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East Fork of the Little Buffalo
Hike up the Long Branch of the East Fork of the Little Buffalo3/17/18
The East Fork of the Little Buffalo is a river with much to offer. The
valley and its many tributaries are pretty much undisturbed. The ridges
above are covered with farmland and other rural areas, but most of
these are not visible from
the valleys and bluffs here. This exploration involves the Long Branch,
which enters from the east. It is one of the larger forks that feed the
main river. At 5:30 a.m. with 52°, the forest welcomed me into its bosom. The bluff line above was traced to the East Fork by
darkness, as is my way. Sunrise came and was less
than spectacular from my vantage point above the confluence with these
two creeks. After some tome spent there, my direction was aimed at the
valley floor. The main creek was flowing fairly well, but the Long
Branch was dry at its mouth. Water did appear not
far upstream where Wigbuzzard Falls dropped into a blue-green pool at
its base. I thought, “how nice” and moved on. The flow of water came and
went as I followed the creek bed upstream. The creek was quite steep
and filled with an abundance of boulders, probably
more than I have ever encountered in a stream here in Arkansas. After
much struggle and many near deadly encounters, I emerged back up top
and made it back to my car at 1:20 with 70°. I then drove home…where I live. My hike was 4.5 miles.
