Welcome to my on-line newsletter about the Buffalo National River, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Harrison, my home town. It is always under construction! Ah, the smell of spring is in the air. I can't belive how quickly this winter has passed by. The spring flowers are already in bloom. Yellow jonquils, purple crocus and my pussy willow tree is blooming. It won't be long now until we begin the spring floating season on the Buffalo River. The weather has been very pleasant for the most part. That's one nice thing about our area, the weather. Not too hot, not too cold, not too much ice or snow and lots of clean, fresh air. You can enjoy the outdoors during all four seasons here. Hiking is especially good when the leaves are down, since that is when the panoramic views are exposed.

Top Of The Mountain

It was the last weekend in February and I was headed towards Compton along Hwy. 43. Rhonda and Mike Mills, of Riverwind Lodge and Cabins at the Buffalo Outdoor Center, had extended a weekend invitation for me to stay in their newest cabin. Compton Mountain Cabin is located about 11 miles north of Ponca. It overlooks the Erbie area and Cecil Cove. I have know Mike for many years, in fact my very first review was a BOC cabin back in 1997. The Buffalo Outdoor center is one of the premier outfitters in our area and an official NPS concessionaire. I had called Adventure Bill and he was gonna meet me at the cabin after work and we were going to try and do some hiking over the weekend.

The very first thing you notice when entering the Compton Mountain Cabin is the stunning Great Room and the view beyond. Simply spectacular! The Great Room is equipped with very comfortable couches and chairs, a HD TV with satellite and DVD/VCR, and a gas fireplace. A rustic dining room table sits along the side of the windows. I arrived around 4 p.m. and after quickly unpacking my Blazer I sat on the deck waiting for Bill to arrive. He drove up after work and as the weather was pleasant we sat on the wraparound deck and admired the view until the sun set.

There are two bedrooms in the loft area and two bedrooms downstairs, each with a very comfortable Queen sized bed. Bill took the loft bedroom with the TV and I chose one of the downstairs ones. There is a full bath on each level so you won't have to wait around to get a shower in the morning. As the sun was setting I decided to make us some supper while Bill took some pictures of Cecil Cove from the deck.

The kitchen was fun to use. It had alot of counter space, all the modern appliances you would ever need, and a terrific view to inspire you while you prepare a meal. We had a nice spaghettii supper and then sat down to enjoy a DVD movie from the BOC collection. Later in the evening the full moon rose into the sky. It was a huge orange ball! The NPS had been doing some proscribed burns in the area, and Bill and I figured that was what had contributed to the haze that evening and the stunning moon rise.

Saturday morning was sunny but brisk and promised to provide us with a good hiking opportunity. Bill and I had coffee on the deck and a really good breakfast. Bill informed me that he was not feeling really well and asked if he could beg off the hike. He just wanted to rest and recuperate. So, I called Terri Matthews and asked if she wanted to do a day hike over to McFerrin Point. She said ok, and Bill said he would cook the supper when I got back. I felt sorta guilty leaving Bill there, but he said he would be fine, so I took off to meet Terri at the Compton One Stop.

We sat out on the point for about an hour. The sun was really shining nicely and kept us warm, despite the breeze and lunch tasted real good. Mutton Point was to our right. Across the cove was Newberry Point and far in the distance was Cone Point. As we ate we noticed some smoke in the park area, south of the new Eribe Campground. It looked like another proscribed burn was in the works. By the time we left it was really hazy north of the burn and it was difficult to get clear pictures.