September 14th Friday night 5:30 pm to 15th Saturday 2:00 pm. 2018.
Temps hi of 81 and a low of 67. Ten Rangers and Friends of Rangers left
Springfield, Neosho, Ozark Missouri and Rogers Arkansas to Take the Compton
Trailhead Hemmed in Hollow Falls Trail down 600 feet in decent then 3/4
of a mile then start another 400 feet of decent 3/8 of a mile on a bushwhack
trail that is very steep. Clinging on to small trees as natural handrails
and going over rocks that formed 36" stairs at times. This the longest
roughest down hill section I have ever done. It takes 3 years for me to forget
how tough it is by backpack to do it again....GRIN! Time clouds our
memories. Jimmy had his own prayer vigil down that hill next to me as we
worked him down that hill. I can remember him crying out to God to help
him. I just muttered a amen and we kept moving. Time and time again.
Someone closer than a brother was with us as we went down that bushwhack.
Click on a picture for a larger view. Special Thanks to Rob
Batchman, Mark Jones and Keith Gray and Kevin Fringer for sharing the pictures.
Zip file of all these pictures.
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Rob Batchman, Kevin Fringer, Keith Gray, Collin Gray, Garret Bevis, Oliver Nash, Jackson Woodward, Jimmy Winch and Mark Jones not shown
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On top of the falls are these valley pools Yup they swam through one of them
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We arrived at our campsite just as the sun was setting and was hanging seven
hammocks and 2 ground pads and a tent before it was totally dark. We
enjoyed a star lite night with almost no breeze at 72 degrees it was a perfect
evening. Our campsite was out on a overlook rock that could sit about 20 people
on it. We had a fire out there. Someone had already gathered enough wood
so we were set for that. We enjoyed some of Rob's marinated steak and each
of us cooked up our own. My devotion was on "A time to Ripen" from the
last seed of the Sower and the seed.
The group did real well. Action Jackson got scolled by ALL OF US
several times as he was bouncing around where this was a NO NO! I even had
to sit him down for a time out to remind him that when it's a unanimous vote that
Jackson is acting wrong and needed to change that HE was wrong and let him think
about it for a bit. He apologized later for his behavior. NO second
chances up here. YOU GOOF up up here and it's all gone. I have to
remind these boys and men. We can take them on hundreds of great events
and fun times and challenge them that will change their lives for ever but if
someone gets hurt or the worst happens someone dies......all that is for not.
We must be vigilant with safety. Yes we need challenge, Yes we need fun,
Yes we need to stretch. Yet all that can be done safely. This is one
of those places I score a 8 on my scale. It's along 200 foot cliffs and steep
trails to get here. YET it's a awesome spot. Most will never get to
this spot. (Most will die of heart disease by sitting in a chair way to
much times like these keep that heart strong)
Saturday morning came early. I laid in the hammock for 8 hours
comfortably with almost no sleep. The morning fog came rolling up
into that valley and all you could see was clouds until the sun came up and
burnt it off. While we waited for that we enjoyed breakfast and devotion and
then took a short hike over to the top of Hemmed in Hallow Falls. That is
a wow place.
We enjoyed the trip back up that bushwhack resting about 6 times up it.
Then went to Compton Store and had them cook us up a lunch and we bought cool
stuff. It's a backpacking store as well and prices were reasonable. I
picked up a new inflatable pillow full size and a new t-shirt poly blend.
We arrived back at Ozark at 2:00 pm on the money and Rob blessed me with
taking the boys back into Springfield.
We had a great time. I have muscles I never knew I had speaking out to
me this morning. It's worth it. If we do this again...don't miss
out. It's that wild of a memory. At 60 Backpacking this....I am pushing it.
