Roark Bluff at Steele Creek

Ran to Ponca on Saturday about mid-day. Trying to time it just before the rain. I wanted to find a short-cut into Roark Bluff to get some fall foilage shots around Steele Creek. I was able to locate and old horse trail on the GPS and parked along Hwy 43 and hiked in from that point about halfway between Ponca and the Centerpoint Trailhead.

I followed the the trail down about 3/10's of a mile and then used the GPS to follow the topo lines to the edge of Roark Bluff overlook the Steele Creek Campground. The view was awesome!

The colors just aren't as vibrant as they were last year, but it was still beautiful. Also, the water is down on the Buffalo River because of the lack of rain. There was a beautiful canyon on the way to the bluff and the hike wasn't bad at all (except for the climbing back up part).

Roak Bluff overlooking Steele Creek Campground

Roark Bluff looking to the Southwest

Beechwoods Cemetery overlooking Lost Valley

An old cabin in Lost Valley

Camping at Kyle's Landing

We loaded up the crew for a last minute trip to Ponca on Saturday after Garrett's game. No real plan and no real timelines. Just threw the tent, the dog, and the kids in the truck and headed for the hills.

We ended up setting up camp for the night at Kyle's Landing. The weather was perfect and the stars were amazing Saturday night. I got up early on Sunday and hiked the Buffalo River for a bit and took a few pics. After spending some time in Boxley Valley and listening to the Elk serenade one another, we headed back to Springdale. A quick trip over and back, but well worth the effort. I'm not sure all of my crew would agree on that fact, but I know I enjoyed it.

Bluff behind Kyle's Landing campground.

Some color starting to emerge along the Buffalo.

Early morning on the Buffalo.

The Bluff just east of the Kyle's Landing campground.

The Springdale Cowboys!

Garrett's team the Springdale Cowboys are undefeated at 9-0 on the season with one game remaining. They've been a blast to watch this season. One more practice before the final game on Saturday morning against the Rams. We're hoping for a perfect season! How 'bout them Cowboys!

Garrett (#63) lined up against the Steelers.

The huddle at half-time, down 19-14 against the Steelers.

The Offensive line forming a wall to push for the winning touchdown.

Down . . .Set . . .

Boxley Valley Trip - Oct. 1, 2010

Got the Kiddos up early this morning around 5:30 and we headed over to Boxley Valley to see if we could catch a glimpse of the elk. It was a perfect morning and the weather was outstanding. We arrived in Boxley just about sunrise and the fog was just beginning to lift off the fields. The elk were very active and the bulls were really making lots of noise. Hearing them echo through the valley is one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. People living out west probably take it for granted, but it's really something special here in Arkansas.

We hung out and watched the elk for a while and then road around in the mountains for a bit. Stopped at Steel Creek and threw a few rocks in the Buffalo River and then headed over the Ponca Elk Education Center for a visit. We headed back and had lunch at Marble and made it home around noon. It was a great start to a day off work and a day out of school. Just wished Mom didn't have to work today.

Bull elk resting in a field South of Boxley.

Cow and calf hanging out in the Valley. You can still see his spots.

Big bull that seemed to be controlling most of the activity in Boxley Valley this morning.

Nice reflection of the bluffs along the Buffalo River at Steel Creek.

Published Photo in Capture Arkansas

WooooHoooo! Made it in the Book! Looks like we made it into this year's Capture Arkansas book. I'm excited since this was my first attempt to enter. You're allowed to submit multiple pics, which I did, and one has been chosen to be published in this years book. The only bad part is, they won't tell you which photo or photos were selected until the release the book on November 6, in the River Market at Little Rock.

We will head down to the Release Party and check the the unveiling of the new Capture Arkansas book and see which entry made it to print. There were some awesome pics entered in the contest and some really outstanding photographers chosen to be published. Some folks whose work I really admire. It's very humbling to even be considered along with some of those folks.

Published Photographer Badge

Awarded to photographers who have had at least one photo published in a Capture Arkansas product

Here are a few of the pics I submitted. These shots received the most public votes from the photos I submitted, but may not necessarily be what the judges finally picked. Can't wait until November 6th to find out.

Dickson Street at Sunset

Melanie and I went down to Dickson Street on Sunday night to go for a ride and take some pics in the area. I wanted to shoot some time delayed shots on Dickson St. and thought Sunday might be a good time to avoid the normally heavy crowds.

It was really humid, but the overall temps weren't too bad and we enjoyed the evening. Even took a pic or two of George's.

George's Majestic Lounge at Sunset with a few cars passing by and an extended exposure time of about 30 seconds.

Around the Bend at George's Majestic Lounge on Dickson St. in Fayetteville, AR.

Hawksbill Crag in July

Melanie and the kids had run to see her Mom, so that left Cassius and I as bachelors for Friday night . . . let the party begin. Okay, it wasn't a party but Cash was excited about getting to go for a ride in the truck. Anyway, I got a wild hair Friday afternoon and decided to throw the tent in the back of the truck and run over to Lost Valley for the night and camp so I could be up early on Saturday morning to hike into Hawksbill Crag for some sunrise pics.

You notice I said the dog WAS excited about riding in the truck, but I think he quickly got over the excitement of the ride when he realized he might be sleeping outside for the night. I'm not saying he's spoiled, but he's definitely accustomed to a queen sized bed and central heat/air. It was pretty pitiful, since we he spent the remainder of the night looking as if he'd been violated.

I can't say Cash was the only one spoiled, because the heat and humidity made for a long night but we survived. We packed up and headed to Hawksbill Crag before daylight on Saturday morning. The fog was so dense I had to wait for a while to get any pics. Although the lighting wasn't ideal for the shots, I managed to get a few pics and really enjoyed the hike. The round trip hike totaled about 5K and again, Cassius looked as if he'd been duped. As Melanie put it later, I think he was done with me.

After finishing the hike, it was about 8:30 a.m. and I decided to run over to Ben Hur and try to get some shots of Falling Water Falls and Six-Finger Falls. We'd tried to get some pics there over Memorial Day, but Falling Waters is a popular swimmin' hole and there were too many folks to get good pictures. I was thinking if I got there early enough I might be able to pull it off this time. Turns out you gotta get up real early in the mornin' to beat the locals to the swimmin' hole. I was able to get a few pics and made a few "friends", but I think I'll wait for cooler weather to try it again.

After leaving Falling Waters, I ran down to Six-Finger Falls and had a chance to spend a little time. It was beautiful and I got a few good pics. This is a beautiful area and you could spend the entire day taking pictures in the area. This one will definitely be on the list to revisit in the fall.

I'm not a lepidopterist (look it up), but the was a severe outbreak while we were there and you really had to watch your step . . . it was kinda neat.

As I headed back home, I decided to run by Haw Creek Falls since we'd had some pretty good rain, lately. When I arrived, the campground was closed and I decided not to hike in so we just headed home.

It was a good Saturday trip and I look forward to making it again as the leaves begin to change. I'm not sure Cassius feels the same . . .

Early morning at Hawksbill Crag.

The fog lifting in the valley at Hawksbill Crag.

Underneath the falls at Falling Waters.

Six-Finger Falls near Ben Hur.

Another shot of Six-Finger Falls.

A lepidopterist studies butterflies.

They were beautiful and they were everywhere.