Back In The Saddle Again
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Finally a new Barefoot Traveler hike! For several years now I have been unable to do much hiking due to a knee injury. I have been working with the VA in Fayetteville, Arkansas to regain some of the mobility I have lost. Due to a pretty fancy knee brace I am now able to move about a bit. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go out for a short test hike to see how my brace worked out. I jumped at the chance!
We decided to attempt to walk to one of our favorite spring & early summer swimming holes. The park service has locked the gate and apparently don't let people drive down to the river to swim anymore. My friend knew a way to walk down a dry creek bed and come out on the other side of the river from where we used to swim. We met this past Sunday (10/04/15) for an afternoon hike. |
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The walk there was not too hard, but I had to be watchful and careful. It has been very dry here so fording the creek was not an issue but walking on the rocks was tricky. We came out just to the right and across from our old swimming hole. It was very nice to get back to this spot again. We spent some time here, remembering the "old days".
Once we had finished we decide to drive slowly home..stopping at the new Erbie campground, old Erbie Campground and canoe launch site and the Cove Spring swimming hole. We went past the old Ranger house (now empty) and stopped to take a couple pictures. We drove on down to the new Erbie campground. There was a young man fishing in the river when we arrived and he said he was from Springfield, Mo. Just discovered the river and was camping out for the first time at the new Erbie campground. We told him to follow us down to the old campground and we would show him how to access the Buffalo River Trail for some nice day hikes. At the old campground we found large rocks placed across the old boat launch ramp to stop you from using it, but you can easily maneuver around them if you want to put your canoe in at this spot. And to be honest...it has one of the best rapids just below this spot and before you get to the new Erbie campground and launch site. Also there is a nice parking area with a path cut through the tall grass to allow access to the Buffalo River Trail..
We then crossed the low water bridge at Erbie and went over to the Cove Spring swimming hole. There were two tents set up there and a couple of guys were camping with their sons for the weekend. The swimming hole there has changed dramatically over the years. It has gotten much shallower and smaller as the river has filled in part of it with sand. We spent some time chatting with the campers and then made our way back home. It was a nice afternoon and took about 4hrs.
Once we had finished we decide to drive slowly home..stopping at the new Erbie campground, old Erbie Campground and canoe launch site and the Cove Spring swimming hole. We went past the old Ranger house (now empty) and stopped to take a couple pictures. We drove on down to the new Erbie campground. There was a young man fishing in the river when we arrived and he said he was from Springfield, Mo. Just discovered the river and was camping out for the first time at the new Erbie campground. We told him to follow us down to the old campground and we would show him how to access the Buffalo River Trail for some nice day hikes. At the old campground we found large rocks placed across the old boat launch ramp to stop you from using it, but you can easily maneuver around them if you want to put your canoe in at this spot. And to be honest...it has one of the best rapids just below this spot and before you get to the new Erbie campground and launch site. Also there is a nice parking area with a path cut through the tall grass to allow access to the Buffalo River Trail..
We then crossed the low water bridge at Erbie and went over to the Cove Spring swimming hole. There were two tents set up there and a couple of guys were camping with their sons for the weekend. The swimming hole there has changed dramatically over the years. It has gotten much shallower and smaller as the river has filled in part of it with sand. We spent some time chatting with the campers and then made our way back home. It was a nice afternoon and took about 4hrs.