I had a busy day but I wanted to wish everyone Shabbat Shalom! If we are friends on facebook you have already seen my weekly posting of the Challah I bake each Friday 🙂 . I want to share some of the beautiful colors of Autumn in Hot Springs before I light the candles. If you are from Hot Springs or hike in the National and State Parks I am the woman with the big camera aiming up into all the changing Trees.
The last of Hurricane Issac’s rain is set to arrive in Hot Springs in a few hours. From our window I can see the Trees begin to perform their spiral swirl dance as the wind begins to pick up. Knowing the storm was set to arrive on Thursday I headed into the parched Forests of Hot Springs National Park yesterday. I was on the mountain by 8:15 and the cool 74 degrees felt like a luxury compared to the usual 89 the past two months. Not having my lenses fog up from the humidity was an added plus too.
It was perfect morning for a late summer hike, even with monumental construction taking place at the entrance to the park. The higher I climbed up Hot Springs Mountain the noise from below began to fade. I ran into an old friend as I was photographing a beautiful array of blue Asiatic Dayflowers. The colorful feral cat now has a collar and tags, one of which says “I am not lost”. I am tempted to call the number on another tag as this beautiful baby should not be hunting in the park. There are several creatures in the Forest that could easily hurt this lovely cat.
When I hiked up the Dead Chief and Short Cut Trails the only Wildflowers I saw were wilting Goldenrod spears. Their bright yellow blossoms glowed softly on the trail edges. As I reached the Hot Springs Mountain Trail a lovely Hackberry Emperor Butterfly landed on a stump. It slowly pumped its wing warming in the first rays of the early sun. Further along the trail I spotted Dragonflies, they darted rapidly illuminated by light from the flickering leaves. I was surprised to see they were not monochrome. Their bodies were green with purplish blue tails and golden wings.
At the junction of the Honeysuckle and Floral Trails I made a wonderful discovery. A single pinkish purple Oxalis is being bent by a subtle breeze. A tiny exquisite gift in the parched Forest.
The now falling rain is a gift to the Forest in need of healing.
Much Love to ALL!
Lee
HSNP Floral Trail August 26th 2011 and August 29th 2012
HSNP Carriage Road “I am not lost”
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Dayflower
HSNP Carriage Road Sneeze Weed
HSNP Dead Chief Trail
HSNP Dead Chief Trail
HSNP Dead Chief Trail
HSNP Dead Chief Trail Red Bellied Woodpecker Juvenile
HSNP Dead Chief Trail Red Bellied Woodpecker Juvenile
HSNP Dead Chief Trail Clover Cluster
HSNP Dead Chief Trail Goldenrod
HSNP Dead Chief Trail Goldenrod
HSNP Floral Trail
HSNP Floral Trail
HSNP Floral Trail August 2011 and 2012
HSNP Fountain St Lawn Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
HSNP Fountain St Lawn Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
HSNP Fountain St Lawn Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
HSNP Fountain St Lawn Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Hiking Hut
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Hiking Hut
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Hiking Hut
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Oxalis
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Oxalis
HSNP Honeysuckle Trail Oxalis
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Dragonfly
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Dragonfly
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Goldenrod
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Pine Stump
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Red Leaf
HSNP Hot Springs Mt Trail Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
You never know where the path will lead…. I went in search of Wild Turkeys and instead found Zen Rocks.
When I decided to hike on Sugarloaf Mountain (finally) there was no plan other than waking up, seeing the sun and deciding to go. On a few occasions I had brushed its edges, but always when I did not have the time to complete this leg of the Sunset Trail. I generally like to hike up the steepest parts of the trail at the beginning of my hike so I head up the Sunset Trail from the Cedar Glades entrance. My advice is wear good boots, have strong ankles and flexible knees as the trail is on an uneven loose Rock surface. I climb up into Forest that is a wonderful mix of Short Leaf Pines and a variety of deciduous Trees. Hearing a twig snap I glance to my right just in time to see fleeing Whitetail Deer. Soon the early morning sun crests the mountain top it bathing the Forest in ribbons of pale gold. Approximately 3/4 of a mile up I smell a Bear and although I stand silently for several minutes no sighting is made. The Bears in our area are very small and about the size of a miniature horse.
Just over a mile up is the trail leading to Balanced Rock, it is a lovely .2 mile mile hike along a rocky trail. I have wanted to see Balanced Rock since another hiker recommended I see it 6 months ago, so I am a bit disappointed that most of the view is obscured by leaves. This is definitely on my list for a bare Trees of winter hike. On the plus side is the scenic vistas of the the valley and other mountains in the park. The sky is a perfect deep blue and the light accents the Forest on both close and far mountains.
When I headed down the Balanced Rock Trail there were no Zen Rocks on the sign post, on my return from the Black Snake Road Sunset Trail head a stack was present. I added one of my own to top off the two that magically appeared. I should not be surprised as I have seen these wonderful Zen Rock stacks throughout the park. I notice several large stacks along the Sunset Trail on Sugarloaf Mountain, I even create one of my own perched on a hillside. One day I hope to see the Zen Rock Master Stacker of Hot Springs National Park, perhaps there is more than one
The trail is decked out in the purple of Asters and the vibrant yellow of Goldenrod. Tiny Gray Hairstreak Butterflies are feeding on wildflowers warmed by the sun where it slips between Trees illuminating the trail. Baby Prairie Lizards can heard if not always seen darting across and under the dried leaves blanketing the Forest floor. A beautiful Red Spotted Butterfly is perched on leaves above me like a glorious stained glass window set alight by the sun.
I never imagined my journey would end in sliding with intermittent hiking down a loose rock trail while I was humming the Beach Boys hit Little Surfer Girl. It worked, I made it the whole way down the mountain on my feet. It felt as if a strong pair of arms kept me upright a couple of times on this hike, the Universe is a wonderful traveling companion.
When I reach the bottom of the trail I cross over Cedar Glades to another trail head and noticed large patches of glorious yellow Sneezeweed. A gentle breeze is causing it to sway as beautiful Insects are feeding on the nectar warmed by sun. See video below.
This hike started on the Sunset Trail on Sugarloaf Mountain and ended along the promenade on Hot Springs Mountain. My husband Rick and I were going to hike up Sugarloaf Mountain on the Sunset Trail (Section 2) to see the “Balanced Rock” but the trail had too many weather ruts and loose rocks for his newly healed ankle. We decided instead to head down and pick up the Sunset Trail (Section 1 aka Stonebridge Road Section) on the old Fordyce Estate at the Cedar Glades Road trail head.
It was a beautiful hike along the trails as the early morning sun lit our way. There were wonderful wildflowers I had not seen on other trails in Hot Springs National Park, they included Slender Bush-Clover, Rough Buttonweed, Goldenrod and Drummond’s St. John’s-Wort. Rick spotted a young Male Box Turtle moving slowly across the barely groomed trail, he had a lovely colorful face. Flying Grasshoppers sprung up from the trail with each step forward, some had yellow wings others black with white edges. Although the Bird song was varied and loud they were tantalizingly out of sight high the the Forest canopy. As we finished our hike on the Sunset Trail a Sharp Shinned Hawk flew over us and toward Sugarloaf Mountain… to be continued.
I adore hiking on rough trails and always mange to navigate my way to my intended destination, even when the trails are not well marked. However it may not appeal to hikers intending to complete a trail in a specified time frame to keep back tracking. If you are planning to hike section 1 of the Sunset Trail (see Map below) contact me, the trail is unmarked in many key spots. Several trails not mentioned on maps take you off the Sunset and away from the trail head that connects to section 2 of the Sunset Trail. I left an arrow marker made from sticks but that could easily be disturbed by weather and wildlife. The red circle slash markers on the official HSNP map below refer to the access road that cuts across the old Fordyce Estate not the trail forks mentioned in my blog.
Much Love to ALL,
Lee
Note to Park Staff (if you are still reading my blog):
Please add trail markers so hikers can stay on course if they are hiking the entire Sunset Trail. It is particularly confusing below the concrete water reservoir at the 3 trail fork (not on the official map below), the one going straight leads away from the trail head, hikers need to stay left. The red circle slash markers on the map below refer to the access road that cuts across the old Fordyce Estate not the trail forks mentioned. One off the forks another leading away from the trail head has a storm ravaged abandoned homeless camp you may want to clean up as it is located in the middle of the trail.
A quarter mile in from Cedar Glades Road trail head on Section one of the Sunset Trail we spotted a pack of feral dogs being lead by a large grey pitbull. Although they ran from us, you might want to get them off the trail before there is an unfortunate incident with a hiker and a leashed dog.
Hot Springs National Park, AR Sunset Trail Section 1
HSNP I Adore UnMarked Mystery Trails
HSNP Sugarloaf Mountain Sunset Trail Butterfly Pea
HSNP Sugarloaf Mountain Sunset Trail Butterfly Pea
Field Notes: The heat and humidity has returned with a vengeance to Hot Springs National Park. This morning it is 80 degrees with 80% humidity and a heat index of 85 as I head into the Forest. The hazy veil of humidity has returned and I am sweating after only a few paces out my door. Many people I pass as I head up the mountain are carrying rolled towels in an effort and keep their face and neck dry.
Vibrant blue and yellow wildflowers dominate the drying green Forest. Patches of blue Asiatic Dayflowers are popping up all throughout the park. Usually I have found them in small numbers around the few open steam vents on Hot Springs Mountain. The extreme heat and humidity has provided them the perfect climate to spread out across the park. I have photographed them on the Carriage and Hot Springs Mountain Roads plus the Tufa, Peak,Floral and Hot Springs Mountain Trails. For those of you who find yourself having allergies in the summer the culprit might be the lovely daisy shaped yellow aptly named Sneezeweed. The extreme temperatures have also given them a perfect growing environment and they are more abundant on the west side of Hot Springs Mountain.
Although I have not seen most of the multi-generational families of birds that once inhabited the slopes of Hot Springs Mountain, today was filled with some old winged friends. As I enter the park a tiny House Sparrow is peering at me from it’s perch on a branch at the bottom of a flowering bush. When I reach the Peak Trail I hear the familiar sound of whistling flapping wings. Only one bird take off could make this sound, in the Tree above a Mourning Dove is giving me a shy glance. When I reach the Hot Springs Mountain Road two molting Crows are perched on branches to my left. The new fuzzy head feather make their beaks appear larger. My old dancing partner looks at me in a moment of curiosity and recognition. The park Crows often travel in large family groups and I wonder how many of them survived the storm last week.
Much Love to All!
Thank you for visiting my blog,
Lee
PS: The heat today is amplified the aroma of my natural lemon eucalyptus bug repellant by Repel. I can confirm it has worked for me even in the densest parts of the Forest for more than four hours (I have yet to push it to the full six hours). It has been a relief this summer not to be covered in DEET when I hike. (this is an unpaid endorsement)
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