Iron Mountain Natural Area

Iron Mountain Natural Area is a little known area located southwest of Mena, Arkansas. This 261 acre natural area is managed by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. The ANHC manages 63 different areas in Arkansas. These "islands" preserve Arkansas' native habitat as well as provide many recreational opportunities.

The Iron Mountain Natural Area is one of only five natural areas that contain hiking trails. The trail is a 1.5 mile loop that follows a small stream (Paul Branch) which bisects the natural area.

It was a cloudy day when my wife and I visited Iron Mountain. After parking at the trail head along County Road 169, which is bordered very closely by private property, we began our hike. There appeared to be quite a bit of work going on within the natural area. There were several survey markers and flagging around the trail as well as obvious signs of trail maintenance. The trail was well marked by blue plastic diamond shaped blazes.

A short distance from the trail head you will reach Paul Branch where the trail splits. To the left the trail continues along beside the stream and to the right it crosses Paul Branch and continues uphill. As you will have to cross the stream here on your return and at the mid point it would be a good time to judge whether or not to cross downstream or circle back, depending on the water level.

Continuing left, the trail is fairly level. There are several narrow spots due to erosion and lots of small hops over tributaries of the stream. Old ATV trails intersect the trail at several places and in wet weather could cause for some wet feet so be prepared.

The trail passes through the typical pine, oak, and hickory forest. There is also the occasional cedar mixed in as well. The one constant along the trail is the sight and sounds of Paul Branch. As you follow the trail downstream you are constantly rewarded by the soft soothing sounds of the running water and picturesque beauty of a mountain stream.

The stream widens as you pass through a grove of cedar trees and begin a more uphill hike. There are some low branches and trees down in the corridor but nothing that isn't easily avoided. The trail finally reaches an older road at the north border of the natural area as the trail swings downhill to the right. As we approached the stream, we were treated by the sight of a woodpecker vigorously working for some food on a nearby tree. He was busy at his work and didn't mind the two onlookers staring up at him.

You will cross the stream at this point. There is a wonderful little rock formation nearby which makes a nice spot to stop and picnic or just relax to the sounds of the running water.

The trail heads south along the opposite side of the stream from this point. This part of the trail has many more trees and branches in the corridor. Several of the blazed trees have fallen and with the debris in the way it can be sometimes hard to make out the trail. There are a lot more ups and downs also, making this section more moderate.

There will be a large uphill climb towards the end. Watch your footing, especially downhill, as the fallen leaves conceal hidden rocks and small holes which could cause a fall. You will eventually arrive back at, and cross, the stream where it had split in the beginning of your hike. After that simply follow the trail in reverse back to the trail head. Of course most of that will be uphill. =)

The best times to hike this trail would be in the spring and fall when Paul Branch is running. The colors of fall and the wildflowers of spring also add to an enjoyable hike. With the numerous places for water to collect I would avoid this trail during the warmer months when the bugs will be out.

Directions:
From Mena, travel approximately 7.1 miles southwest on U.S. Highway 71 through and beyond Potter Junction. Turn right on County Road 168 and travel 0.2 mile to fork. Turn right on County Road 169 and travel 0.3 mile to parking area on right.

Length: 1.5 mile loop
Difficulty: Moderate (this could lower as more trail maintenance is completed)
Scenic Beauty: 3
Child Friendly: Children under eight will need help in certain places. Older children should be fine.

Almost Spring

It seems odd to be thinking of spring while snow falls outside, but the official beginning of spring is only seven days away. But while we can look forward to warmer temperatures, wildflowers, and the numerous other treats which delight outdoors adventurers, there is also the inevitable appearance of all those bothersome insects. Ticks and chiggers being by far the worst. While hiking I always remind our kids that bothering wildlife (ie. chasing squirrels, throwing rocks at snakes, etc.) is against our outdoor ethics. Ticks however, are fair game.

My wife and I have been enjoying the recent weather and have used the opportunity to dayhike some local trails which has been fantastic. Those combined with some searches for geocaches located in wonderful areas has allowed us to hike at least twice a week.

We were fortunate to visit Hole In The Ground Creek Falls. It was actually a set of waterfalls located down an old ATV trail north of Pencil Bluff. The scenery was outstanding. We spent quite some time enjoying the area and sat down to have lunch beside the upper falls. It was great. Our round trip distance measured by GPS was 3.03 miles.

Three days later we ventured into the Poteau Mountain Wilderness to visit Slate Falls. The hike along the old road was easy but we were disappointed that the falls were all but dry. Still getting to see the height of the falls and explore around the remains of the old stone dwelling made the trip more than worth while. Of course we hunted for and found the geocache Slate Falls while we were there.

On March 4th we were delighted to get another chance to go hiking and this time we chose to hike Hole In The Ground Mountain Trail. It's hard to describe how wonderful this trail is. Being located south of Booneville, with a trailhead at Jack Creek Recreational Area and the Dry Creek Wilderness, this trail is a seldom visited jewel in the Ouachita Forest. It isn't for the timid though. The trail can be challenging in places and is rough in others. Sometimes both. We tried to begin our hike from the Jack Creek trailhead but my wife didn't want to have anything to do with crossing the frigid flowing creeks. So we drove to the other trailhead and hiked in from there. One of my favorite parts of the trail are as you summit and cross over Hole In The Ground Mountain. The Pine on the west side of the mountain quickly gives way Black Oak on top and then Cedar as you move down the east side. The transition is so quick it is almost instant. There are also abundant geological formations and views along the way. I strongly encourage anyone who can to visit and enjoy the trail. You won't regret it. We flip flopped and got a total of 5.7 miles in that day and wished we could have done more!!

Monday brought about a doctors appointment in Poteau. That's a long drive and we stopped by Subway to grab some lunch on the way home to celebrate my 25lbs I've lost so far on my diet. We decided, spur of the moment, to hike at Runestone State Park in Heavener. It is kind of shocking how little trail maintenance is done there compared to our state parks. Yet another reason Arkansas is awesome! We hiked for roughly a mile by combining two trails ad enjoyed the views immensely. The picnic pavilions at the park have hang glider shaped roofs which was really neat.

The next morning, Tuesday, after the kids were off to school my wife asked me if I wanted to go for another hike. Oh Yeah! I was ready to go! :-) We decided to combine some geocaching along with our hike. We went to Knoppers Ford Recreational Area and hiked the Sugar Creek Hiking Trail. It was really warm when we started from the trailhead. The views of Sugar Creek were beautiful and initially the trail was clear and easy. Once you get about 0.5mi from the trailhead the trail gets rougher though. Again from lack of maintenance. Some blowdown had been there so long that the spur around it was more prominent than the trail itself. That notwithstanding, the trail was great. I enjoy hiking on seldom used trails. You never see another soul and have the woods all to yourself. We hunted for four geocaches along the way and enjoyed a picnic when we reached Middle Creek. By looping back we manged to hike 3.6mi in total. We did see three snakes (a ringneck, a kingsnake, and a cottonmouth) along the way. Of course with the warmer weather those little parasitic spawns of evil were out also. I hate ticks! But on the plus side, tick checks can be fun. ;-)

We've made plans to hike some more trails in the Brushy Creek Trail Complex this Sunday. We were going to do it Saturday but this cold and rain weather will still be here. Sunday should have temperatures in the 60's so it will be great. We're going to build a campfire in the camping area afterward and roast some hot dogs and marshmallows. I'm bringing our fishing poles to try our luck while we're there. The whole family is really looking forward to it and it should be a fantastic day.

The Ouachita National Forest offers so many things to do and see I don't think anyone could see it all if they spent a lifetime exploring it. I am sure that the attempt itself would be rewarding beyond measure. Arkansas offers so much to do. I feel blessed to live in such a wonderful state and being able to watch my children explore the natural world around them, knowing they will be able to share it with their children.

Camouglage

Wow. Is it getting closer to Christmas already!? It's been such a hectic time. Doctors visits, birthdays, and everything else that makes the holidays so crazy. We celebrated my nephews birthday this weekend. He was of course spoiled rotten again. LOL. Why my sister believes an eight year old needs an iPod is beyond me.

We've been hiding caches like fiends the past couple of weeks. We've hidden four Terracaches (two virtual and two physical) and an ALR geocache. I was really nervous about the geocache we hid but it seems to be well received. That will teach me for reading the GC forums too much. LOL. Our ALR cache is a challenge I dreamed up named Calliope's Challenge. In order to log the cache you must find thirty consecutive caches and have an online log length of fifty words.

We had both my nieces and my nephew over at the house all day today. All the kids just love hanging out together. My oldest niece even helped me paint an ammo can which gave me the idea for this post.

I enjoy painting caches we are going to hide. I'm not very good at it but I believe it adds something special for the finder to have a camouflaged ammo can waiting. I even leave a little note on the cover of the logbook thanking them for hunting our cache. I try to stock them with really good trade items. We can't afford much but thanks to A to Z in Alma we at least have some nice toys. Hardly anybody ever lists what they trade so it's hard to tell what most cachers think of the trade.

Anyway, I thought I would talk about how I camouflage an ammo can and maybe get some input from anyone reading, especially if they have never attempted it before. I'm interested in getting better at it so any input would also be most appreciated.

We buy our ammo cans from a scrap metal dealer in Glenwood, AR. He literally has hundreds of 50cal cans that he sells for $1. Pretty sweet huh! The downside is you have to look through them (which he encourages) and sometimes mix and match lids. So the first step in preparing an ammo can for a hide is to check the rubber seal. Without that the can will allow moisture in and ruin all the contents. The second thing to look for (in older cans) is holes. The best way to do that is simply hold it up to the light while looking in the interior for any light a hole may let in. Now that you have a can in good condition it's time to paint!



The first step in camouflaging a can is sanding off any rust. You'll want to be sure to do that outside since I was told some older cans used lead based paint. I'd err on the side of caution and wear a mask or at least be outside when you do this. Once you've sanded all the rust off go ahead and cover the can in a coat of primer. I do this to protect the can (hopefully) from rusting any further.



Once you've let your primer dry cover the can in the primary color you wish to have. I usually use OD green or brown. I use the Krylon camouflage paint mostly. Their oD green is a little light compared to some darker ones made by BLP Mobile Paints that I sometimes get from the army surplus but they dry very quickly and can also be used on plastic which is an added bonus. You could use a cheaper version of brown though. It would just take longer to dry.




When that's dry then you need to paint the secondary colors of your camouflage. This really depends on what you want. For this can I randomly sprayed light beige (ColorPlace..cheap at Wal-Mart) and then went back over part of it with some Krylon camouflage beige. I also reapplied some OD green in some places I felt were too light. I try to stay away from the edges when using the lighter colors. You can also get shades of your color choices by varying how close to the can you hold the spray paint. This takes some practice (I'm still working on it. LOL.) but it is worth it.




Next I'll choose some leaves and/or grasses to use. This again depends on where you're hiding the cache or just what you have available. I use some small maple leaves I picked up in the crafts department at Wal-Mart. I've also used grasses form a nearby field and leaves from a neighbors bush (shhh..don't say anything). Just anything you want would work. First I'll hit the edges of the can with black and then lay whatever material I'm using on the can and Highlight around it with the black. I really recommend the Krylon black since it dries faster and you won't get any streaks from moving your material around but you can use the cheaper stuff, just be real careful! Keep repositioning and spraying until you have the look you want. Remember that the lighter colors will darken after a couple of hours. Don't be afraid to experiment! You can always repaint the can if you're not happy with it. Here's what I ended up with:



The lighter colors darkened some after a few hours and I was really pleased with it. You can affix a geocaching label to it or make a stencil and spray one on there. Which is what I do. You can download a PDF at Sissy-n-CR's website. I just bought some blank Mylar sheets at Wal-Mart and, using the copy I printed from their store, laid the template under it and cut it out with an exacto knife. It works okay. I'm going to buy some later. Just so I don't have to cut anymore out. They have both Geocaching and Terracaching stencils available so check them out.

Well that's all I've learned so far. I keep experimenting and so far I've made a lot of improvement. I've also had some abysmal failures. You should have seen how my attempt at digital camouflage came out. Ugh! LOL. It was horrid. I'm currently working on trying to paint an ammo can to make it look like bacon!? I'm almost there. Happy Caching!