A Return Visit To Mincy Drury Conservation Area
In Reflection: The Beautiful Bee Creek
It was the last day of September and we had made plans to go on an expedition but had not picked out an objective. Our friend and longtime hiking buddy Bill was coming along and we wanted to pick a spot he had not yet been to. We decided on a return trip to the MIncy-Drury Conservation Area In Missouri. Only 35 miles directly north of Harrison, it made an ideal choice. We have been here twice before, but only once when all the roads were open. That was December of 2016. As we drove north on Highway 65 there was a heavy fog in the air. As we made our way east to our destination, the fog grew less and the sun started to peek through. As we entered and drove down to Bee Creek the fog gave an almost magical quality to the surroundings.
We stopped at the first low water crossing to take some early morning pictures. The fall colors had not yet shown themselves, but the fog and the greens of summer were reflected in the shallow, but moving water of the creek. It was a glorious morning! We moved up and down the creek, enjoying the splendor of Mother Nature and the friendship we have shared for over 20 years.
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Just as we crossed the first low water bridge the sun burst out into a blue sky punctuated at times by puffy, white clouds. The water was clean and clear due to the shower the previous night. We took advantage of the fact that we saw no other people or heard any other vehicles to stop at a few picturesque spots and just sit and listen. Nature's sounds are enchanting and captivating. We took several such breaks early in the trip. Eventually we made our way down the road to where the old Bee Creek School used to be. Only the foundations remain. To me it seemed like more of the remains were overgrown but that could be because our last trip was in December and the growth dies back.
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Once we got past the old ruins of the school the road took us out of the woods and into the open bottom land of the creek. There were quite a few food plots along the road, planted and tended by the Missouri Department of Conservation. They do a terrific job managing this resource for the public's use. We stopped often to look down the valley. We found one spot along the road where there was a picnic table, so we pulled in there for anther break, munching on some apples and drinking some water. We saw butterflies bathing in the sun and we had a small lizard walk a few yards with us. From our vantage point we could clearly see the boundaries of the flood plain when the creek was really up and moving . We finished our break and drove further down the road.
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We stopped at the last concrete low water bridge to let one of the maintenance guys pass. He had a cultivator on the back and evidently was doing some work in one of the food plots. We quickly came to another crossing, this one was just gravel. David said that he sunk quite a bit here, and that one needs to be careful on this, the last of the crossings. We had almost reached the turn around area at the end of the road when we spotted something strange on the other side of the creek. We could not quite make it out, but it looked like a stack of rocks. David got out his telephoto lens and captured it. A freestanding rock sculpture/pillar. What was really weird was how far out in the middle of nowhere we were. It was a great way to finish up our day out.
Enjoying the outdoors in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas can be loads of fun. Just grab your family, some friend, or both and take a ride up to the Mincy-Drury Conservation Area. It is a beautiful resource and a great place to spend a little fall hiking time.
Enjoying the outdoors in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas can be loads of fun. Just grab your family, some friend, or both and take a ride up to the Mincy-Drury Conservation Area. It is a beautiful resource and a great place to spend a little fall hiking time.