Usually there is a nice view of the Arkansas River from here, but it was hidden by the fog. But I did get a few pictures of this old CCC building, which was built back in the 1930s.
And the view looking out the windows:
The side of the road was still lined with fallen leaves, which added a bit of color to the foggy landscape.
From there I headed over to the lodge, which was also built by the CCC in the 1930s. I ran in to use bathroom and was surprised at how cozy it was in there. There was a fire going in the lobby fireplace, and a large bar offering tempting drinks. If I wasn't planning on hiking, I would have moseyed up to the bar and had a few drinks while watching the fog through the windows. Instead I headed out into the cold rain to an overlook and took pictures of the fog as it drifted and danced through the trees and bluffs.
And then I started the hike to Cedar Falls. The trail switchbacks down alongside a small stream, which was full of water thanks to the steady rainfall that day.
And it was still steadily raining, but I had brought an umbrella with me to at least make an attempt at keeping the camera dry. It was mostly successful, I was able to get a few pictures without raindrops on the lens.
The trail follows a few switchbacks and then reaches the bottom of the canyon, where it then runs alongside Cedar Creek.
At one point along the hike I realized that I was missing something - the umbrella. I had stopped to tie my shoelaces and had set the umbrella down, and must have forgotten it when I started hiking. I debated whether or not I should go back for it. I was almost to the falls, and I hadn't seen anyone else out along the trail. Surely it would be ok until I finished the hike and turned back around?
I stopped again at another spot along the creek and realized I was missing something else. My polarizing filter was missing! It must have slipped off the camera at some point. Since this was a more vital piece of equipment, I decided I had no choice but to turn around and go searching for it. Hopefully it was still at the last place I had stopped to take pictures. So I started to backtrack, hiking back down the trail.
Soon I walked by the umbrella, which was open and sitting along the trail. It probably would have looked odd to see, like Mary Poppins had gone hiking and then got attacked by a bear or something. But I retrieved the umbrella, and then continued on. Eventually I reached the spot where I had last stopped, and thankfully found the filter resting atop a bunch of leaves. It was covered with raindrops, but thankfully it hadn't bounced into the creek when it fell.
And then I continued on the hike and finally made it to Cedar Falls. This is one of the most popular waterfalls in Arkansas, and rightly so. The falls pour into a canyon with a roar that echoes off the canyon walls.
It had taken longer to do this hike than I had expected (backtracking to search for missing filters didn't help), and it was starting to get late. It would soon start getting dark. I rushed over and tried to get a few more pictures of the falls as quickly as possible.
It was just after sunset when I made it back up the lodge after finishing the hike. I was thankful that I made it to the top and hadn't left anything behind again, like an umbrella, filter or car keys.
No comments:
Post a Comment