A Hidden Grotto

     Over Memorial Day weekend, my house in Rogers was hit by a tornado. Thankfully, the house itself only has minor roof and siding damage but the majority of the trees in our yard were damaged or completely uprooted.  As the cleanup continues, it's been messy and inconvenient but I'm thankful we  were not injured and our home didn't sustain more damage. Not everyone in Benton County was this lucky. 

     After 4 1/2 days with no electricity and over a week with no internet, I'm finally starting to get back to a more normal routine. Now we can take a look back at some of my favorite images in Arkansas this spring.

Pinnacle Mountain Pond

     In early April, I spent a few days in the Little Rock area, including nearby Pinnacle Mountain State Park. 

     Pinnacle Mountain is my favorite shaped mountain in Arkansas and it is the most recognizable mountain in Central Arkansas. It has an almost perfect conical shape to it and ever since my childhood it has reminded me of a tiny Mount Fuji in Japan. At just over 1,000 feet above sea level, it is not a tall mountain but it is one of the more challenging climbs in the state, especially from the east side. On this approach, it is sometimes more of a boulder scramble than a hiking trail. Climbing over these boulders from the east approach reminds me a bit of climbing a final part of a 14er in Colorado (without the altitude, of course!).

     My favorite view of the mountain from inside the state park is from the fishing pond (seen above). However, I also stumbled upon a view of Pinnacle Mountain that most people never see. The picture below is from a residential neighborhood in far west Little Rock. 

A peek toward Pinnacle Mountain

     I also flew the drone around for some aerial images of the Little Maumelle River with Pinnacle Mountain in the distance. 

Little Maumelle River Dronedefault

     One of the best more urban landscapes during the peak springtime bloom is at The Old Mill Park in North Little Rock.  This mill is featured in opening credits in the 1939 classic film Gone With The Wind. 

The Old Mill in North Little Rock

     As the spring bloom moved north in the Ozarks of north Arkansas, I then focused on the middle section of the Buffalo River between Tyler Bend and Wollum. One of the my favorite views of this section of the Buffalo is Peter Cave Bluff. 

PeterCaveBluffApr24

     Here you get both an open view of the river looking toward Point Peter Mountain, but you also have twisted cedar trees. 

Twisted Cedar Overlook

     Photographing in spring wouldn't be complete without a trip to a few waterfalls.  One of the more popular waterfalls is Falling Water Falls.  This is the largest waterfall in the state that you can actually drive to. While I have seen the waterfall from this side, this time around I thought I would hike in from the other side to get a different perspective. 

FallingWaterCloseUpApr24 Falling Water Falls Close Up

     I also joined up with one of my mentors, Tim Ernst, to photograph some waterfalls on private property in Newton County.  With the fog and high water flow after a hard rain, the conditions were about perfect on this early May morning. 

Newton County Pouroff

Splashing Down

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