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Richland Creek Wilderness AreaCold morning Fall hike into the Richland Creek Wilderness Area
11/10/18
Of all the flowing bodies of water in Arkansas, I select this one as my favorite. There are so many really tasty creeks and rivers in this state to choose from that one might ask, "Bob...why you like this one best?" Bob would answer, "cuz it is the best, dammit...you just go look at it and you'll see it is." By the way...my name ain't Bob. Richland Creek and its surrounding wilderness area has so much beauty that it hurts my eyes to look at it. My hikes have taken me over much of its territory, and I keep going back for more. Just look at this map of my visits, many tracks overlap due to return hikes in the same general area. This visit began at 4:40 a.m. with 20° and clear skies. Breakfast was at Denny's in Russellville just before the journey.
Arrival was made just above the flow and just before sunrise. The creek had plenty of water and there were just enough trees still holding their leaves to add some groovy color. After a view from above, the stream bed was entered and followed in an upstream fashion. Many wild creatures were encountered and wrestled with along the way. Salmon were noted to be swimming downstream, for some reason. When all was seen that needed to be seen, I climbed back out of the valley and dodged the occasional bullet that whizzed by. It was the first day of modern gun season in Arkansas, so there was much peril, especially since I wear no orange, but dangle a cow bell from my belt for notification. By 2:30 with around 40°, I exited the forest. Total distance was near 7.5 miles.
