A Lost Valley and a Rock Garden

Crossing into the southern and western Ozark Plateau and a few points beyond.

An alternate path lead south on this expedition to Arkansas and later Oklahoma. Crossing Truman Lake without a pause and no more than a glimpse, the same nod was quickly offered to the Lake of the Ozarks, before jetting onward in to the Ozark Highlands of southern Missouri.

Road Side Park along MO-5 near Ava, Missouri - March 2021

This was not the first adventure through the area and discovery of new territory seemed improbable. Southbound can be quite different from northbound though and it just so happens that when one travels in a new direction, new scenes appear. Near Ava, an old school Road Side Park previously overlooked offered a fresh scenic opportunity to step out from behind the wheel and stretch.

Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad bridge - March 2021

The expedition carried on down the road through now familiar spots. The Jacob Wolf House stole the spotlight on a prior adventure through Norfork. Just beyond that historic landmark, another rose up above the waters of the north fork of the White River. The 1909 Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad bridge stands mostly empty, but suggests some rail traffic may still wander through occasionally.

. . .

Wandering Woolly Hollow and checking in on Cornelius.

Spring at Woolly Hollow State Park in Arkansas - March 2021

After taking care of a few chores around the homestead, the afternoon belonged to the trail. It was the first opportunity in a few years to get down to Woolly Hollow and traverse the entire Huckleberry Trail. Previous attempts had been thwarted by construction and other re-alignment activities. The day could not have been more perfect for this 5.5 kilometre diversion through the Arkansas forest, with temperatures in the early teens, relatively low brush, a nicely flowing cascade and tiny signs of spring popping up everywhere.

Cornelius Falls - Heber Springs, AR - March 2021

The perfect late afternoon begged for even more and seemed reckless to abandon the trail too soon. Nearing base camp, a few additional observations from familiar spots found their way into the viewfinder. Recent rains ensured that Cornelius Falls flowed abundantly into the abyss and the trail around Sugar Loaf proved easily manageable, though more of a hard-packed mud than the Huckleberry Trail had been. Wherever drainage passed through, things were a bit sloppy, but did not deter accumulation of 10 km of wandering the solitude of the Ozark forests for the day.

. . .

The Mossy Bluff

Mossy Bluff Trail - Heber Springs, AR - March 2021

Chances for rain were solid the following afternoon and came along soon enough, but not before a quick run along Mossy Bluff. The rain continued to fade in and out the remainder of the day, but each break in the clouds offered another opportunity to get out and about on the trail. Late in the day, as rain threatened to make yet another appearance, a return to Mossy Bluff found water cascading along the creek bed with a bit more enthusiasm than earlier in the day.

. . .

Lost Valley to War Eagle

Eden Falls in Arkansas - March 2021

Heading northwest into the Arkansas Ozark Plateau, the sun unfolded on a cool and crisp day for the journey into Oklahoma. A mostly familiar path led to Lost Valley Trail and Eden Falls. There was no need to linger at any given point, nor much to linger for, beyond miles and miles of forest. The trail into the falls proved relatively easy to traverse, though there was some concern along the way. The creek that the falls emptied into appeared mostly barren, apparently as a losing stream. The waterfalls impressed though, with an abundance of water cascading down into the surrounding collapsed structures.

War Eagle Creek Bridge - Madison County, AR - March 2021

With a lot of ground left to cover and not enough daylight remaining, the only other honorable mention of the day goes to the War Eagle Creek Bridge. This relic from 1924 was noted crossing the creek of the same name on the the new overpass, near Huntsville, and offered a cool and quiet place to pause for a moment.

. . .

In search of Disney.

A good rest overnight at a excellent little lakeside resort on the peninsula west of Grove, Oklahoma put things in the right perspective for more exploring. Chasing down the back highways, we were on schedule for Disney until discovering this particular part of the world had no use for "Road Closed" signs. The sign finally made an appearance and the road was immediately closed, adding an extra half hour to travel time. Perhaps it was an April Fools joke. Either way, it proved worth the effort.

Rock Garden - Disney, OK - March 2021

Disney itself stood mostly shuttered this midweek afternoon, but the real destination lie below that and the Pensacola Dam. Destination to four-wheel drive vehicles of the area, the massive limestone and chert formation known as the "Rock Garden" stood as empty as the town.

Water flowed quietly through a channel in the rock, sliding down the formation further along, pooling for a moment, then splashing down another small cascade, moving lazily downstream from there to meet up with the main channel of the Neosho River.

Har-Ber Village - Grove, OK - March 2021

Mr. and Mrs. Jones welcomed us to the waters edge for an evening that included a peaceful sunset on the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Their Har-Ber Village area hosts multiple structures dating from the late 1800s. Only a couple were available for viewing this late in the day, so another expedition may be needed to learn more.

. . .

Miami to Osawatomie by way of Baxter Springs and Mound City.

Miami, OK - March 2021

Visiting their cafe the next morning an awesome breakfast sent us flying down the highway again for home. It would have been just as easy to make the jump to Joplin and fly the interstate, but there were towns and their associated oddities to discover. Miami appeared first, looking somewhat like its namesake in Florida, here and there, thanks to buildings like the 1929 Coleman Theater.

Baxter Springs, KS - March 2021

Not long after that, the site of the trail head for the Black Dog Trail of the 1800's in Baxter Springs begged a pause to investigate Fort Blair Historic Site. The location was apparently quite the source of contention during the Civil War, between the Union forces and Confederate guerrillas under the command of William Quantrill.

Mound City Historical Park - Mound City, KS - March 2021

Continuing to defy high speed travel, Mound City offered up a small historical park that had gone unnoticed on the last visit. The location showcases several old structures from bygone days in the town, several of which ancestors probably encountered at some point or another in their lifetime.

Osawatomie State Hospital Cemetery - March 2021

The gap between dinner and our location continued to diminish, but time and space remained available for a quick check on the infamous Osawatomie State Hospital Cemetery. It is an odd sort, containing over three hundred burial markers labeled with nothing more than embossed numbers in the order in which they were laid to rest. There is not much else to see there. The old hospital is dilapidated and in near ruin. About a kilometre of bricks pave the way out of town from there, likely sown by those of the more obsessive compulsive residents.