there with some cavey looking openings...which I was convinced were inhabited by bears. This creek...Hubbard Hollow Creek I guess...was followed back to the west until It hooked back up to the trail followed in. When I made it back to the parking spot there was only one other car. It was now 2:00 p.m. and the rain had stopped. This hike was nice with the rain for a change. It sure felt good to get back into dry clothes, though. The drive back was very foggy until the Arkansas River Valley was under my tires. I made it home by 5:00.
