Overnight backpack into the Richland Creek Wilderness Area
5/12/21
A visit to the Richland Creek area is always a pleasure. Wednesday morning I ate breakfast at Denny's in Russellville and then proceeded up the road to there. The morning was cool, windy and cloudy. The temp was 48° at 8:15. The forest was fresh with spring foliage in abundance. I wandered across the countryside with creeks and slopes hindering my forward progress. Why can't the terrain here be flat? Without these attributes, this would be Kansas. By 11:30 Long Devils Fork and Jim Bob Falls was before me. It was here that I ate lunch and also decided to spend the night. My spot was just above the falls and was much noisier than preferred. My hammock invited me in for an afternoon nap and I obliged willingly. The sun and breeze combined as one to caress my loins with loveliness. The day remained beautiful with a high around 65°. Some exploration was carried out and within hours, the light began to wane. Dinner was eaten and relaxing was done until total darkness overcame me. There was no moon and the night was as dark as it could be.
I slept fairly well and rose around 6:00 with 39° and clear skies. By 7:00 I exited the campsite. A rugged creek crossing and a bluff ascent followed with numerous steep climbs. The morning was about as good as it could be. By 10:15 with 59° my car welcomed me home. A total of about 6 miles was covered. The hike was quite enjoyable and was savored fully.
