Conquering Sugarloaf Mountain!

June 21 – No one was in any hurry to get up and going today!  Two long days and we were

Sugarloaf Mountain

 ready for a little extra sleep.  After breakfast Kam, Bill and I headed out to Sugarloaf Mountain behind the local campus of Arkansas State.  The first challenge was actually finding the parking area to ascend the mountain.  We had a brochure but it didn’t actually tell you where to start.  It was on the left side of the campus as we approached and there were several cars already parked.

Kelly trying to wedge her
butt into the crevice

The trail we chose was to the summit and most steep and challenging but not terribly long.  Once we reached as far as we could without scaling the actual mountain, we could not figure out how to get to the summit.  We saw a guy and asked him and he’d only been up once but said he thought he could find the way up again.  The first crevice he looked at was not it but the second one he was sure it was.  Bill was definite that he was not going to attempt to climb up or down 40 feet or so of rock wall.  Kam and I debated it and thought going up would not be so bad, but getting back down might be.  We thanked the guy and declined and he ended up not going up.  About the same time a young couple appeared and she said this was her 4^th time going up this summer and had been numerous times and it was easier to get down than to get up.  She was no taller than me but considerably smaller!  Some of those crevices looked pretty tight but  there was no way I was going to wimp out and not get to the top.  Onward and upward!

Our guide said she would show us all the foot holes along the way so she went first, then

Closer to the top

Kam, then me.  It was rather grueling, and I have no upper body strength so depended on my legs to push me.  The guide and Kam were there to give me a hand for any stabilizing or energy bursts.  We went up through the first crevice, then over and up again to the top.  It was one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done!  At 61 and in the physical condition I am in, I was elated to be on top of the world in Heber Springs!  I later told Bill it was like Mount Everest for me!  The view was spectacular!  Our guide said we needed to walk the entire summit so she took us all the way around and warned us where to be careful and pointed out places we were seeing far below.  It was primarily flat with trees clustered pretty much in the middle.  There were many cracks and crevices we had to jump or climb over. 

Happy Climbers

Then it was time for the descent!  I was not so worried but Kam really didn’t like the first step down into the crevice.  The guide went first and this time I was next and then Kam.  Once we made the first step down it was pretty easy.  You

And we made it down!

didn’t need to use your upper body as much as gravity was working on the way down.  Bill and the guide’s boyfriend (who really didn’t want to climb it anyway) were waiting at the bottom for us and had a good visit while we romped and took photos from the top.  The 5 of us walked down together.  Going down was easier than the walk up but due to the steepness we had to go slow and watch our footing.  At the bottom we said our thank you’s and good byes to such a nice young couple.  We were tired puppies!

Bill filling his jug with spring water

We thought Jean and Paul would be arriving soon so we headed back to shower, have some lunch and wait for them.  By the time we showered they pulled in but their spot was not available yet so they parked along the road by our spot and they had their lunch while we had ours.  Their car is bigger so they drove the 5 of us.  We started in Heber Springs at the park for them to see the springs there and Bill wanted to get some of the water to try.

Then we headed to Bridal Veil Falls just outside of the town

Bill zoomed on us from the top of
the falls

proper.  Everyone walked down to the top of the fall and we took photos and scoped out whether we could get to the bottom from there or needed to take the longer way around.  Poor Jean slipped and got her butt wet but was OK and didn’t lose her phone or her sunglasses!  Bill stayed at the top and once Paul found the way down the 3 of us followed.  It was so cool down there, literally.  It’s a tall falls but at this time of year not a rushing fall.  After taking turns  of everyone getting pictures we headed back the way we came and met up with Bill.

Just up the road is the Ozark Country Store and Kam had wanted to check it out and we had a couple of things we wanted to get also.  Everyone enjoyed the shopping stop and we all left with something.

Jean and Paul at the Dam

Kam had not seen the dam yet so it was a good time for Jean and Paul to see it also.  We crossed the dam and stopped at the viewpoint for the normal photo op!  We drove through the JFK campground that is along the Little Red River just past the dam.  It’s park of the Corp campgrounds and very flat and maybe larger spaces. 

 It was 4:00 and Jean and Paul’s space should have been vacant by now so they dropped us off and checked in and settled into their spot down the road a ways from us.  We were re-grouping for dinner.  Bill and I had some places in mind, BUT, had no idea that on Sunday almost EVERY restaurant was closed!  The one we found on line that was open on Sunday was going to be it unless we went with fast food.  We drove to the pizza place and darn if there wasn’t a sign on the door, “Sorry, closed for Father’s Day”.  The only major place that had open restaurants was Searcy, so we headed in that direction but when we got to Pangburn there were cars at Susie’s so we whipped into a spot.  It was originally an ice cream shop but she just added some food items a week ago.  So, everyone got a small meal and ice cream for dessert.  It wasn’t the best but when you consider our options, it was pretty good!

Paul dropped us off and Kam did her packing and we headed off to bed!