Eye on The Prize
October 27, 2006
It all started with one photograph. Back in
August I was researching cabin rentals in the Buffalo River
area for a weekend getaway this fall. I came across a link for
an Arkansas nature photographer I’d never heard of, Terry
Boyd. His web site had many
fantastic pictures, and one of them grabbed my attention and
would not let go. It was of a large, wide waterfall pouring
into an emerald pool and set against a backdrop of Ozark fall
foliage. Suddenly my list of Places That Must Be Seen had a new
top listing. I contacted Terry and he was kind enough to give
me directions to the waterfall, which is on Long Devils Fork in
the Richland Creek Wilderness. A quick check of some maps told
me I needed to get into much better shape if I was to make the
six-mile round trip journey.
I resumed my early-morning fitness walks,
which I’ve done off-and-on for years, and I considered
every weekend hike to be training. Finally all the conditions
were right - the fall colors were coming on strong, and the
area got some good rains - so I took a Friday off from work to
find that waterfall.
I left home a little after 6 a.m., and
drove the standard route that takes me by Haw Creek Falls.
There was a lot more water in the creek than when Stacey and I
were there five days earlier.
I parked the truck at the Richland Creek
campground around 10 a.m. I dropped down the hill and waded
across Falling Water Creek just before it runs into Richland.
Then I hiked 1.7 miles along the unofficial trail that follows
Richland Creek upstream. There were many times when I wanted so
bad to stop and try to take pictures of the scenery. But I'd
had my eye on the prize waterfall up Long Devils Fork for the
last ten weeks and I wanted to have as much time as possible to
find it. Besides, my agenda included a short detour to see
Richland Falls.
At the junction of Richland Creek and
Devils Fork, Richland takes a sharp turn to the left. I came
upon a couple of hikers there, about to cross Richland in a
deep area with several large boulders in the middle of the
rushing water. I went upstream about a hundred yards and found
a spot where the creek was wider and more shallow. I rolled up
my pants legs, took off my boots and hung them around my neck,
put on my crocs (my Father's Day present) and used my tripod as
a hiking stick as I crossed. The water was over my knees, swift
and cold. I looked downstream and saw one of the hikers on top
of one of the boulders midstream. His body language told me he
was nervously searching for a place to continue on across.
After a few minutes hiking I sighted
Richland Falls up ahead. It had grown cloudy and windy and
started sprinkling a few times. I got chilled and had to put on
a jacket and raincoat. I stayed in the area almost an hour
waiting for pauses in the breeze to take pictures.
I found a trail leading uphill and away
from the creek and towards Devils Fork. The trail passed close
enough to Twin Falls that between the trees on the steep bank
below I could glimpse the left-hand fall on Long Devils Fork.
The trail descended towards the creek then started to fade. I
dropped down to the creek at a narrow area and hopped across to
the right side. It took me almost an hour to hike a half mile
upstream to The Prize. I had to stick to the steep forest bank,
because in most places the creek bed was a jumble of boulders
in the 3 to 4-foot diameter range, with witch hazel and alder
bushes growing from the gaps and blocking any clear passage.
The creek was also descending downhill, which meant an uphill
trek for me.
I arrived on the right side of my waterfall
around 2:30. The water spread out into a half dozen streamlets
and dropped straight down 7 feet over a single massive stone
over 30 feet across.
As I rested and ate lunch, the sky grew
darker and it started sprinkling. Again I got chilled and had
to put on the jacket and raincoat. I crossed to the other side
and started taking pictures from various locations at the base
of a tall sandstone bluff. I stayed over an hour at that
magnificent place, until I felt I should begin the long hike
back. I stopped at a rare flat spot on the creek to snap some
shots of the fall scenery.
At Twin Falls I got greedy and wasted an
hour dropping down to a spot below the falls to try and get
some pictures. The fall colors there were way past their prime,
and the wind was blowing like crazy - making it even harder to
get any kind of decent picture.
Considering it was 5:30 when I took the
last shot, and the sun would set at 6:30, AND it was cloudy,
and I still had to cross Richland Creek and hike 2 miles, I was
in trouble!
When I reached Richland, I didn't waste any
time looking for a better spot to cross, and I paid dearly. The
water came up to my seat a couple of times, and each time I
passed by the several large boulders in the rushing stream, the
force of the water against my legs intensified and I almost
fell.
Eventually I was hiking in total darkness.
I had a flashlight or I would've spent the night in the
wilderness. The trail was easy to spot as long as it went
through the woods up above Richland Creek. But in several spots
the trail was up against the creek and either traveled across
bedrock or had been washed away. I lost it several times but
somehow managed to pick it up again.
When I reached Falling Water Creek just
down hill of the campsite, I didn't even bother taking off my
boots and just plowed straight across the water. It was a few
minutes shy of 8 p.m. when I reached the truck. I had been gone
10 hours, but I captured the prize.
