Two Nights At Two Rivers

About this time every year, there's a chance to catch a really neat sunset from Two Rivers Park Bridge in Little Rock. If the conditions are just right, you can watch the sun set right on the top of Pinnacle Mountain. But it has to be completely clear - any stray clouds can block the sun and ruin the view, which is usually what happens when I try to go out there to take pictures.

But it looked like it might be good last Sunday night, so I went out there just before sunset with the kids. Luckily, the skies were clear enough as the sun began its descent towards the horizon.



And then the sun sank lower and drifted behind Pinnacle Mountain, creating an effect where it makes Pinnacle look like an erupting volcano.



And that nice warm sunset light was illuminating the clouds behind us:



The next night was forecast to be a bit cloudier, but maybe there would be a good break around sunset. So I headed back out to the bridge:



There was a little thunderstorm that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, that developed to the northeast. It began dropping a few bolts of lighting so I turned the camera around and started trying to get a few pictures. As soon as the lightning started, there was a mass exodus of boats all hurrying to make it to shore.



It was hard to decide what to do next: try to get pictures of lightning, or try to shoot the sunset? I kept the camera pointed towards the storms, hoping to catch more lightning. But the sunset was really odd, and I wish I was in position to get a shot of it. It started to rain between the Two Rivers Park Bridge and Pinnacle Mountain, and as the rain got heavier it made the light from the sun start to dim. It was almost a little eerie, like the sun was fading away. I didn't get a shot of it, but a really talented photographer that was out there got a really cool shot it.

I did get this shot, looking towards Pinnacle (which by then was hidden by the rain).



It's not easy to get photographs of lightning - it is mostly a combination of luck and timing. I set the camera so that it was taking exposures that were about 1.3 seconds long, and just tried to continuously take pictures of the storm. But of course, almost all the lightning would occur when the camera wasn't taking a picture, or would hit just outside of the frame. But I did manage to get this shot as the storm began to move across the Arkansas River by the I-430 Bridge:



It had to started to pour rain, and I was probably the only one that was foolish enough to still be out there. I was relying heavily on the little bit of "weatherproofing" on the camera, as I tried to get a few more pictures. I stayed out there for a few minutes longer, but didn't catch any more lightning. I did get this shot of the storm cloud and a faint little rainbow.



After that the lightning started to get uncomfortably close to the bridge, and since I was standing next to a metal tripod it meant it was probably time to retreat to the car. Luckily the camera made it through ok and didn't need to go and sit in a bag of rice that night.

Pinnacle Mountain

I remember making the drive out to Pinnacle Mountain way back when I was a kid. Back then, it seemed like it took forever to get there. Of course in the years since then, the suburban sprawl of west Little Rock has steadily crept up towards the park. But thankfully the park still feels like a refuge, despite the close proximity of a Wal-Mart supercenter, fast food restaurants and gas stations.

I headed out there on a cool and cloudy day to try to get a few pictures. The Little Maumelle River, which flows near the base of Pinnacle Mountain, was running high after all the recent rains.





I did the Kingfisher Trail, which is a short and pleasant little hike along the Little Maumelle River.



The trail runs beneath several massive bald cypress trees. The trees are over 500 years old, and it's amazing that they somehow escaped being chopped down for lumber. The park sign along the trail says that they would have been saplings when Hernando de Soto was exploring this part of the country.









Across the parking lot from the trail was a picnic area, which sat by this small creek.



From there I headed over to the old location of the park visitor center (which has since moved to a larger and fancier new building). There is a small lake, which was once a rock quarry. There was a little bit of fog drifting along the trees.



This was taken from the little boat dock that sits atop the water.



I stood out there for a few pictures, careful to not drop the camera or fall in. I got one last shot with the infrared camera and then headed back home.

Kingfisher Trail

Last Saturday morning, it was cloudy and somewhat cool outside (which meant the heat index was not 110). So we decided to take the boys and the dogs out to do something outdoorsy. We headed to Pinnacle Mountain State Park, which surprisingly wasn't all that crowded. We did the Kingfisher Trail, which is short enough for a three year old. And, most importantly, it has a playground next to it.

It's a nice trail, as it runs through some forest and along the Little Maumelle River. I tried to do my best to take pictures, which wasn't easy since I was also holding a dog leash and making sure a toddler doesn't run off into the water.



Along the trail are two massive bald cypress trees, which are thought to be over 500 years old. It's amazing to think that these trees could have been growing around the time that the Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel were painted.

Pinnacle

The Ouachita National Recreation Trail starts at Pinnacle Mountain State Park and eventually snakes 223 miles across Arkansas and into Oklahoma. Part of the trail that runs through Pinnacle uses a disused bit of pavement that once carried traffic on Hwy. 300. It seems like occasionally the park will mow the grass on the old road, but usually its slightly overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. Which might look kinda neat with the infrared camera...



The road leads to an old bridge over the Maumelle River, which was built in the 1940s. The bridge, and the road approaching it, were replaced with a new bridge in the 1980s. The bridge is used by hikers, people fishing, photographers, and (sadly) people who like to vandalize.



And one last shot from Pinnacle. Near the Visitor Center is this wooden walkway, which heads up the hill towards a nice overlook of the Arkansas River.

Pinnacle Mountain

Earlier this month I thought we were going to have lackluster fall colors this year, but Mother Nature proved me wrong. While most of the oaks turned brown, all the other trees managed to put on a decent little show. So to take advantage of the show the trees were putting on, I took the camera to work one day so I could take a few pictures on my lunch break. The office building where I collect a paycheck is located in the far western reaches of Little Rock, which means that I'm just a short drive away from Pinnacle Mountain State Park. So I headed there on a rainy day last week with a trusty umbrella to try to keep the camera dry.

I opted to do the Kingfisher Trail, which meanders along the Little Maumelle River. It had rained so much lately that the river was running high and a little muddy.





The next stop was the old bridge over the Maumelle River, which is reached by an old stretch of pavement that was all but abandoned in the 1980s when a new modern bridge was built nearby. The cracked and faded pavement is still used as part of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, which runs 223 miles from Pinnacle Mountain to Oklahoma. Overgrown weeds and grass poke up from the asphalt, also showing off some fall color. In the distance was Pinnacle Mountain, partially obscured by fog.



The bridge was built in the 1940s, and is a popular spot for hikers and people fishing (at least judging by the large number of lures and bobbers that were accidentally strung on the tress and power-lines by the bridge, like beads in New Orleans).



And one last shot from the bridge. I had to hurry back to work after this, but I did find the time to stop at nearby Popeyes in order to try the chicken sandwich.