Hike On High

PICNIC WITH VIEW HIGHLIGHT OF GOAT TRAIL TREK

STAFF PHOTOS FLIP PUTTHOFF 
Unspoiled splendor of the Buffalo National River unfolds before Annette Rowe of Gentry on Nov. 9 during a hike along the Goat Trail. The out-and-back route is one of the most spectacular hikes in the Ozarks. To see a photo gallery of the Goat Trail hike, visit www.nwaonline.com/photos/galleries.
STAFF PHOTOS FLIP PUTTHOFF Unspoiled splendor of the Buffalo National River unfolds before Annette Rowe of Gentry on Nov. 9 during a hike along the Goat Trail. The out-and-back route is one of the most spectacular hikes in the Ozarks. To see a photo gallery of the Goat Trail hike, visit www.nwaonline.com/photos/galleries.

— If there is a pot of gold at the end of the hiking rainbow, it’s found high above the Buffalo National River on the Goat Trail.

Million-dollar views from a narrow foot path 300 feet above the water are among the most stunning in all of the Ozarks.

A long horseshoe bend in the stream unfolds in front of hikers carefully treading their way. There’s not a thread of civilization to be seen from the Goat Trail here in the vastness of the Upper Buff alo Wilderness.

There’s only the roof of an old cabin.

It’s not a hike for everyone.

On parts of the Goat Trail, where the views are best, it’s a sheer drop to the bottom. The trail can be narrow, 5 feet wide in spots, and scary enough to give any acrophobic hiker the willies. But amazing views can be enjoyed without venturing out on frightening crags.

The Goat Trail meanders along the face of Big Bluff , one of the tallest bluffs that rise from the Buffalo. Big Bluff is about 500 feet tall. The Goat Trail is midway up the bluff .

Boats on the river appear tiny from the Goat Trail. From a boaton the water, hikers appear just as small.

A hiking adventure on the Goat Trail is an autumn tradition and any hiker can jump on the trip.

It’s one of the group hikes offered by the Ozark Highlands Trail Association and all are invited.

The trip is usually scheduled each year for mid-autumn. Six of us took off for a Goat Trail jaunt this year on Nov. 9, a chilly and cloudy Saturday.

We met at the Centerpoint trailhead 3 miles north of Ponca on Arkansas 43 for our 10 a.m. start. The midmorning hike gets us to the Goat Trail about lunch time to enjoy fine dining out on the bluff .

It’s an out-and-back hike, 3 miles in and 3 miles out, for 6 miles total. The hike in goes mostly downhill. It’s fairly easy, but the footing on loose rock is iffy in spots. The 3-mile uphill hike out will get your attention.

Our early November outing was a week behind the peak of fall color here in our corner of the Ozarks, but the color that remained nearly overwhelmed us. Trees cloaked in reds and oranges of the previous week now sported a slight rust color in their hue. Nature’s beauty had us spellbound at every step.

Long views of the Buff alo River valley were off to our right. At left, forest and flowers had us stopping for frequent photo breaks. Maple trees in particular were wild with orange color. The whole hike is a joy, but the good stuff, the pot of gold, is at the end of the 3 miles at Big Bluff .

SCENIC ROUTE

At this point in the trip, hikers will notice the path heads gradually downhill and into a clearing of sorts on the saddle of a ridge. There’s a big fire ring in the clearing. A spur trail heads off to the right. This is the Goat Trail that leads out to the panorama along Big Bluff .

A treat during this year’s hike was that most in our group were making their maiden Goat Trail trip. They’d never seen the sights from on high and had no idea what was coming.

The “oohs” and “aahs” from our group out on the bluff were proof that the Goat Trail vistas delivered beyond expectation. Cameras clicked and megapixels were spent documenting the high altitude scenes.

There’s one spot where hikers can take the low road on the trail, or the high road and crawl through a hole in the rock. All six of us opted for the high road through the hole, giggling like teenagers in mid-crawl.

We sat down in bluff shelter of rock and unshouldered our day packs. Lunches were pulled out and we enjoyed our noontime fare gazing toward the most wondrous views of the Buff alo River.

Kathy Sparks was more than impressed with theGoat Trail.

“I’ve done a lot of hiking and this is one of the most exquisite views I’ve seen,” she said. “It’s world class.” GO WITH A GROUP

A Goat Trail trek is a great adventure when hiking alone or with friends. A bonus of these group hikes is getting to know new people and hiking with people you’ve never met. Getting acquainted with each other was a treat for our group of six.

Annette and Earl Rowe of Gentry were on this hike on the day before their 34th wedding anniversary. It was opening day of deer season and Earl sported a blaze orange cap on the hike. He’d been deer hunting that morning at their mountain cabin not far from the Buff alo.

In 2009, the Rowes decided to take the year and visit all of Arkansas’ 52 state parks. They’d pick a region of the state, travel there and go to every state park. It was a great year of travel, the Rowes said.

To them, the most impressive state park was one of the tiniest. The Rowes said they were most taken with Louisiana Purchase State Park, a small park in the swamps of the Delta near Helena-West Helena. It’s where surveying of the Louisiana Purchase began.

They were intrigued by the beauty and mystery of the swamp. A boardwalk leads visitors deep into this world of black water, cypress and tupelo trees. The walk ends at a monument deep in the swamp where the survey work started.

Sparks travels around the nation in her work for Tyson Foods Inc. Instead of staying in chain motels, she stays at state park lodges or cabins whenever she can. She’s visited a long list of delightful parks that way.

Gabriele Schafer of Fayetteville has hiked extensively in Europe. She’s a native of France and plans to return to Europe next year for more hiking. It’s a joy to hear Gabriele tell of her travels on foot, speaking in her wonderful French accent.

Group hikes are off ered by the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, Ozark Society, Hill and Dale Hikers and other groups. Hikers don’t have to be a member to join one of these group hikes, but all are fine groups that welcome new members.

Hikes range from easy strolls to more difficult treks, including making like a mountain goat with new friends along the Goat Trail.

Outdoor, Pages 6 on 12/05/2013

Upcoming Events