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West Fork Shop CreekHike of bluff and creek style action on the West Fork Shop Creek, Ozark National Forest
1/4/20
I headed in at 4:55 a.m. with 36°. The forest thickened with the declining elevation. My mind wandered back to the breakfast I had eaten just earlier at Denny's. It hit me that it was not that memorable. My mental image of food attracted a nearby badger, but it quickly lost interest and moved along...good choice. The base of the valley was hit within minutes and a well balanced leap took me to the other side of the creek. It was then back up the slope to the bluff line on the other side of the void. It was mounted and traced to the northwest. A suitable promontory was located and occupied. The wind picked up to somewhere near 20 mph as the temperature fell and settled at 31°. The sun soon rose and I left with a desire to get back down into the valley where the wind would be less obnoxious.
The creek was met and followed downstream. By now the sun was illuminating the countryside with a glow of warmth and loveliness. Bunnyhuncher Falls appeared before me and I marvelled at its fine construction. After a while I aimed my nose back up the hill and ate some lunch on a leafy shelf with the solar warmth caressing my loins. My starting point was arrived back to at 12:55 with 48°. This hike covered around 4.5 miles.
