Tuesday morning I took a 4+ mile hike on the park trails. Starting from Mather Lodge I went down the Cedar Creek Trail then west along the Canyon Trail to the Blue Hole area. At Blue Hole I connected to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scout Trail (BSA Trail). I followed the BSA trail up out of the Cedar Creek canyon to the Seven Hollows Trail at the Wild Hog Crossing. Then I followed the Seven Hollows trail to the Bear Cave area where I re-joined the BSA trail back to Mather Lodge where I started. A nice hike for sure but extended drought had almost no water flowing in Cedar Creek. The Blue Hole was just a stagnant pool.
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| Track of My Ramblings in Red |
Cedar Creek Trail Below Mather Lodge
Cedar Creek Bridge
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scout Trail
Palisades Overlook from Cedar Creek
Blue Hole Area
Wild Hog Crossing at Seven Hallows Trail
Bear Cave Area
The campground was very quiet during the week. We almost had the lake area to ourselves.
The Boathouse was closed during our stay. It was only open on weekends after school starts in August. However, I was able to join up with Park Interpreter Jake for a group sunset kayak tour of lake Bailey. We left the boathouse at about 7:00 and paddled to the east end of Lake Bailey to wait for sunset. While at the east end of the lake we were shown a huge bald eagle nest along the shore in pine tree. We didn't see any eagles at the nest but Jake told us that it was currently inhabited by a pair of adult eagles and two juveniles.
Among the lilies are lotus plants. Jake (from State Park) explained that the lotus leaves grow above the water and have a short lived flower and a large seed pod. The seeds are considered a treat that can be roasted and eaten. The lotus leaves have a hydrophobic property that repels water making it seem to float on the leaves.
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| Bald Eagle Nest in the Pines |
A super moon occurs when the full moon is at its closest proximity to earth and a blue moon is the second occurrence of a full moon in a single month. Thursday night was an occurrence of the super blue noon. We drove to Stouts Point at the east end of the park to see the spectacle. We weren't the only ones with the idea. The the overlook was a little crowded with people who had come to do the same. From this vantage point the moon reflected off a bend in the Arkansas river with the lights of Morrilton, Lock and Dam #9 and Oppelo beyond.
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It's A Wonderful Life: "What is it you want, Donna? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down." |
Afternoon walk to the visitor center and the boathouse on a gorgeous day.
A short video from our campsite.
