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Drizzly Day Piddlin Around Falling Water, Richland, and Big Piney Creeks
1/1/2014
Forty percent chance of showers today...whatever...need to get out somewhere. Breakfast...Denny's Russellville. Vehicle...Nissan XTerra. Temp in the 50's. I drive west on I-40...the rain starts as a weak drizzle around 3:15 a.m....surely it will be gone after food. It is not. Surely by the time I hit my destination it will be gone. As I rise onto the Ozark plateau the rain abates...but is replaced by heavy fog. Better go to alternate plan...OK...go to the Richland Creek area and see what happens. The fog fades as the valley of Falling Water Creek is entered. Time for a nap at 5:30 while waiting for sun up. I rise around 7:00 along side Six Finger Falls. There's still some ice on the falls kinda messing up the look...no photos here today.
Onward to Richland campground. The premises were closed for a while recently and now I see why. The old campground has been renovated and I am not thrilled with the results. Maybe in a few years it will look OK but now...?...yuck! A couple of groups were camped there and preparing for a hike. There is still no charge for camping but I'm sure that will change soon. At least there is no electricity or RV hook-ups.
I piddled around the two creeks there for a while and then drove north back up to the the fog clogged ridges and felt my way south down Hwy 7. A cheeseburger to go from Mack's Pines and then to Long Pool on Big Piney Creek. After that...homeward. Not exactly the day I had in mind but it was still a good day.
